I had always thought dollar stores were a nice thing to have in an urban neighborhood, but recently they have become controversial. Some cities have tried to limit their growth, based on the theory that "they impede opportunities for grocery stores and other businesses to take root and grow." … [Read more...]
Even NIMBYs should be YIMBYs
Jeremiah Moss, a New York blogger, just wrote a long article complaining about the bad habits of his new neighbors in the East Village. I suspect many, if not most readers, of his article would think: maybe we need to zone out new housing to keep out the yuppies!But it seems to me that this … [Read more...]
“Order without Design: How Markets Shape Cities” Out Today
Alain Bertaud's long awaited book, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities, is out today. Bertaud is a senior research scholar at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management and former principle urban planner at the World Bank.Working through a pre-release copy over the past few weeks, I … [Read more...]
High Rents: Are Construction Costs the Culprit?
(cross-posted from planetizen.com)I have argued numerous times on Planetizen that increased housing supply would reduce rents. I recently read one counterargument that I had not fully addressed before: the claim that no amount of new housing will ever bring down urban rents because housing in … [Read more...]
A Guide to Urban Development [Guia de Gestão Urbana]
Caos Planejado, in conjunction with Editora BEI/ArqFuturo, recently published A Guide to Urban Development (Guia de Gestão Urbana) by Anthony Ling. The book offers best practices for urban design and although it was written for a Brazilian audience, many of its recommendations have universal … [Read more...]
You’re an Urbanist? Excellent. Why Aren’t You a Developer Yet?
I continue to ask urbanists “why aren’t you a developer yet?” That’s a sincere and serious question. I want to recruit architects, planners, engineers and activists who consider themselves urbanists (new or otherwise) into the ranks of the small developer cohort, because I think it is the … [Read more...]
A response to Interfluidity
On Interfluidity, Steve Randy Waldman posted some criticisms of the market urbanist position. The post was interesting, though I took issue with a few specific points. The following are my responses. Regulatory Authority as a Property RightThe customary property rights surrounding homeownership … [Read more...]
Look beyond Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn for solutions to a lack of retail
Robbie Whelan's got a column in today's Wall Street Journal on Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue, which is something I've been thinking a lot about since I moved to Brooklyn earlier this year. If you don't recall, last year the City Council passed a zoning amendment to require new residential developments on … [Read more...]