By exiling short-term renters, the coastal city of Santa Monica shifts its housing burden onto neighboring areas. That burden, according to this op-ed, contradicts the city's sustainability commitment and further limits scarce residential options.
Santa Monica occupies prime real estate in coastal West Los Angeles (though it is an independent city), and attracts a sizable tourist crowd. Recently, the city chose to ban short-term rentals of less than 30 days when the owner is absent. "Residents complain that tourists make poor neighbors, hotels resent the competition for guests, and affordable housing advocates say Airbnb drives rents up by removing housing from the long-term rental market."
Paavo Monkkonen and Nate Holmes criticize the decision, writing that the ban "will simply push perceived negatives to other cities and neighborhoods in the region. After all, Santa Monica has not eliminated its own attractiveness as a destination for tourists."
Furthermore, the ban contradicts Santa Monica's environmental commitment: "consider how many people will be adding to congestion on the 10 and the 405 to get to Santa Monica instead of walking or bicycling from a local Airbnb."
Santa Monica's reluctance to allow Airbnb, Monkkonen and Holmes argue, reflects the popular city's wider unwillingness to welcome new residential development.
FULL STORY: Santa Monica’s problematic ban on short-term rentals
LA Officials Struggle to Enforce Short-Term Rental Rules
Hundreds of rent-controlled units are being illegally rented out as short-term rentals, pushing out long-term renters and exacerbating the city’s housing crisis.
Barcelona to Phase out all Short-Term Rentals
The city plans to stop issuing new or renewal licenses by 2029.
Will New York’s Strict Short-Term Rental Rules Work?
Some owners are reluctant to put short-term rental units back on the long-term rental market, but the number of permitted units has dropped dramatically.
The City of Broken Sidewalks
Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?
Shifts in Shopping: Transforming Malls Into Parks
Maybe zombie malls still have a second life — one with a little greenery.
Major US Cities Still Suffering Downtown Decline
Research shows that the “donut effect” hollowing out central business districts since the pandemic continues to cause economic decline in the 12 largest American cities.
Why Traffic Never Gets Better
Despite abundant research showing that roadway expansions provide limited congestion relief and increase long-term traffic problems, they still occur due to wishful thinking: advocates claim that “this” project is different.
San Francisco Tops ‘Urban Mobility Readiness’ List
An annual analysis of global cities assesses public transit, technology, and sustainability.
Bike-Mounted Sensor Could Improve Safety for Cyclists
A new camera technology can detect when vehicles pass too close to people on bikes.
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.
City of Prescott
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Village of Glen Ellyn
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
CORP - COnsulting Research Projects
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners