Market Urbanism MUsings July 22, 2016

1. This week at Market Urbanism

Quantifying the effects of California zoning rules by Emily Hamilton

Kip Jackson finds that California zoning rules and other land-use restrictions not only reduce the growth rate of new housing stock, but a new regulation can actually be expected to reduce the existing stock of housing by 0.2% per year. This correlation is greatest when looking only at multifamily buildings, where each new restriction results in 6% fewer apartments built annually.

Tech for Housing: An Experiment in YIMBY Activism by Jeff Fong

We want to make participation in land use reform a conspicuously consumable good within Bay Area tech. We want everyone within tech to identify as YIMBY by default and for that reflexive self-identification to tip the scales of everyone’s internal cost benefit analysis in favor of having an articulable opinion and taking minimal actions like sending a letter, signing a petition, or casting a vote.

2. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group:

Shanu Athiparambath wrote, Elevators are a Mass Transit System

Adam Millsap wrote, Recessions Don’t Have The Same Impact On Every City

Shanu Athiparambath wrote, Zoning Is Unjust, Anti-Poor & A Cause of Inequality

via Tobias Cassandra Holbrook: Cash-Strapped Towns Are Un-Paving Roads They Can’t Afford to Fix

via Vinay Natu, “Man behind charter cities – Paul Romer, named for Chief Economist, World Bank“

via Melanie Meharchand, “The Coastal Commission wrote a letter chiding the City of Laguna Beach for its overly-restrictive regulations on short-term rentals.”

via Nolan Gray, “Hard to tell who’s more irritating here, the weirdo utopian schemers or the petty narrow-minded NIMBYs:” A Mormon Tycoon Wants to Build Joseph Smith’s Mega-Utopia in Vermont

via Roger Valdez: Renting in Seattle? City could put a cap on your move-in fees

via Matt Robare:  The Tyranny of Free Parking

via Jake Thomas: Housing can’t be a good investment and affordable

3. Elsewhere

Seattle Times lists Market Urbanism as a possible response to the affordability crisis.  Their analogies to Houston are a bit of a strawman, but they get the general idea right.

Planetizen summarizes Emily Hamilton’s latest

Airbnb must now hire former mayors as lobbyists just to win regulatory approval in some cities

Elon Musk primed to take on Uber and Lyft in ridesharing battle

4. Stephen Smith‘s tweet of the week:

Madison Square Park lunchers flock to the shadows, stay out of the sun. But shadows are destroying Central Park?? pic.twitter.com/1VqpyIiF92

— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) July 21, 2016