A new working paper analyzes an oft-forgotten aspect of land-use policy: The impact on affordability of minimum lot sizes, which cities use to set the smallest allowable square footage for individual parcels of land. This seemingly minor detail can have…
Meet Gabriella
We all know the rent is too damn high. In California, we’ve grown accustomed to housing shortages, crushing rents, endless commutes, escalating homelessness, destruction of agricultural lands, and the worst air pollution in the United States. But it doesn’t have…
How Compact Housing Development Can Help Solve Climate Change
A new report from Transportation for America (T4A) and Smart Growth America presents a compelling case for changing our land-use policies, including our housing policies, to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable future. The core…
New Market-Rate Housing Reduces Rents in the Neighborhood
A new working paper from UC Berkeley Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics PhD candidate Kate Pennington offers compelling evidence that new market-rate housing in San Francisco reduced rents for existing residents while providing more amenities in the neighborhood. The…
Inventing Facts to Support NIMBYism: Academics Called Out for Unethical Research in Urban Studies
As the old saying goes, when you’re stuck in a deep hole, stop digging. This would be sound advice for Andres Rodrigues-Pose and Michael Storper, geographers at the London School of Economics and UCLA respectively, who recently wrote a bizarre…
Making ADUs Pencil: Opening Up New Sources of Funding
California has made great progress in enabling more homebuilding by removing barriers to the construction of backyard cottages, also known as “Granny Flats” or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). However, more work remains to be done, particularly to incentivize their construction…