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.

Market Urbanist Book Review: Cities and The Wealth of Nations by Jane Jacobs

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No one writer of the last 60 years has influenced urban planning and thinking as much as Jane Jacobs. It seems like just about everyone who has ever set foot in a major city has read The Death and Life of Great American Cities and most professional urban planners have embraced at least part of her … [Read more...]

Episode 05: Samuel Zipp and Nathan Storring on Vital Little Plans

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  This week on the Market Urbanism Podcast, I chat with Samuel Zipp and Nathan Storring on the wonderful new volume Vital Little Plans: The Short Works of Jane Jacobs. From Jacobs' McCarthy-era defense of unorthodox thinking to snippets of her unpublished history of humanity, the book is a … [Read more...]

Visions of Progress: Henry George vs. Jane Jacobs

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  Henry George and Jane Jacobs each have an enthusiastic following today, including, I’m sure, some readers of The Freeman. For those who might not know, Henry George is the late-19th-century American intellectual best known for his proposal of a “single tax” from which he believed the … [Read more...]

Urban[ism] Legend: The Free Market Can’t Provide Affordable Housing

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Over at Greater Greater Washington, Ms. Cheryl Cort attempts to temper expectations of what she calls the “libertarian view (a more right-leaning view in our region)” on affordable housing.  It is certainly reassuring to see the cosmopolitan left and the pro-market right begin to warm to the … [Read more...]

Only 2 Ways to Fight Gentrification (you’re not going to like one of them)

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Gentrification is the result of powerful economic forces. Those who misunderstand the nature of the economic forces at play, risk misdirecting those forces.  Misdirection can exasperate city-wide displacement.  Before discussing solutions to fighting gentrification, it is important to accept that … [Read more...]

Urban[ism] Legend: Transportation is a Public Good

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In a recent post, commenter Jeremy H. helped point out that the use of the term "public good" is grossly abused in the case of transportation.  Even Nobel economists refer to roads as "important examples of production of public goods," ( Samuelson and Nordhaus 1985: 48-49).  I'd like to spend a … [Read more...]

Private Buses: Econtalk Takes A Second look at Santiago

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Back a couple years ago, I noted an Econtalk podcast with Russell Roberts and Duke University Professor Mike Munger on the private bus system in Santiago, Chile.  This week's episode starts with Munger's update on the Santiago transportation system after visiting for three weeks and spending a lot … [Read more...]

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