This post is part of an ongoing series featured on Market Urbanism called Urbanism Legends. The Urbanism Legends series is intended to expose many of the myths about development and Urban Economics. (it's a play on the term: “Urban Legends” in case you didn’t catch that)We've all heard it said … [Read more...]
Hyde Park Chicago Before Zoning
photo by flickr user mandusI recently came across a great blog, Hyde Park Urbanist, which focuses on urbanism in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Hyde Park is located along Lake Michigan on the South Side and is the home of The University of Chicago as well as Frank LLoyd Wright's famous … [Read more...]
How to Obscure Reality to Make Planners Seem Important
Regular reader, Bill forwarded this article from the New York Daily News calling it an "outstanding collection of anti-density and anti-market propaganda presented (as always) as objective journalism." The article is riddled with misconceptions (aka Urbanism Legends) about zoning and development … [Read more...]
Urban[ism] Legend: Zoning Creates Density
This post will be the first of many of an ongoing feature at Market Urbanism entitled Urbanism Legends. (a play on the term: "Urban Legends" in case you didn't catch that) In many public forums and in the blogosphere, I consistently encounter myths about land development and Urban Economics. These … [Read more...]
Demographics + Transportation Costs + Lower Crime = More Urbanization
WSJ: Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some Demographic Changes, High Gasoline Prices May Hasten Demand for Urban LivingMessrs. Boseman and Wells embody trends that are dovetailing to potentially reshape a half-century-long pattern of how and where Americans live: The drivable suburb -- that bedrock … [Read more...]
EcoDensity: Scary Name, but Not-so-Bad
Vancouver's City Council has approved an "EcoDensity" policy.How is EcoDensity different from regular density, which already comes pre-equipped with environmental benefits?Well, its just an environmental-sounding catch-prefix and comes with less bureaucracy for green … [Read more...]
Want Density? Turn the Free Market Loose
Matthew Yglesias - What Price Density The solution, as Ryan Avent says, is to build denser communities. We ought to build more transit infrastructure, of course, but it's cheaper to use what we already have more intensively. And, of course, it's more practical to build new infrastructure if there's … [Read more...]
“Cockamamie” Neighborhood Zones
Thanks to loyal reader, DBM for the tip on the photo link.David Weigel - Highway to the Neighborhood Zones refers to DCist - Police to Seal Off D.C. Neighborhoods The Examiner has the scoop on a controversial new program announced today that would create so-called "Neighborhood Safety Zones" … [Read more...]