Responding to a report by the Washington Post that office rents have now topped those in Manhattan, Matt Yglesias says the district's austere zoning is to blame.
Yglesias argues that the perceived aesthetic benefits of building height restrictions are inconsequential compared broader economic development impacts. Forbidden from building up, developers instead build out, sending jobs and residents to the suburbs, he says. The result is fewer retail sales and associated service-sector jobs for low-skill DC residents as well as lost sales and income tax revenue for the city.
In general, cities should be mindful of unintended effects of land use policies, Yglesias writes:
'Rules which mandate that the space be used inefficiently are extremely costly. Sometimes it's a price worth paying-you wouldn't want a city with zero parks-but there are limits to how much it makes sense to sacrifice for aesthetics.'
FULL STORY: Yglesias: The High Price of Short Buildings
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Unsubsidized, low-cost rental housing is a significant source of affordable housing for Houston households, but the supply is declining as units fall into disrepair or are redeveloped into more expensive units.
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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.
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