Market Urbanism

Liberalizing cities | From the bottom up

“Market Urbanism” refers to the synthesis of classical liberal economics and ethics (market), with an appreciation of the urban way of life and its benefits to society (urbanism). We advocate for the emergence of bottom up solutions to urban issues, as opposed to ones imposed from the top down.

Emily Hamilton

I was first introduced to Jane Jacobs while working as an intern in the Planning Department of my hometown in Colorado. Her work enlightened me to the power of market forces to benefit all city dwellers without government intervention. Since then, I have become fascinated by the urban emergent order that creates our cities.

I graduated with a Masters in economics from George Mason University in 2010 after finishing my undergraduate degree at Goucher College in 2008. While at GMU, I worked as a Research Associate at the university’s Mercatus Center. After a brief time working elsewhere, I returned to the Mercatus Center to write for Neighborhood Effects about state and local policy issues.

Contact me at emilybwashington@gmail.com

Height Limit Links

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1) Yesterday, two pieces on Congressman Darrell Issa's proposal to relax the federal limits on DC's buildings heights got a lot of coverage. At City Block, Alex Block makes the key point that outside of downtown, DC's density is limited by zoning, rather than the height limit. He supports allowing … [Read more...]

Detroit’s Financial Future

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After flirting with Chapter 9 bankruptcy or a state takeover of its finances, Detroit has reached a deal with the state of Michigan that will allow it to remain independently managed with a requirement for state oversight. The Detroit Free Press reports: The city has seven days to create the … [Read more...]

More on Parking Prices

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At Wabi-sabi, Sandy Ikeda (former Market Urbanism writer) has a great analysis of San Francisco's pricing for parking. He points out that assigning prices to spots is not equivalent to allowing a market to determine a price. For a real price to emerge capital (the parking space) cannot be … [Read more...]

Spring Fever Links

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1) Nate Berg at The Atlantic Cities covers new research on the world's earliest cities. The findings would make Jane Jacobs happy as researchers have uncovered evidence that the earliest urbanization was a case of spontaneous order. Their construction wasn't directed by kings as some historians … [Read more...]

The Tyranny of Zoning: Exhibit A

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The Washington Post reports that the redevelopment of the Giant grocery store at Wisconsin Ave and Idaho Ave will finally be getting underway. Through the sick humors of the real estate gods, I live pretty close the this grocery store and can attest that it is an eyesore in bad need of a … [Read more...]

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