1. This week at Market Urbanism:
Matt Robare contributed his first Market Urbanism article, Protectionism Is Already Harming American Workers And Cities
The delays and high costs associated with Buy America have helped to make American transit costs the world’s highest. The Congressional Research Service found that new bus prices were double in the United States versus Japan and South Korea. According to Alon Levy, locomotives purchased by Amtrak cost 30 percent more than the European equivalent, increasing costs by $100 million.
Stephen Smith also touched on Buy America’s unintended consequences in 2010
2. Where’s Scott?
On a related note, Scott Beyer, who finished his third week in Oklahoma City, wrote a Forbes piece titled Does Bernie Sanders Actually Think NAFTA Is What Killed Detroit?
Detroit has long stood near the top in all the big-government indicators, with some of the nation’s highest taxes, strictest business regulations, lowest economic freedom rates, largest per capita public workforces, high rates of public and private sector unionization, and an Occupy-Wall-Street-style civic and governing culture. This model has produced exactly the dystopia that conservative critics fear, marked by human and capital flight.
Scott’s previous MU photo essay on Cuba was translated into Spanish by the Latin American news site PanAm Post.
3. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group:
Anthony Ling warns about when “When city development goes wrong. Very wrong.” in California
Bjorn Swenson tells us “Greyhound is rebranding itself as a relevant twenty-first century company”
Tom W. Bell published a paper on Special Economic Zones in the United States and asks “Would USSEZs encourage innovation in urban design?”
If you are in Toronto, come see Sanford Ikeda, who will be speaking about “Why a city can’t be a work of art” at the Ryerson University Planning Expo
Krishan Madan reminds us that Seattle raised it’s minimum wage to help people get by, but neighbors still block housing that can help with housing prices
High Housing Costs Responsible for California’s Economic Woes, Not Taxes via Michael Lewyn
Instant Government Slums via Flavio Fiumerodo and lewrockwell.com
Adam Hengels discussed Startup Societies with Thibault Serlet and Preston Martin who are planning an event in July
4. Elsewhere:
Gawker says, San Francisco: Build More Housing, Assholes
Bay Area housing crisis fueled by greed, study finds
Finally, some good news about the Silicon Valley housing crisis by Timothy B Lee
The marriage of zoning and bigotry. h/t Justin Davidson
5. Stephen Smith‘s Tweet of the Week:
Robert Moses did one great thing for urbanism in New York City that is NEVER recognized: he delayed the terrible new zoning code till 1961.
— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) March 8, 2016
