[Editor's note--this is the inaugural article for a new blog that Jeff launched called Tech For Housing, where tech workers advocate for more housing in the Bay Area.] San Francisco--For decades, every city in the Bay Area has restricted housing production. And for decades, the Bay Area has gone … [Read more...]
Do The Rich Cause High Rents?
One common argument against building new housing is that new construction will never reduce housing costs, because the influx of ultra-rich people into high-cost cities creates an insatiable level of demand.I recently found a source of information that may be relevant to this argument: the … [Read more...]
Lack of New Housing On The Westside Is Causing Gentrification Of East And South LA
[Research help for this article was provided by UCLA student Mitchell Boswell]The past 15 years have seen a hell of a lot of gentrification in LA. 15% of our poor neighborhoods have undergone gentrification since the year 2000, and it feels like things have only accelerated since the end of the … [Read more...]
Are High-Rises More Expensive?
One common argument against allowing the construction of taller apartment buildings is that tall buildings cost more to build, and thus are "overwhelmingly occupied by the wealthy." For example, tall buildings, unlike houses and walk-up buildings, require elevators.But in fact, fairly tall … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Senate Passes Zoning Reform
On Thursday, the Massachusetts State Senate voted 23-15 to pass the zoning reform bill, S.2311, after approximately three hours of debate and amendments. 20 of the 63 amendments were adopted, with the rest either defeated or withdrawn.According to the Massachusetts Smart Growth Coalition, the … [Read more...]
Keep Los Angeles Affordable By Repealing Proposition U
In 1986, a foreshadowing of today's fight over "neighborhood integrity" was taking place, culminating in November as Los Angeles residents voted 2-to-1 to cut the development potential of thousands of parcels across the city. Of the 29,000 acres zoned for commercial and industrial uses … [Read more...]
Houston’s Beautiful (Yet Partial) Embrace of Market Urbanism
A metropolitan economy, if it is working well, is constantly transforming many poor people into middle-class people, many illiterates into skilled people, many greenhorns into competent citizens. … Cities don’t lure the middle class. They create it. – Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great … [Read more...]
How Los Angeles’ Rent Got So Damn High
[Research help for this article was provided by UCLA student Hunter Iwig]The rent in LA has gone up 30% in the last three years. What the hell?Three big things happened, two of them awesome, and one dumb. We decided living in cities was cool again (awesome), city centers are creating tons of … [Read more...]