Market Urbanism MUsings March 1, 2019

1. Recently at Market Urbanism

Any Green New Deal Must Tackle Zoning Reform by Nolan Gray

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation and electricity account for more than half of the US’ greenhouse gas emissions. As David Owen points out in his book “Green Metropolis,” city dwellers drive less, consume less electricity, and throw out less trash than their rural and suburban peers. This means that if proponents of the Green New Deal are serious about reducing carbon emissions, they will have to help more people move to cities.

New York State’s Property Tax Cap by Michael Lewyn

New York’s Gov. Cuomo has recently proposed a tax cut that buys popularity for state lawmakers on the backs of municipalities.  In 2011, the state passed a law to limit local governments’ property tax increases to 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.  This cap was originally temporary, but Cuomo now proposes to make it permanent.

What Should YIMBY’s Learn from 2018? by Nolan Gray

Believe it or not, the YIMBY movement won a lot in 2018. And rolling into 2019, elected officials at every level of California government—from the state’s new Democratic governor to San Diego’s Republican mayor—are singing from the YIMBY hymn sheet. All in all, it wasn’t a bad year for a movement that’s only five years old. But what really made 2018 such an unexpected success for YIMBYs?

Yimbyism: the Evolution of an Idea by Jeff Fong

Five years ago everything in California felt like a giant (land use policy) dumpster fire. Fast forward to today we live in a completely different world. Yimby activists have pushed policy, swayed elections, and dramatically shifted the overton window on California housing policy. And through this process of pushing change, Yimbyism itself has evolved as well.

Evidence that home-sharing doesn’t raise rents by Michael Lewyn

A common argument against Airbnb and similar home-sharing companies is that they raise rents, because every apartment used for short-term rentals could be used for long-term rentals. A recent paper by a Spanish Ph.D. candidate suggests otherwise.

Big Media Gets Big Buildings Wrong by Michael Lewyn

After googling “one in four paris apartments vacant” I found an article claiming that 26 percent of apartments in four Paris arrondissements (neighborhoods) is vacant- a much narrower claim, comparable to an assertion that one in four midtown Manhattan apartments is vacant. One would think that a journalist as distinguished as Johnston would know the difference between “Paris” and “some parts of Paris.”

2. Also by Market Urbanists

Nolan Gray and Brandon Fuller at Citylab, “A Red-State Take on a YIMBY Housing Bill“

Nolan Gray and Lyman Stone at Citylab, “How ‘Vasectomy Zoning’ Makes Childless Cities“

Emily Hamilton at Mercatus, “Cities and States to Watch in 2019“

Vote for both Emily and Nolan in the Neoliberal brackets on twitter:

Vote for Emily

Vote for Nolan

3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group

Roger Valdez at Forbes: Imagine No Housing Prices, Only Data: The United States Of Amazon

Michael Strong shares: An intelligent and informed paper explaining why Singapore’s approach to planning has been successful.

Jay  Carlson says: Prop 13 is the Brexit of property tax policy.

Anthony Ling asks: What are your thoughts in Ricard Florida’s petition against Amazon HQ2’s “auction”?

Michael Hewitt Wilson shares: Zoning Laws Cause Poverty

Via Joe Wolf: No, Zoning Reform Isn’t Magic. But It’s Crucial.

Via Randy Shaw: SF’S Moment of Truth on Housing

Via Brendon Harre: Japanese urbanism and its application to the Anglo-World

Via Christopher Stefan: Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing?

Via Randy Shaw: Newson’s 2004 Housing Vision Finally Popular

Via Chris Bergren: The Wretched Climate-Killing Truth about American Sprawl

Via Sean Lawrence: New ‘trackless train’ which runs on virtual rail lines launched in China

Via Stephen Rowe: Stephenville mayor evicted from off-the-grid home after council vote

Via Tom W. Bell: The Behavioral Sink

Via Joe Wolf: Amazon threatens Philadelphia over plan to ban cashless stores

Via Joe Wolf: Amazon signals slowdown of Seattle growth as it gives up on New York

Via Michael Burns: Housing Shortages Are Self-Made, Unnecessary

Via Joe Wolf: I’m Really Upset About Losing Amazon’s HQ2

Via Randy Shaw: Blue Cities Should Enact Local Green New Deals

Via Donald Shoup: Free Parking:Is it the Secret Ingredient in NYC’s Traffic Problem?

Via Matt Robare: Supreme Court limits power of states and localities to impose fines, seize property

Via Joe Wolf: Even AARP endorses Sen. Wiener’s pro-housing bill

Via Joe Wolf: What if the problem of poverty is that it’s profitable to other people?

Via Nevram Norman: Could a car-free, Dutch-style city work in Colorado?

3. Stephen Smith’s hottest tweet:

Houston, where there’s no zoning!*

*But if you want to build anything even vaguely urban, you need a discretionary variance to be excused from setback and – in all but three neighborhoods – parking requirements
https://t.co/2yCGuqKpBbhttps://t.co/KfCSFb0lRt

— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) January 7, 2019