A dissenting argument claims that the efforts of "affluent urban pioneers" to increase supply in the most desirable urban areas will do more harm than good.
Pete Saunders provides a counterpoint to the "spreading meme that the dominance of single-family zoning districts in major cities is artificially reducing housing supply." (Recent articles, for example, have cited Portland, San Francisco, and Kansas City to make this case.) Saunders's argument uses the example of Chicago, as described in a recent post distinguishing between "Rust Belt Chicago" and "Global Chicago," to make a point about all American cities currently experiencing a housing crunch in their urban cores.
"I don't believe we should be talking about expanding the global core at its margins. We should be talking about expanding development throughout the city," says Saunders. That is, "[if] young urbanists are serious about moving back to the city, maybe they ought to consider more of the city to live in."
"This push for more affordable housing in affluent city neighborhoods, because we like it there, is akin to the push for more suburban housing at the urban outskirts 60 years ago."
"We must be really careful in what we ask for in the development of our cities. Simply requesting relaxed land use regulations so that more units will be built could result in serious unintended consequences….It would not reduce residential and economic segregation, it would increase it, and contribute to one of the most vexing problems of our cities today -- the exploding bifurcation of our cities by race, class and opportunity."
FULL STORY: The Millennial Housing Shortage Fallacy
Portland Council to Consider Zoning Amendments
The proposed zoning and land use changes would offer bigger incentives for developers of ‘moderately priced’ housing and relax some restrictions that builders say drive up the cost of construction.
San Francisco Supervisors Punt Housing Ordinance
After hours of public comment, the zoning reform package aimed at increasing housing production and limiting red tape was delayed for further discussion.
San Francisco Housing Plan Gets State Approval
The city cleared a major hurdle as its housing plan, which paves the way for 82,000 new homes by 2030, is certified by the state.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie