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I lost a lot of hope for US housing when I went to an upzoning hearing for the first time a few weeks ago. The amount of fear-mongering vitriol and hatred over
by HEmanZ 2y ago
I lost a lot of hope for US housing when I went to an upzoning hearing for the first time a few weeks ago. The amount of fear-mongering vitriol and hatred over a proposal to up zone an area near the neighborhood (not even in it) to allow for town homes was unbelievable. If someone had told me “I went to the meeting and someone said…” for half the things I heard there, I would not have believed them.
People, especially older people, in the US so vehemently hate the idea of building more housing that they are willing the brandish weapons and make threats in public. They’re willing to use racial slurs and amp each other up with wild claims about crime in new buildings. And if you go on the YIMBY side to most of these things your voice will be drowned by panicking people who think more, slightly denser housing within biking distance, is a literal threat to their lives.
US housing supply is going to be screwed as long as local communities have a real say in upzoning and project proposals.
- bryanlarsen 2y agoYIMBY will have to happen (and is happening) at the state level.
- mynameishere 2y agoIf it happens at the state level it will be YIYBY.
- silverquiet 2y agoYes, my parents helped fight off something like that in their neighborhood recently and I talked to them a bit about the dynamics of what was going on. Ultimately they felt like they wanted to support their neighbors who really didn't want this change. I can't say I really blame them; they chose to live in the neighborhood because they liked it the way it was, and I've talked to other people who have similar feelings. The want-to-be developer also came out looking like a villain to me after this, so I can't say that anyone really ends up looking good. In the process of all this I did learn that the SFH they occupy now is actually zoned for up to 33 units in a multi-family situation, so I told them that as soon as I inherit the place, it's getting sold to the highest bidder.
- efields 2y agoThis, this, this (plus zoning laws based off this). I drive through a neighborhood in Baltimore County, Maryland where a number of the houses have these black and white signs, "Save the suburbs!" "No new light rail!" The USA has a lot of unaddressed trauma around "others" and urban living. Plus a car infrastructure it heavily relies on to the detriment of all other modes of transportation. And stores that take up an enormous amount of square footage with cheap goods… and… and… (edited for coherence)