affordability in New York CityPlay with the HUD-Brookings Institution's new index maps here:The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, developed by CNT and its collaborative partners, the Center for Transit Oriented Development (CTOD), is an innovative tool that measures the true … [Read more...]
Glaeser: State of the City
I'm a little slow picking up on this one, but the Wall Street Journal recently interviewed Harvard Urban Economist, Ed Glaeser. Here are some excerpts from State of the City:THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: What effect will higher gasoline prices have on urban planning in the U.S.?MR. GLAESER: I … [Read more...]
Glaeser on Affordability of NY vs Houston
Harvard Economist Ed Glaeser wrote an opinion piece in the New York Sun about the differences in housing affordability and other costs of living between Houston and New York.New York is naturally more expensive than Houston because the geographical constraints force higher density development, … [Read more...]
Amateur Economist: Zoning Hurts Housing Affordability
G.L.C. at Amateur Economist wrote an informative article on zoning, an issue which always gets attention at Market Urbanism - Why Zoning Laws Are No Longer a Benefit to U.S. Home BuyersVirtually every town in the United States has zoning laws which affect land use, lot size, building heights, … [Read more...]
Rangel Now Only Hoards Three Rent Controlled Apartments
Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel has announced that he will vacate the rent controlled apartment he has been using as a campaign office. This apartment is just one of four rent controlled apartments he is hoarding in the Lenox Terrace apartment building in Harlem.NY Times - Rangel to … [Read more...]
Congressman Rangel Legally Plunders $30,000/year in Four Rent Controlled Apartments
[update! Rangel Now Only Hoards Three Rent Controlled Apartments] In case you missed it, powerful New York Congressman Charlie Rangel has been hoarding four apartments in Harlem's Lenox Terrace. Coincidently (perhaps not so coincidently) Lennox Terrace is the same building where New York's … [Read more...]
Subsidies and Taxes Favor Owning Over Renting
Paul Krugman asks a question that has been addressed at Market Urbansim:But here’s a question rarely asked, at least in Washington: Why should ever-increasing homeownership be a policy goal? How many people should own homes, anyway?Listening to politicians, you’d think that every family … [Read more...]
Socialist Cities
So, you think the planners in your area are taking something a little too far? Be glad you aren't in Venezuela...I wish I could link to the article by Michael Mehaffy in The Urban Land Institute's May edition of Urban Land titled "Venezuela's New Socialist Cities", but ULI doesn't provide the … [Read more...]