2 ms·

That's because all the surplus goes into rents. If your job depends on you living in a big city, then you need to pay a fortune to get a tiny fraction of the qu

That's because all the surplus goes into rents. If your job depends on you living in a big city, then you need to pay a fortune to get a tiny fraction of the quality of life that your parents had and that you had as a child growing up. A lot of corporate jobs these days force people to live like rats in big cities.

robterrin 8y ago
+1 Very good comment. You may like to read some Henry George: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George
- jondubois 8y ago
  I'm already familiar with Georgism. I think it's more relevant now than it ever was.
jseliger 8y ago
A lot of corporate jobs these days force people to live like rats in big cities. This is a problem with zoning: https://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0078XGJXO https://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B..., not with "corporate jobs." If we fix zoning, costs will go down. Los Angeles is instructive. In 1960, it was zoned for 10 million people: https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/8/9972362/everything-wrong-with-los-angeles-housing-in-one-graph https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/8/9972362/everything-wrong-with.... Today, it is zoned for 4.3 million. Has our technology gotten worse since 1960? Have we forgotten how to build multi-story structures? No: we've just made it illegal to build enough housing. Seattle is also instructive. About two-thirds of the city is zoned for single-family housing only: https://www.theurbanist.org/2017/10/23/the-path-to-eliminate-single-family-zoning-in-seattle/ https://www.theurbanist.org/2017/10/23/the-path-to-eliminate.... Allow missing middle housing, and prices will stabilize: http://missingmiddlehousing.com http://missingmiddlehousing.com.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- enlyth 8y ago
  I'm curious, do you know if this would this be the same case for London? I recently started working in central London and need to move closer soon; when I check the rent prices every time they just make me want to cry even though I've got a decent tech salary.

robterrin 8y ago

+1 Very good comment. You may like to read some Henry George: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_George

jondubois 8y ago
I'm already familiar with Georgism. I think it's more relevant now than it ever was.

jseliger 8y ago

A lot of corporate jobs these days force people to live like rats in big cities. This is a problem with zoning: https://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0078XGJXO https://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B..., not with "corporate jobs." If we fix zoning, costs will go down. Los Angeles is instructive. In 1960, it was zoned for 10 million people: https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/8/9972362/everything-wrong-with-los-angeles-housing-in-one-graph https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/8/9972362/everything-wrong-with.... Today, it is zoned for 4.3 million. Has our technology gotten worse since 1960? Have we forgotten how to build multi-story structures? No: we've just made it illegal to build enough housing. Seattle is also instructive. About two-thirds of the city is zoned for single-family housing only: https://www.theurbanist.org/2017/10/23/the-path-to-eliminate-single-family-zoning-in-seattle/ https://www.theurbanist.org/2017/10/23/the-path-to-eliminate.... Allow missing middle housing, and prices will stabilize: http://missingmiddlehousing.com http://missingmiddlehousing.com.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
enlyth 8y ago
I'm curious, do you know if this would this be the same case for London? I recently started working in central London and need to move closer soon; when I check the rent prices every time they just make me want to cry even though I've got a decent tech salary.