This post was written for an essay contest on the question "What would Hayek say today?"Hayek and other Austrian economists demonstrated that government ownership of the means of production is a sure route to poverty, but today, central planning remains the norm in one crucial area: cities. In … [Read more...]
Local Greenhouse Gas Rules Likely to Backfire
Next week the Cambridge City Council will consider a petition to require new or newly renovated buildings of 25,000 square feet or more to be net-zero emissions. Under the rule, any energy that buildings use beyond what they produce must be sourced from approved, renewable energy sources. While … [Read more...]
Urban-Rural Political Alliances Hurt Cities
While House Republicans have stripped food stamp benefits from the farm bill to get enough votes to pass the bill's agricultural supports, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may be added back into the bill in conference with the Senate. The farm bill get its strength because it aligns … [Read more...]
Detroit’s art is not the key to its revival
Detroit's art assets have made news as Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr is evaluating the city's assets for a potential bankruptcy filing. Belle Isle, where Rod Lockwood recently proposed a free city-state may be on the chopping block, but according to a Detroit Free Press poll, residents are most … [Read more...]
Newest Offering from Fundrise Goes Live on Monday
On Monday, Fundrise will make their newest offering at 906 H Street NE in DC available to investors. Many real estate journalists have covered this innovative investment company's crowdsourcing strategy, with Urban Turf naming Fundrise a top real estate trend of 2012. This development is the … [Read more...]
NYC Market Urbanism Meetup Sunday, April 21
Anthony Ling of Rendering Freedom fame will be visiting New York from Brazil this weekend. We've planned a meetup in Williamsburg Brooklyn at 5:30 pm this Sunday, April 21. (venue to be determined) Come meet Anthony and some of the Market Urbanism crew. All are welcome.Hope to see you … [Read more...]
Many Market Urbanist Elements in DC’s Zoning Rewrite
Yesterday at Slate Matt Yglesias pointed out the poor logic behind AAA's opposition to the elimination of some parking minimums in the DC zoning reqrite. AAA is not alone, joined by many DC residents who oppose the rewrite that will introduce some deregulation in parking requirements and zoning. The … [Read more...]
Developer size and development patterns
Earlier this week I attended an Urban Land Institute event about DC's new development, The Yards on the Anacostia waterfront. This is a 42-acre area which was formerly a manufacturing center for the Navy. In 2003, Forest City Washington purchased the site from the General Services Administration for … [Read more...]