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Because existing cities are where the jobs are located. That’s why people move there: to have a job and a shot at a better life. Some of us feel strongly that ‘

Because existing cities are where the jobs are located. That’s why people move there: to have a job and a shot at a better life. Some of us feel strongly that ‘current’ residents should not have the right to effectively exclude others from the pursuit of happiness and opportunity. Current zoning is especially odious in who it affects. The people it excludes from high opportunity areas are the poor and disadvantaged. Supply restrictions in the face of high demand lead to high home prices, effectively shutting out the poor and young from a better life for themselves.

wkat4242 3y ago
> Because existing cities are where the jobs are located. That’s why people move there: to have a job and a shot at a better life. I don't know, I live in a big city but I mostly work from home despite the office being 20 minutes away by metro. Because today's hotdesk flexi hipster office is a nightmare for actually doing work. I moved here because I love living in a big city. Always having stuff to do. All the things to discover. Amazing public transport so I don't need a car (I absolutely hate driving). 20 bucks for a monthly pass and my shoes cover my entire travel needs for a month. Literally all the shops I need right around the corner. I can roll out of the disco at 6am and into my bed. It's amazing. I love being in the middle of life. A lot of my friends love having a huge house in a quiet village but I don't understand that at all. I come from a quiet suburb but I've always hated that kind of environment. Even though I was happy there when I grew up. Also I have pretty niche interests. It's just really hard finding a makerspace or a BDSM club in a small town. Here I have many to choose from in both categories :) Also, small towns tend to be very big on the 'family values' mindset which isn't something I fit into, if that wasn't already clear from the above. In a city people know where to keep their opinions on how other people live their lives. In small towns they'll constantly gossip behind your back. I've lived in one for 10 years and hated that. Anyway my point is, there's many reasons people want to live in cities that have nothing to do with their personal chance at jobs or money. It's really a very different type of society and environment that's really desirable for some people despite the crazy house prices.
p1esk 3y ago
Allow remote work for everyone who does not need to be physically present onsite to do their job.
- BenFranklin100 3y ago
  And in your Zoom utopia, how does remote work help health care workers, police officers, construction workers, elderly care workers, massage therapists, mechanics and so on and so on? How does this help younger people wanting to date, start a family, or just have a reasonable social life? I have a more simple proposition: instead of allowing remote work, how about we allow new homes to be built so the wealthy stop bidding up the price of all the old homes and remodeling them?
  - p1esk 3y ago
    how does remote work help health care workers, police officers, construction workers, elderly care workers, massage therapists, mechanics and so on I literally excluded all these people in my statement. Was it that hard to parse?
    - BenFranklin100 3y ago
      No it wasn’t hard to parse. What it was was hard to fathom that someone really thinks remote work is a general solution to high housing costs. Therefore I explicitly pointed out common occupations to remind us all about the larger picture. Well paying IT or white collar jobs that can be done anywhere are in the minority, and further the people that do hold those high paying jobs are frequently the very same people bidding up the price of existing homes in high opportunity cities, and pushing poorer people out in the process.
      - p1esk 3y ago
        You do realize that well paid people who spread out because they can work remotely create jobs for poor people outside of big cities? And in big cities demand for housing falls because there are fewer people? How is it not a win-win scenario?

wkat4242 3y ago

> Because existing cities are where the jobs are located. That’s why people move there: to have a job and a shot at a better life. I don't know, I live in a big city but I mostly work from home despite the office being 20 minutes away by metro. Because today's hotdesk flexi hipster office is a nightmare for actually doing work. I moved here because I love living in a big city. Always having stuff to do. All the things to discover. Amazing public transport so I don't need a car (I absolutely hate driving). 20 bucks for a monthly pass and my shoes cover my entire travel needs for a month. Literally all the shops I need right around the corner. I can roll out of the disco at 6am and into my bed. It's amazing. I love being in the middle of life. A lot of my friends love having a huge house in a quiet village but I don't understand that at all. I come from a quiet suburb but I've always hated that kind of environment. Even though I was happy there when I grew up. Also I have pretty niche interests. It's just really hard finding a makerspace or a BDSM club in a small town. Here I have many to choose from in both categories :) Also, small towns tend to be very big on the 'family values' mindset which isn't something I fit into, if that wasn't already clear from the above. In a city people know where to keep their opinions on how other people live their lives. In small towns they'll constantly gossip behind your back. I've lived in one for 10 years and hated that. Anyway my point is, there's many reasons people want to live in cities that have nothing to do with their personal chance at jobs or money. It's really a very different type of society and environment that's really desirable for some people despite the crazy house prices.

p1esk 3y ago

Allow remote work for everyone who does not need to be physically present onsite to do their job.

BenFranklin100 3y ago
And in your Zoom utopia, how does remote work help health care workers, police officers, construction workers, elderly care workers, massage therapists, mechanics and so on and so on? How does this help younger people wanting to date, start a family, or just have a reasonable social life? I have a more simple proposition: instead of allowing remote work, how about we allow new homes to be built so the wealthy stop bidding up the price of all the old homes and remodeling them?
- p1esk 3y ago
  how does remote work help health care workers, police officers, construction workers, elderly care workers, massage therapists, mechanics and so on I literally excluded all these people in my statement. Was it that hard to parse?
  - BenFranklin100 3y ago
    No it wasn’t hard to parse. What it was was hard to fathom that someone really thinks remote work is a general solution to high housing costs. Therefore I explicitly pointed out common occupations to remind us all about the larger picture. Well paying IT or white collar jobs that can be done anywhere are in the minority, and further the people that do hold those high paying jobs are frequently the very same people bidding up the price of existing homes in high opportunity cities, and pushing poorer people out in the process.
    - p1esk 3y ago
      You do realize that well paid people who spread out because they can work remotely create jobs for poor people outside of big cities? And in big cities demand for housing falls because there are fewer people? How is it not a win-win scenario?