2020
"How bad land use and transportation decisions go hand-in-hand with “The Congestion Con”"
In an expensive, decades-long effort to curb congestion in urban regions, our transportation agencies and elected leaders have overwhelmingly prioritized spending hundreds of billions of dollars to widen and build new highways.
...More"An ‘uninhabitable’ shack in San Francisco that’s missing a wall just sold for $2 million, and it showcases the real value of land in the Bay Area"
San Francisco is home to one of the most expensive housing markets in the US.
Still, even in a city with a median home value of $1,352,300, finding an uninhabitable shack — that’s missing a back wall — on the market for nearly $2 million is something of a shock.
...More"How to Make a Housing Crisis"
The new book Golden Gates details how California set itself up for its current affordability crunch—and how it can now help build a nationwide housing movement.
...More"Why Does It Cost $750,000 to Build Affordable Housing in San Francisco?"
As California’s governor vows to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis, housing “insanity” stands in the way.
SAN FRANCISCO — The average home in the United States costs around $240,000. But in San Francisco, the world’s most expensive place for construction, a two-bedroom apartment of what passes for affordable housing costs around $750,000 just to build.
"The 10 Most Berzerkely Spots in Berkeley"
Where to soak in the strange in the East Bay’s quirky college town
Berkeley has a reputation for weird. It’s also known for political activism, great food, and those smarty-pants at Cal, but the city’s inherent quirkiness pervades its past and present.
...More"California needs big solutions to increase housing affordability"
California’s housing crisis is getting worse. The status quo is not working. But as much as we like to complain about high housing costs, traffic congestion, and dwindling open space, we remain attached to an old version of the California Dream: single-family homes with big green lawns and swimming pools out of a David Hockney painting.
...More"Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build"
“Nearly all of the biggest challenges in America are, at some level, a housing problem.
Rising home costs are a major driver of segregation, inequality, and racial and generational wealth gaps. You can’t talk about education or the shrinking middle class without talking about how much it costs to live near good schools and high-paying jobs. Transportation accounts for about a third of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, so there’s no serious plan for climate change that doesn’t begin with a conversation about how to alter the urban landscape so that people can live closer to work.”
...More"Climate crisis: Cities are the solution"
A new report shows how cities are central to any strategy to fight climate change
Cities have the “3 C’s: Clean, compact, connected
National government policies need to support cities
Let’s describe a low carbon future in positive, aspirational terms
...More"Three lessons 21st century housing policy could learn from “Little Women”"
Boarding homes, building codes, and neighborhood character: What “Little Women” can teach us about housing policy
Of the nine films competing for the top honor at this Sunday’s Academy Awards, there’s a few that take on issues of housing and urban policy, from the class conflicts of “Parasite” to the metropolitan decay in “Joker.”
...More"How to end traffic"
European cities offer a roadmap for life with fewer cars
Americans put over 13,000 miles on their vehicles every year. If car commercials are to be believed, this is all done off-roading into the woods and driving sports cars through empty, rain-slicked city streets.
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