That is, he argues that private property should be subject to government planning restrictions if a developer building densely on its property creates a traffic burden on government roads.Wooten points out that any solution to Atlanta's traffic congestion has to focus on roads, not transit or … [Read more...]
Glaeser on Affordability of NY vs Houston
Harvard Economist Ed Glaeser wrote an opinion piece in the New York Sun about the differences in housing affordability and other costs of living between Houston and New York.New York is naturally more expensive than Houston because the geographical constraints force higher density development, … [Read more...]
Amateur Economist: Zoning Hurts Housing Affordability
G.L.C. at Amateur Economist wrote an informative article on zoning, an issue which always gets attention at Market Urbanism - Why Zoning Laws Are No Longer a Benefit to U.S. Home BuyersVirtually every town in the United States has zoning laws which affect land use, lot size, building heights, … [Read more...]
Rangel Now Only Hoards Three Rent Controlled Apartments
Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel has announced that he will vacate the rent controlled apartment he has been using as a campaign office. This apartment is just one of four rent controlled apartments he is hoarding in the Lenox Terrace apartment building in Harlem.NY Times - Rangel to … [Read more...]
Congressman Rangel Legally Plunders $30,000/year in Four Rent Controlled Apartments
[update! Rangel Now Only Hoards Three Rent Controlled Apartments] In case you missed it, powerful New York Congressman Charlie Rangel has been hoarding four apartments in Harlem's Lenox Terrace. Coincidently (perhaps not so coincidently) Lennox Terrace is the same building where New York's … [Read more...]
Economakis Family Threatened by Friends of Rent Control
The Economakis family has been threatened my some members of the community who planned a protest tonight against their family using their own property as a home. See this truly despicable flyer calling friends of rent control to arms.[image from curbed]Here's Mr. Economakis' … [Read more...]
New Research on the Economics of Green Buildings
There is little reliable research into the economic returns of high-performance (green) features of buildings, but Professor John Quigley plans to release his groundbreaking research on the subject this Fall.I am very excited to learn this news, and will certainly look forward to reviewing the … [Read more...]
Ikea Provides Private Transportation, Santiago-Style
[photo: flickr: moriah]In a perfect tie-in to yesterday's EconTalk podcast on public transportation, Ikea's new Brooklyn store provides free bus and ferry service to locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Not only is it free, but it's nicer than the $2/ride public alternative.Most … [Read more...]