Category MUsings

1. This week at Market Urbanism: Are “Charter Cities” a Solution? by Sandy Ikeda What makes a charter city attractive is the prospect of rapidly instituting rules consistent with economic development in an area that might otherwise take decades to do so, offering almost overnight the chance of a better life for the citizens of an impoverished country for whom long-distance immigration is too costly. While I find myself largely sympathetic to the concept, two things bother me about it. 2. Where’s Scott? Scott Beyer is spending the holidays in his hometown of Charlottesville, VA, and will fly back Monday to Los Angeles. His Forbes article this week was titled Yimby Nation: The Rise of America’s Pro-Housing Political Coalition The grassroots activist side sits more on the West Coast, germinating among a colorful hodgepodge of non-profits, informal civic groups, beer hall meetups, blogging and social media platforms, and firebrand individuals, from beachtown gadflies to downtown flâneurs. 3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group: Nga Pham is “being accused of trying to build a ‘mini-hotel that will be ‘airbnb’ or causing a lot of noise and parking problems. or letting people live in the closets. If anyone wants to help with actively voicing Yimby sentiments and is from Berkeley pm me.” Malia Kristina asks for “Recommendations for articles on the future governance challenges of megacities?” Robert Stark interviews Charles Marohn from Strong Towns Roger Valdez wrote: What is to be Done?: Taking on 2017 and Beyond via David N. Welton, “Interesting and specific example of the market being at odds with “urbanism””: Homebuilders say ‘no’ to Redmond code changes via Anthony Ling: Urban myth busting: New rental housing and median-income households via Elizabeth Lasky: Should there be carbon penalties for ‘no growth’ communities? via Krishan Madan: ‘Morally criminal’ efforts by Pioneer Square developer thwarted [Seattle] via Jon […]

  1. This week at Market Urbansim: China’s “Planned Capitalism” Kills Wealth by Sandy Ikeda China’s central planners haven’t even begun to appreciate, let alone practice, the lessons of the great urbanist Jane Jacobs, who viewed cities and the socioeconomic processes that go on in them as largely the result of spontaneous, unplanned entrepreneurial development. 2. Where’s Scott? Scott Beyer is in Los Angeles, and this weekend will visit South Central neighborhoods like Compton, Watts and Huntington Park. His Forbes article this week is about how Los Angeles’ Pension Problem Is Sinking The City It has the nation’s largest homeless population, the worst traffic, and numerous other service failures. Lack of money isn’t the problem, since the city has both high taxes and a wealthy population. It is instead because large sums go to employee pension benefits. 3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group: Roger Valdez wrote Gallup: Zoning Is Reducing American Productivity And Making The Poor Poorer Tobias Cassandra Holbrook asks about the potential impacts of property transfer tax. Jon Coppage wrote Whether Thriving or Failing, Cities Need Investment Nathan J. Yoder asks “What are good sources that compile information and long term comparative studies [about] what works best for housing for urban poor?” Isaac Mooers asks “imagine what Seattle would be like without FAR near our light rail stops.” via Krishan Madan, “A profile of the heroic Sonja Trauss and Laura Foote Clarke.“ via Michael Strong, Indy Johar recommends holding architects legally liable for their buildings as an alternative to urban planning via Will Muessig: Don’t Let Downtown Atlanta Become Privately Owned: Our Public Streets Must Remain Public via Krishan Madan: Zenefits’ Free Business Model Ruled Illegal In Washington State via Eric Fontaine: Four Million Commutes Reveal New U.S. ‘Megaregions’ via Kevin Watts, “NYT has an article on unsafe housing in Oakland, and […]

1. This week at Market Urbansim: Private Neighborhoods And The Transformation Of Local Government by Sandy Ikeda In Private Neighborhoods and the Transformation of Local Government, Robert H. Nelson effectively frames the discussion of what minimal government might look like in terms of personal choices based on local knowledge. He looks at the issue from the ground up rather than the top down. Thoughts On Today’s Emily Hamilton Vs. Randal O’Toole Cato Discussion by Michael Lewyn O’Toole said high housing prices don’t correlate with “zoning” just with “growth constraints.” But the cities with strict regionwide growth constraints aren’t necessarily high cost cities like New York and Boston, but mid-size, moderately expensive regions like Seattle and Portland. 2. MU Elsewhere Emily Hamilton wrote Rules that wreck housing affordability for the Washington Times, analyzing the White House report on housing affordability President Obama deserves credit for recognizing a serious economic problem that is escaping our attention. What’s happening in Takoma is happening in every expensive city in the country, resulting in lost opportunities for the people who need them the most. Reforms to city land-use regulations would not only improve the lives of local renters, but could also improve economic growth for the whole country. Emily‘s debate with Randal O’Toole is also up at Cato 3. Where’s Scott? Scott Beyer is in Los Angeles, and this weekend will be hanging around the California beach towns of Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Long Beach and so on. His three Forbes articles this week were: ‘Friendsgivings’ Are A Growing Urban American Tradition…Could The Fair Housing Act Be Used To Abolish Restrictive Zoning?…and Nativism: The Thread Connecting Progressive NIMBYs With Donald Trump These and countless other examples show the cognitive dissonance of some urban progressives, who blast Trump supporters for their supposed xenophobia and racism, while practicing their own brand of […]

