Over at Greater Greater Washington, Ms. Cheryl Cort attempts to temper expectations of what she calls the “libertarian view (a more right-leaning view in our region)” on affordable housing. It is certainly reassuring to see the cosmopolitan left and the pro-market right begin to warm to the … [Read more...]
On the Mixing of Incompatible Uses and Incumbency
I noticed an interestingly ironic thing today.The usual argument for the necessity of use-based zoning is that it protects homeowners in residential area from uses that would potentially create negative externalities - ie: smelting factory, garbage dump, or Sriracha factory.Urban Economics … [Read more...]
Planned Manufacturing Districts: Planning the Life Out of Districts
They are called different things in different cities, but they are similar in form and intent among the cities where they are found. For simplicity's sake, a Planned Manufacturing District (PMD), as they are called in Chicago, is an area of land, defined by zoning, that prohibits residential … [Read more...]
Selling the Rights to Greater Density
At Next American City, Mark Bergen has an interesting long-form piece on municipal infrastructure financing. He argues that the property owners who benefit from public policies, such as infrastructure investment, should be required to fund these policies. He suggests infrastructure improvements … [Read more...]
The Zoning History of Barcelona’s Eixample
Server glitch wiped the last few articles, so here's a repose of the Barcelona one. Also, comments should be working now, should you deign to leave one...Somehow I managed to visit Barcelona a few years ago and not learn about the history of the city’s Eixample (x pronounced sh in Catalan), or … [Read more...]
The Zoning History of New York’s White Brick Apartments
The rehabilitation of the postwar glazed white brick apartment building continues apace, with the condoization of 530 Park Ave., a 1941 (okay, almost postwar) 19-story white brick building. I happen to like New York's postwar white brick buildings, and am even warming up to the red brick variants – … [Read more...]
“This is the dirty secret of California’s Density Bonus law…”
Inclusionary zoning – everyone wants to talk about it! Dave Alpert at GGW started the discussion with his pro-IZ piece, and hot on the heels of Emily's post earlier today, I got an email from a California developer who wishes to remain anonymous: This is the dirty secret of California’s Density … [Read more...]
Look beyond Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn for solutions to a lack of retail
Robbie Whelan's got a column in today's Wall Street Journal on Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue, which is something I've been thinking a lot about since I moved to Brooklyn earlier this year. If you don't recall, last year the City Council passed a zoning amendment to require new residential developments on … [Read more...]