A Dissenting View of the 'Build Baby Build' Agenda in Boston

The Boston Globe casts doubt on the idea that large amounts of new housing in Boston will be able to reduce already high housing prices in the city.

2 minute read

June 15, 2016, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Boston COnstruction

Something old and something new on the Boston skyline near the Government Center. | Stephen Orsillo / Shutterstock

Evan Horowitz argues against a "build, baby, build" agenda as the solution to the city of Boston's high costs of housing.

Such a strategy, also sometimes called YIMBY, for "Yes In My Backyard," has its limits, according to Horowitz. "New construction doesn’t just mean more options for people who are already here. It means more people moving in. So at the end of all its building, Boston could end up denser yet just as expensive."

Horowitz begins the argument by acknowledging that the city of Boston is one of the slowest-building cities in the United States, with multiple obstacles to a pro-development agenda.

But that doesn't mean that Horowitz accepts that Boston's reluctance to build new housing in large numbers is what's making the city's real estate market more expensive. To make that point, he calls on analysis of rising housing costs in cities around the country—some of the cities with the fastest rising prices are also fast-building cities. "Some construction-friendly cities — like Dallas and Raleigh, N.C. — have seen fairly substantial price increases, comparable to Boston," writes Horowitz. "Meanwhile, the cities with the most restrained cost growth are Chicago and Pittsburgh, which haven’t been doing much building at all."

Finally, the article concludes with the question of whether Boston should build more or not. In the end, Horowitz does support a more pro-development regulatory environment—but not for the reason of lowering housing prices in the city.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in The Boston Globe

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Single-Family Housing Construction

Understanding Affordable Housing Lingo

20 key terms in the affordable housing discussion.

57 minutes ago - Multi-Housing News

Close-up of hand holding charging cable moving toward charging port on electric car.

Undoing Biden's EV Rule

The partisan divide over how government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions was on full display after the Biden administration finalized its emissions standards rule for light and medium duty vehicles on March 20.

1 hour ago - Office of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan

Aerial view of high-rise buildings on waterfront in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Moves Zoning Reform Forward

The ‘Squares + Streets’ plan creates form-based zoning templates for neighborhoods that promote mixed use and denser housing near transit.

2 hours ago - The National Law Review

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.