I think the title's a bit more provocative than the point I took from the article: that right now the premiums for that "small piece of land" ain't quite high e

I think the title's a bit more provocative than the point I took from the article: that right now the premiums for that "small piece of land" ain't quite high enough due to that being specifically subsidized, and that we should remove restrictions preventing the construction of multi-family homes or residential/commercial hybrid properties. My problem with apartments is that they ain't "mine". Not once has an apartment in which I lived allowed its tenants (myself included) to even paint the walls, let alone hang pictures with nails (gotta use those adhesive strips that absolutely suck) or mount a TV to the wall. And no way in hell would they allow me to do crazier things like putting Ethernet jacks and speaker hookups in the walls or replacing the light switches/fixtures (hell, most get uppity even if I change a burnt-out bulb) or putting in those fancy outlets with the built-in USB ports¹. Even if I were to "own" my apartment (i.e. as a condo) there's no way in hell they'd be okay with me swapping out the windows, or putting in better insulation, or installing a solar power system (and they'd probably still object to me ripping apart the walls to put in those Ethernet jacks / speaker hookups). And then on top of all that, there are countless other things I can't do by nature of not "owning" the outdoor space, either. Shed? Nope. Barbecue? Usually not. Workshop? Not unless I'm lucky enough to have an attached garage². That DIY smelter I wanna build³? Hell fuckin' nope. I feel like a happy medium (for me at least) between "stuck in an apartment" and "suburbia" would be townhomes or something similar: still "detached", but thinner and much closer together, with an emphasis on building vertical. Could even be on the same square footage of land, just thin and long instead of fat and square. More critically, though, I strongly believe the distinction between "residential" and "commercial" zoning should be significantly blurred. Both in the sense of mixed-use buildings⁴ and in the sense of small business owners living where they work / working where they live (e.g. shop or restaurant on the first floor, and the owner lives on the second floor, as was once traditional). ---- ¹: Though my previous apartment in Daly City did come with USB outlets, which was a pleasant surprise ²: Currently I am not so lucky, though the garage does have an outlet so as long as I don't draw too much down I might be able to get away with it ³: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-The-Mini-Metal-Foundry/ https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-The-Mini-Metal-... ⁴: I'm a strong advocate for underground parking + ground floor(s) for shops/restaurants + additional floors for apartments/condos or offices; even if apartments/condos ain't my cup of tea, I'd rather live in that sort of place than a building that's just apartments