3 ms·
Most people in small cities that don't have enough people for their land area don't want denser area. Basically, a small and privileged subset in cities like Be
by azernik 9y ago
Most people in small cities that don't have enough people for their land area don't want denser area. Basically, a small and privileged subset in cities like Berkeley is making decisions against the will of the majority of Californians - hence laws being passed easily on the state level to override local government.
- WillPostForFood 9y agoWhy shouldn't Berkeley make rules for Berkeley? They are the stakeholders. If a majority of Berkeley wanted density, but Sacramento said no, that would be weird. Whose interests are being upheld when the representatives of Chino, and Long Beach are determining Berkeley's zoning?
- TulliusCicero 9y agoWhy is that weird? We have state and federal level laws for all kinds of things. A city's zoning laws don't just affect it, as the insane housing prices in the bay area will attest to. We tried letting cities decide on their own, the results have been atrocious. That's why recently the state legislature recently passed a bunch more laws to compel cities to allow more housing. If you want affordable rents, the status quo is clearly broken.
- WillPostForFood 9y agoBecause 80% of the legislators of the state aren't from the bay area, and have no stake in setting local zoning, and really are in no position to say whether the results are atrocious or perfection.