5 ms·

I would say the havok is caused by NIMBYs + rapid economic expansion. For example, there are no height minimums for new construction in the bay area, but const

by mahyarm 11y ago

I would say the havok is caused by NIMBYs + rapid economic expansion. For example, there are no height minimums for new construction in the bay area, but constant height maximums. Would this havok occur in a building friendly city, such as Dallas? They have encountered a recent economic boom due to oil, but you don't hear many complaints of rapid price increases.

seiji 11y ago
height minimums would be great. It's almost disgusting walking around ~8th st soma and seeing single story car maintenance places or strip malls take up entire blocks. Tear them down and build rows and rows of 5 story to 20 story apartments. As for Dallas (err... THE METROPLEX), it isn't a peninsula with restricted growth, crappy highways, and old money refusing anything new that doesn't look like a quaint bombed out city from the old country. I still don't understand why south san francisco looks like a 3rd world country. Eminent domain the whole area and build neotokyo on top of the existing shanty town.
- Reedx 11y ago
  Indeed. Unfortunately there is a lot of pushback on anything that increases building height. I've received notices in the mail urging residents to oppose new constructions that could set a "dangerous precedent" in this regard. Argh.
- roghummal 11y ago
  But it's "the city"!
nemo44x 11y ago
Yup. The Bay Area needs to start aggressively building up. The people already there have to give it up and realize their little California suburb isn't that anymore. Those scared that building up will lower their property values need to relax. Population density will bring more value and thus more desire to live in an area raising the property values of locals. A house that sells for 1.5 million right now could be sitting on a piece of land worth 50 million if a high rise wanted to use it.
- Decade 11y ago
  So, we need to vote. San Francisco’s stupid direct democracy system means 14% of registered voters voting in an off-year primary election (June 2014) are now forcing everybody else to have to come out to vote yes on Proposition D this November in order for the Mission Rock housing project to get off the ground. We also need to defeat Proposition I. A moratorium on new housing permits along with more “studies” is exactly not what we need in this housing crisis. I haven’t looked at the other propositions enough to have an opinion to relay about those, yet. However, you can be sure that the anti-growth voters will be out in force, and we need to come out and vote for more housing.
  - mahyarm 11y ago
    Problem is, something like %40 of the bay area are immigrants, and a good chunk of them cannot vote. I don't even know if it would be legal for them to participate in the political process through promotions and so on. Maybe a proposition to allow immigrants to vote in city politics might be good too.

by mahyarm 11y ago

seiji 11y ago

height minimums would be great. It's almost disgusting walking around ~8th st soma and seeing single story car maintenance places or strip malls take up entire blocks. Tear them down and build rows and rows of 5 story to 20 story apartments. As for Dallas (err... THE METROPLEX), it isn't a peninsula with restricted growth, crappy highways, and old money refusing anything new that doesn't look like a quaint bombed out city from the old country. I still don't understand why south san francisco looks like a 3rd world country. Eminent domain the whole area and build neotokyo on top of the existing shanty town.

Reedx 11y ago
Indeed. Unfortunately there is a lot of pushback on anything that increases building height. I've received notices in the mail urging residents to oppose new constructions that could set a "dangerous precedent" in this regard. Argh.
roghummal 11y ago
But it's "the city"!

nemo44x 11y ago

Yup. The Bay Area needs to start aggressively building up. The people already there have to give it up and realize their little California suburb isn't that anymore. Those scared that building up will lower their property values need to relax. Population density will bring more value and thus more desire to live in an area raising the property values of locals. A house that sells for 1.5 million right now could be sitting on a piece of land worth 50 million if a high rise wanted to use it.

Decade 11y ago
So, we need to vote. San Francisco’s stupid direct democracy system means 14% of registered voters voting in an off-year primary election (June 2014) are now forcing everybody else to have to come out to vote yes on Proposition D this November in order for the Mission Rock housing project to get off the ground. We also need to defeat Proposition I. A moratorium on new housing permits along with more “studies” is exactly not what we need in this housing crisis. I haven’t looked at the other propositions enough to have an opinion to relay about those, yet. However, you can be sure that the anti-growth voters will be out in force, and we need to come out and vote for more housing.
- mahyarm 11y ago
  Problem is, something like %40 of the bay area are immigrants, and a good chunk of them cannot vote. I don't even know if it would be legal for them to participate in the political process through promotions and so on. Maybe a proposition to allow immigrants to vote in city politics might be good too.