2 ms·

Wait, do I read it right? The US cities legally limit the amount of houses that can be built in a year? Like, "this year, the total amount of construction must

Wait, do I read it right? The US cities legally limit the amount of houses that can be built in a year? Like, "this year, the total amount of construction must be no more than 2000 houses"? Seriously?

paulsutter 6y ago
It's worse than that. US towns can have a patchwork of complex zoning rules where the answer to almost any development is "no", and when you do make it past the planning department, the neighbors are often able to block it. So there's no quota, instead you are trapped in months or years of uncertain red tape. San Francisco is perhaps the worst, but these problems are widespread.
- gtfoutttt 6y ago
  And all of those convoluted rules are why CA is forcing ADU's. It's the legislature basically telling towns to get it together or zoning goes bye bye.
- kelp 6y ago
  And San Francisco also legally limits the square footage of office space that can be built. Prop M passed in 1986 by the voters. Thank Sue Hestor for this.
  - 0xffff2 6y ago
    Is that a bad thing? If you're going to restrict residential construction, surely restricting office construction to match is a good thing?
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
Only the rich ones. You wanna build stuff in Buffalo or Detroit and they'll happily take your money in exchange for permits. (well, maybe not Detroit depending on what you want to build, they had a problem with too much housing not long ago but you get my point).
wonder_er 6y ago
You do indeed read it almost exactly right. I would propose slight modifications, though. Maybe re-word it into: > City councils legally prohibit landowners from adding dwelling units to their own property. Remember - all this "pent up" demand for housing is a result of homeowners being denied permission to modify their own property. Historically, all cities evolved from fields because landowners incrementally upgraded their own property, when the price of rents justified additional improvements. In the 1920s, city councils gave themselves permission to prevent property modifications "for planning purposes", and the US Supreme Court never struck it down. The early goals of zoning were explicitly laid out by the mayor of Atlanta in 1922[0], with gems like: Zoning will keep the apartments out of the private house sections. The coming of the apartment drives out the private home. And: The residence districts are further subdivided into three race districts: R1 or white residence district. R2 or colored residence district. R3 or undetermined race district. The above race zoning is essential in the in interest of the public peace, order and security and will promote the welfare and prosperity of both the white and colored race. Care has been taken to prevent discrimination and to provide adequate space for the expansion of the housing areas of each race without encroaching on the areas now occupied by the other. Nearly every US city still has R1, R2, and R3 zoning, though of course no one includes the racial element anymore. I gave a high-level overview/rant on zoning, racism, and Denver here: https://twitter.com/josh_works/status/1294726871574179840 https://twitter.com/josh_works/status/1294726871574179840 [0]: https://josh.works/full-copy-of-1922-atlanta-zone-plan https://josh.works/full-copy-of-1922-atlanta-zone-plan

paulsutter 6y ago

It's worse than that. US towns can have a patchwork of complex zoning rules where the answer to almost any development is "no", and when you do make it past the planning department, the neighbors are often able to block it. So there's no quota, instead you are trapped in months or years of uncertain red tape. San Francisco is perhaps the worst, but these problems are widespread.

gtfoutttt 6y ago
And all of those convoluted rules are why CA is forcing ADU's. It's the legislature basically telling towns to get it together or zoning goes bye bye.
kelp 6y ago
And San Francisco also legally limits the square footage of office space that can be built. Prop M passed in 1986 by the voters. Thank Sue Hestor for this.
- 0xffff2 6y ago
  Is that a bad thing? If you're going to restrict residential construction, surely restricting office construction to match is a good thing?

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

Only the rich ones. You wanna build stuff in Buffalo or Detroit and they'll happily take your money in exchange for permits. (well, maybe not Detroit depending on what you want to build, they had a problem with too much housing not long ago but you get my point).

wonder_er 6y ago

You do indeed read it almost exactly right. I would propose slight modifications, though. Maybe re-word it into: > City councils legally prohibit landowners from adding dwelling units to their own property. Remember - all this "pent up" demand for housing is a result of homeowners being denied permission to modify their own property. Historically, all cities evolved from fields because landowners incrementally upgraded their own property, when the price of rents justified additional improvements. In the 1920s, city councils gave themselves permission to prevent property modifications "for planning purposes", and the US Supreme Court never struck it down. The early goals of zoning were explicitly laid out by the mayor of Atlanta in 1922[0], with gems like: Zoning will keep the apartments out of the private house sections. The coming of the apartment drives out the private home. And: The residence districts are further subdivided into three race districts: R1 or white residence district. R2 or colored residence district. R3 or undetermined race district. The above race zoning is essential in the in interest of the public peace, order and security and will promote the welfare and prosperity of both the white and colored race. Care has been taken to prevent discrimination and to provide adequate space for the expansion of the housing areas of each race without encroaching on the areas now occupied by the other. Nearly every US city still has R1, R2, and R3 zoning, though of course no one includes the racial element anymore. I gave a high-level overview/rant on zoning, racism, and Denver here: https://twitter.com/josh_works/status/1294726871574179840 https://twitter.com/josh_works/status/1294726871574179840 [0]: https://josh.works/full-copy-of-1922-atlanta-zone-plan https://josh.works/full-copy-of-1922-atlanta-zone-plan