  1. This week at Market Urbansim: The Urban Origins of Liberty by Sandy Ikeda Only in the commercial society of the cities, which then as today attracted the ambitious, the talented, and the misfit, did liberty have a real meaning and substance. Only if you can “vote with your feet,” leave the manor or village to pursue your dreams, or simply travel (and have a reason to travel) from place to place, are you really free. One Reason Why Subsidies Aren’t the (Only) Solution by Michael Lewyn The policy paper points out, however, that HUD’s existing project-based and housing choice vouchers could serve more families if the per-unit cost wasn’t pushed higher and higher by rents rising in the face of barriers to new development.” 2. MU Elsewhere Just another reminder to catch Market Urbanist Emily Hamilton debate Cato’s Randal O’Toole on November 29th in Washington, DC, on the question “Should Urban Areas Grow Up or Out to Keep Housing Affordable” (event details) 3. Where’s Scott? Scott Beyer spent his second week in Los Angeles. He wants before leaving on December 11th to organize a dinner party for the area’s many pro-housing activists, so PM him if you’re interested or know someone who is. He published two articles this week–a 5k-word white paper for the Center for Opportunity Urbanism about San Antonio (pg. 40 of this pdf); and one for Forbes titled Globalism — Not Nativism — Is What Made America’s Cities Great Along with the 1 million undocumented immigrants in L.A. County, there is an estimated 500,000 in New York City, 500,000 in the Bay Area, 400,000 in the Houston area, and 260,000 in greater Miami. Impose mass deportation upon these—some of the nation’s most economically dynamic—metros, and the federal government would be ripping out huge portions of their workforce, customer base and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Scott […]

  1. This week at Market Urbansim: America’s Progressive Developers–The Uptown Gateway Council by Scott Beyer San Diego, too, may be subject to this downzoning trend. Like California’s other destination cities, San Diego has both a fast-growing population, and restrictive land-use regulations that keep housing supply from meeting demand. But rather than reforming their laws in a progressive direction, they’re doing the opposite. The Psychological Consequences Of Rent Control by Sandy Ikeda Fewer cities today practice the sort of rent control Hayek wrote about in the mid-twentieth century. But government meddling in housing continues in the United States and elsewhere. America’s political leaders are fond of proclaiming a citizen’s “right to housing,” the manifestations of which have been Fannie Mae, politically driven subprime lending, and (at times) expansionary Federal Reserve policy. The macroeconomic results have been obvious and disastrous. But let’s not forget Hayek’s “micro-social” consequences. 2. MU Elsewhere On November 29, Emily Hamilton will debate urban housing issues with Randal O’Toole of the Cato Institute and Gerrit Knaap of the National Center for Smart Growth in Washington, DC (event details) 3. Where’s Scott? Scott Beyer completed his first full week in Los Angeles. He will spend Thanksgiving weekend studying in nearby Riverside, one of California’s fastest growing metros. Much of the growth within this Inland Empire region results from poorer people getting priced out of L.A. and San Diego. 4. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group: Lyman Stone wrote “Appalachia is Dying. Pikeville is Not. Deep in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains, a Small City Finds Success“ Michael Lewyn wants a YIMBY conference in NYC Tobias Cassandra Holbrook is curious about the impact of charter schools on urbanism via Asher Meyers, “A leading light of market urbanism? Herman Mashaba – the new mayor of Johannnesburg.” via Chris Kaz Wojtewicz,  Does infrastructure investment lead to economic growth or economic […]

  1. This week at Market Urbansim: Preservation At The Expense Of Liberty by Sandy Ikeda Using political power to preserve any cherished way of life — trying to stay the uncertain dynamic that washes through social institutions, norms, and conventions — is not only futile but ultimately destructive of liberty. That goes for preserving a historic community as much as preserving current marriage practices; keeping the natural environment pristine as much as maintaining age-old religious practices; or freezing a particular income distribution as much as insisting on keeping certain “undesirables” outside our borders. 2. Where’s Scott? After flying back from San Antonio, where he gave a speech, Scott Beyer relocated to Glendale, a nearby suburb of Los Angeles. This morning he was the feature cover story (paywall) for the San Antonio Business Journal, which described his cross-country trip and upcoming economic report on the city. 3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group: Emily Hamilton published an op-ed about her new Mercatus research on smart cities, privacy, and transparency. “Not all smart city innovations are so benign. City governments increasingly have the ability to collect and use their residents’ data.” Bjorn Swenson asks “what’s the Market Urbanism strategy going to be under the Trump administration?” Bjorn Swenson writes a post reflecting on the election considering the disconnection of transportation between the rust belt and coastal areas Michael Hamilton spotted a California NIMBY billboard in his feed Ahmed Shaker asks, “Is what he (Robin Hanson) says about high-rises being less expensive to construct true?”: Why Aren’t Cities Taller? via Rocco Fama: Does New York need another Robert Moses? via Adam Hengels: While You Weren’t Looking, Donald Trump Released a Plan to Privatize America’s Roads and Bridges via John Morris: The Ghost Tenants of New York City  “People underestimate the role informal, “black markets” play in providing housing in severe shortage areas.” […]