(Market Urbanist Stephen Smith stands next to an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York showing Gotham’s century-long growth in zoning regulations. / photo by Anthony Ling)
1. This week at Market Urbansim:
The Urban Origins of Liberty by Sandy Ikeda
Only in the commercial society of the cities, which then as today attracted the ambitious, the talented, and the misfit, did liberty have a real meaning and substance. Only if you can “vote with your feet,” leave the manor or village to pursue your dreams, or simply travel (and have a reason to travel) from place to place, are you really free.
One Reason Why Subsidies Aren’t the (Only) Solution by Michael Lewyn
The policy paper points out, however, that HUD’s existing project-based and housing choice vouchers could serve more families if the per-unit cost wasn’t pushed higher and higher by rents rising in the face of barriers to new development.”
2. MU Elsewhere
Just another reminder to catch Market Urbanist Emily Hamilton debate Cato’s Randal O’Toole on November 29th in Washington, DC, on the question “Should Urban Areas Grow Up or Out to Keep Housing Affordable” (event details)
3. Where’s Scott?
Scott Beyer spent his second week in Los Angeles. He wants before leaving on December 11th to organize a dinner party for the area’s many pro-housing activists, so PM him if you’re interested or know someone who is. He published two articles this week–a 5k-word white paper for the Center for Opportunity Urbanism about San Antonio (pg. 40 of this pdf); and one for Forbes titled Globalism — Not Nativism — Is What Made America’s Cities Great
Along with the 1 million undocumented immigrants in L.A. County, there is an estimated 500,000 in New York City, 500,000 in the Bay Area, 400,000 in the Houston area, and 260,000 in greater Miami. Impose mass deportation upon these—some of the nation’s most economically dynamic—metros, and the federal government would be ripping out huge portions of their workforce, customer base and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Scott also did a radio interview about housing regulations on KFBK Sacramento (4:30 mark of this link)
4. At the Market Urbanism Facebook Group:
Nick Zaiac asks “Anyone know why townhouse construction grew so much in the 90s, only to never recover, and the decline began pre-recession?“
Anthony Ling wants to know if “Someone here knows where I can watch Citizen Jane?”
Anthony Ling was at an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York with Stephen Smith, which has quite an amazing book selection!
Roger Valdez wrote, “Seattle Opposes Trump’s Wall While Building Its Own“
Jake Desyllas asks, “Could cities function entirely on a voluntary basis? Should there even be state-owned spaces, and if so, why? If the state is necessary for some aspects of transport and urban development, how do we determine it’s role?”
Santiago Villamizar Garcia asks, “Could you recommend me more books apart from Jane Jacobs, Edward Glaeser and Richard Florida?”
via Nick Zaiac: The Optimal Distribution of Population across Cities
via Rudy M. Pineda Veliz: Patrik Schumacher calls for social housing and public space to be scrapped
via David Iach: The YIMBY Party (Alex Tabarrok)
via Asher Meyers: Nexar’s AI Dashcam Could Stop Your Next Crash—and Definitely Collect Your Data
via Marcos Paulo Schlickmann: Will History Repeat Itself With Driverless Cars?
via Vince Shampine: Bright Lights, Small Government – Why libertarians adore Jane Jacobs.
via Joe McKinney: 100 Billion Chinese-made City Near Singapore Scares the Hell Out of Everybody
via John Morris: “The ‘just do it’, method of breaking zoning codes:” PA court rules that the Point Breeze Pop-Up was actually legal
via Tim Mello: Party time for Fiesta again?
via Brad DeVos: Parking Isn’t Going to Be Required at Portland Condos/Apartments Anymore
via Eric Fontaine: Residents fight city hall to keep homes in Atlanta
5. Elsewhere
Donald Trump vows before National Association of Home Builders to cut burdensome housing regs
Wapo: Donald’s many presidential trips to Trump Tower will be huge economic drag on Midtown Manhattan
Henry Grabar: Can American cities stop Donald from deporting millions?
Citylab’s interview with Joel Kotkin on “localism” draws firestorm of comments claiming this would cause more NIMBYism
6. Stephen Smith‘s tweet of the week:
You think calling hip-hop radio stations “urban music stations” is a harmless euphemism, next thing you know, Ben Carson is HUD secretary ?
— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) November 24, 2016
