For readers in the DC area, the movie Battle for Brooklyn is playing at the Dome Theater in Arlington this weekend. The film explores eminent domain in the Forest City Ratner development at Atlantic Yards. It will be playing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a Q&A with the directors Michael … [Read more...]
The Coase Theorem in Land Use
On a recent post about property rights in the land market, commenter David Sucher brought up the issue of transaction costs. He commented here and at his blog City Comforts: The "least intrusive means" should be always kept in mind. The only issue for me is the huge transaction costs which, I … [Read more...]
NYC Taxi Reform Doesn’t Go Far Enough
This post originally appeared at Neighborhood Effects, a Mercatus Center blog where we write about the economics of state and local policy.Next week, New York Governor Cuomo is likely to sign a bill that will marginally increase competition in the NYC cab market. The new rule will allow … [Read more...]
Cities and the Market Process: Part 3
This series looks at some of the ways that people organize themselves to live alongside each other in cities. Part 1 looks at inherent problems with top-down planning, and Part 2 looks at the costs of local governments sanctioning collective choice. From this negative start, I'd like to turn to some … [Read more...]
TGIF Links
1. A reader from Vancouver wrote in to let Stephen and me know about a proposed policy to tax foreign investors at a higher rate than local property owners. Support for this policy is growing among residents, and with a mayoral election this Saturday, some are hoping to get candidates to endorse the … [Read more...]
11/11/11 Day Links
1. Several people including Lydia DePillis, Charlie Gardner, and Steve Stofka have discussed the emergent order that we can see in the Occupy settlements. Similarly this video shows a beautiful illustration of the spontaneous urban development at Burning Man.2. The Atlantic Cities features the … [Read more...]
Midweek Links and Business
1. Stephen writes at The Atlantic Cities on Japan's largely privatized rail system. He points out that free market reforms have benefited both cities and transit there.2. For readers in the DC area, the Urban Land Institute is holding Capital Markets Interchange in McLean on November 10th. The … [Read more...]
Cities and the Market Process: Part 2
In the first post of this little series, I addressed the problems of top down land use regulation through the lens of Austrian economics. Because cities contain public space and infrastructure that is used by many residents and cannot be bought and sold in the way that many goods can be, Alon Levy … [Read more...]