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How is that impoverishing everyone else? There's an incredible amount of empty land in the US - the UK has 12 times the population density. I don't understand

How is that impoverishing everyone else? There's an incredible amount of empty land in the US - the UK has 12 times the population density. I don't understand why people feel they have a right to move to a particular place and live there at a particular price.

artursapek 9y ago
I agree. A city can grow too much, similarly to how startups can grow too much and end up wasting a lot of resources and having to cut staff. The Bay Area growing indefinitely is not necessarily good for the Bay Area.
jogjayr 9y ago
> I don't understand why people feel they have a right to move to a particular place and live there at a particular price. I don't understand why people feel they should have the right to decide what their neighbors do with their property (as long as they're not opening up a waste treatment facility or something). But that's beside the point. There are two main reasons why "just move" isn't easily actionable advice: jobs and family. The reason expensive areas are expensive is because they have desirable jobs. (One) reason cheap areas are cheap is because they don't have as many desirable jobs. Those of us working in tech in the Bay Area accept that we earn high salaries in part because the rent is so high. So we grumble but we can make ends meet and life is mostly good. For those who aren't so lucky to be working in hot industries with good pay, support of family and friends matters much more. Single-mom has grandma looking after the kid so she can work; if she moves to Des Moines or wherever the rent is lower, she loses that free childcare she'd been getting. Since most jobs come through referrals, she'd have to have professional and social networks in those cities before moving. Otherwise it's just a leap into the unknown to move before having an offer in hand. If you don't work in tech, I don't think having 15 recruiters emailing you before breakfast is the norm.

artursapek 9y ago

I agree. A city can grow too much, similarly to how startups can grow too much and end up wasting a lot of resources and having to cut staff. The Bay Area growing indefinitely is not necessarily good for the Bay Area.

jogjayr 9y ago

> I don't understand why people feel they have a right to move to a particular place and live there at a particular price. I don't understand why people feel they should have the right to decide what their neighbors do with their property (as long as they're not opening up a waste treatment facility or something). But that's beside the point. There are two main reasons why "just move" isn't easily actionable advice: jobs and family. The reason expensive areas are expensive is because they have desirable jobs. (One) reason cheap areas are cheap is because they don't have as many desirable jobs. Those of us working in tech in the Bay Area accept that we earn high salaries in part because the rent is so high. So we grumble but we can make ends meet and life is mostly good. For those who aren't so lucky to be working in hot industries with good pay, support of family and friends matters much more. Single-mom has grandma looking after the kid so she can work; if she moves to Des Moines or wherever the rent is lower, she loses that free childcare she'd been getting. Since most jobs come through referrals, she'd have to have professional and social networks in those cities before moving. Otherwise it's just a leap into the unknown to move before having an offer in hand. If you don't work in tech, I don't think having 15 recruiters emailing you before breakfast is the norm.