Market Urbanism

Liberalizing cities | From the bottom up

“Market Urbanism” refers to the synthesis of classical liberal economics and ethics (market), with an appreciation of the urban way of life and its benefits to society (urbanism). We advocate for the emergence of bottom up solutions to urban issues, as opposed to ones imposed from the top down.

The land price argument and why it fails

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One common argument against all forms of infill development runs something like this: "In dense, urban areas land prices are always high, so housing prices will never be affordable absent government subsidy or extremely low demand.  Furthermore, laws that allow new housing will make land prices even … [Read more...]

Response to “Steelmanning the NIMBYs”

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Scott Alexander, a West Coast blogger, has written a post that has received a lot of buzz, called  "Steelmanning the NIMBYs"; apparently, "steelmanning" is the opposite of "straw manning"; that is, it involves making the best possible case for an argument you don't really support.  There have been … [Read more...]

Housing Still Suffers the Same Ills That Caused the Great Recession—Just Not the Ones You Think

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If you type “housing crisis” into Google search, “2008” is no longer the first result. The subprime mortgage crisis that toppled the global economy just a decade ago has been supplanted on Google trends by “housing crisis 2018.” This time, the crisis isn’t an overabundance of housing; it’s a chronic … [Read more...]

The Foreign Buyers Are Taking Over (Not!)

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A headline in the Boston Globe screams: "Boston's new luxury towers appear to house few local residents."   The headline is based on a report by the leftist Institute for Policy Studies, which claims that in twelve Boston condo buildings, "64 percent do not claim a residential exemption, a clear … [Read more...]

New Video: How Zoning Laws Are Holding Back America’s Cities

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It's an understatement to say that zoning is a dry subject. But in a new video for the Institute for Humane Studies, Josh Oldham and Professor Sanford Ikeda (a regular contributor to this blog) manage to breath new life into this subject, accessibly explaining how zoning has transformed America's … [Read more...]

California Legislation Threatens to Become Law and Build More Housing

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On August 23rd, a California assembly bill aimed at increasing transit-oriented development, like housing, was passed by the state senate, confirmed by the assembly, and headed to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for signing. The bill, AB 2923, specifically targets the San Francisco Bay Area—making it … [Read more...]

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