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There is a Freakonomics podcast (https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-still-so-expensive-ep-435/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-stil

There is a Freakonomics podcast (https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-still-so-expensive-ep-435/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-still-so-exp...) that addresses this head on. Essentially there used to be a lot of cheap housing that was quite unsafe. By making slums illegal we made housing expensive. And the one potential solution to this (building more housing) has been politically unfeasible.

watwut 5y ago
Appartment complexes are zoned out from large parts of America and they are not slums nor unsfe.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
pech0rin 5y ago
The problem here isn't safety concerns the problem is zoning. Look at Tokyo for example, they are able to build all the time at the highest safety level for earthquakes, etc. Berkley CA for example doesn't allow a lot of different types of buildings. Its not out of safety, its out of rich people not wanting to look at apartment buildings or having their quaint little town turned into high rise apartment complexes.
- listenallyall 5y ago
  If Tokyo's model was so terrific and worked so well, you'd be able to list lots of cities that emulate it. Instead, you can only point to Tokyo. Their apartments, by the way, are way too tiny for most Western tastes. "A typical three bedroom apartment for a Japanese family would be around 70 sqm (753 sq.ft)." That's smaller than most American 1-bedrooms. Average cost is about 877,000 yen/sq m which is a little bit above $700/sq ft, which isn't exactly cheap, either. https://www.rethinktokyo.com/blog/zoe-ward-japan-property-central/99-new-apartment-supply-tokyo-2017-was-under-100sqm/tokyo https://www.rethinktokyo.com/blog/zoe-ward-japan-property-ce...
  - diordiderot 5y ago
    The taste argument is often made, rarely tested. I prefer revealed preference. Let's build some Tokyo style apartments in NYC, SF, price them at market per sqft and and let's find out if they 'suit western tastes'
    - listenallyall 5y ago
      Who is "let's" in your scenario? You want to test the waters, with your capital, go right ahead. Just don't ask for taxpayers' money to test your theory.
      - diordiderot 5y ago
        Let's, means let's remove the code that prevents Americans from building it?
        listenallyall 5y ago
        What code? Minimum apartment size in San Francisco is 220 sq ft (previously was 290), so a 70 sq m "Tokyo-style apartment" is well above the minimum. https://sf.curbed.com/2019/7/12/20691973/san-francisco-average-apartment-size-shrinking-sf-2019 https://sf.curbed.com/2019/7/12/20691973/san-francisco-avera...
        diordiderot 5y ago
        Height restriction? Approval process? Community reviews? Environmental impact studies!?
  - therealdrag0 5y ago
    Singapore also builds lots of housing.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  Tokyo builds a lot because they tear down a lot. The average house will be rebuilt after 30 years. The structure is overhead because the second hand housing market is so small…only the land appreciates and the Japanese are still burned out on the 80s property bubble. Completely different from how it works in the west.
  - YinLuck- 5y ago

watwut 5y ago

Appartment complexes are zoned out from large parts of America and they are not slums nor unsfe.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

pech0rin 5y ago

The problem here isn't safety concerns the problem is zoning. Look at Tokyo for example, they are able to build all the time at the highest safety level for earthquakes, etc. Berkley CA for example doesn't allow a lot of different types of buildings. Its not out of safety, its out of rich people not wanting to look at apartment buildings or having their quaint little town turned into high rise apartment complexes.

listenallyall 5y ago
If Tokyo's model was so terrific and worked so well, you'd be able to list lots of cities that emulate it. Instead, you can only point to Tokyo. Their apartments, by the way, are way too tiny for most Western tastes. "A typical three bedroom apartment for a Japanese family would be around 70 sqm (753 sq.ft)." That's smaller than most American 1-bedrooms. Average cost is about 877,000 yen/sq m which is a little bit above $700/sq ft, which isn't exactly cheap, either. https://www.rethinktokyo.com/blog/zoe-ward-japan-property-central/99-new-apartment-supply-tokyo-2017-was-under-100sqm/tokyo https://www.rethinktokyo.com/blog/zoe-ward-japan-property-ce...
- diordiderot 5y ago
  The taste argument is often made, rarely tested. I prefer revealed preference. Let's build some Tokyo style apartments in NYC, SF, price them at market per sqft and and let's find out if they 'suit western tastes'
  - listenallyall 5y ago
    Who is "let's" in your scenario? You want to test the waters, with your capital, go right ahead. Just don't ask for taxpayers' money to test your theory.
    - diordiderot 5y ago
      Let's, means let's remove the code that prevents Americans from building it?
      - listenallyall 5y ago
        What code? Minimum apartment size in San Francisco is 220 sq ft (previously was 290), so a 70 sq m "Tokyo-style apartment" is well above the minimum. https://sf.curbed.com/2019/7/12/20691973/san-francisco-average-apartment-size-shrinking-sf-2019 https://sf.curbed.com/2019/7/12/20691973/san-francisco-avera...
        diordiderot 5y ago
        Height restriction? Approval process? Community reviews? Environmental impact studies!?
- therealdrag0 5y ago
  Singapore also builds lots of housing.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
Tokyo builds a lot because they tear down a lot. The average house will be rebuilt after 30 years. The structure is overhead because the second hand housing market is so small…only the land appreciates and the Japanese are still burned out on the 80s property bubble. Completely different from how it works in the west.
- YinLuck- 5y ago