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denim.bsky.social
Geopolitics. Proportional Representation. Land Value Taxes solve everything. Fighting polarization. Housing. Urbanism.
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Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. In the 1970s, cities across North America (Vancouver, SF, LA, Toronto, etc.) *downzoned* to reduce allowed density. The result? Housing affordability worsened; growth forced outwards (sprawl). Many older apartments are now *illegal* under modern zoning.

submitted 23 days ago • 3 comments

youtube.com/watch?v=MYoA... A great video on how inadequate and problematic the concept of the left-right spectrum is in describing political views. Left-Right really is astrology for politics, I'm going to have to steal that phrase!

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

An article from Commonwealth Canada investigating whether tax shifts towards LVT and away from Property Tax / DCC can improve housing affordability. (Answer, yes) www.commonwealth.ca/blog/plan-ca...

submitted 50 days ago • 0 comments

Over a year in, City of Vancouver has now issued 34 multiplex permits. Median permit time for a multiplex was 266 days (almost 9 months). Most permits were for triplexes.

submitted 68 days ago • 0 comments

Yes, higher density (apartments) housing in Vancouver is indeed charged more per square foot than commercial, industrial, and lower density use. The less expensive housing (apartments are cheaper than townhomes or detached homes) do in fact pay the highest taxes.

submitted 73 days ago • 1 comment

It strikes me as increasingly obvious that the non-negotiable path to sustainable family formation is going to be cultural change—any given mixture of subsidies and mandates will have marginal effects at best. If people don't want kids, they won't have them.

submitted 79 days ago • 10 comments

it’s fascinating that left-NIMBYs will just nonchalantly say “the private sector will never release enough homes to allow prices to fall” as if it’s some universally known truth… when in reality, that’s exactly what happened in Austin and Minneapolis

submitted 89 days ago • 25 comments

youtu.be/NyRcrRlEAWE?... Honestly I really enjoyed this, and I think one of the big issues with FPTP federally is that we don’t have a kind of O’Toole PC party and a responsible, thoughtful Liberal party headed by NES. Still wish NES won the LPO leadership. Need more serious politicians.

submitted 89 days ago • 1 comment

I find this steadfast refusal to understand how SCALE works in any market including housing quite fascinating. Why do people think Aldo exists, when they should just be another Chanel for maximum profit margins?

submitted 91 days ago • 4 comments

Anyone who says they aren’t worried about our economy needs to be aware of this. Buy your appliances now, unless your job is at all dependent on trade, in which case stop spending, start saving, prepare for slowdowns and layoffs.

submitted 93 days ago • 1 comment

Excellent report by @petertulip.bsky.social on housing affordability and how to fix it. Somehow I missed this nice concise piece when it came out. Very relevant to places outside of Australia, threading Vancouver parallels.

submitted 94 days ago • 4 comments

The decline of quirky family-run businesses? Lack of long-tail businesses for your specific interests? It’s more the local cost of rent than Amazon or Walmart. People can’t take risks when their own rent is so high, and can’t find an affordable place to build a small hustle either.

submitted 99 days ago • 0 comments

If you haven’t seen this thread, please read it. If you aren’t sure, read it again anyway. If you haven’t shared it, please share it. It’s relevant to something really important that’s happening right now.

submitted 99 days ago • 1 comment

One reason I left Twitter was because of the nonstop (in-) fighting between the centre/centre left and the left in housing circles. In an effort to build a bridge early on here, I’m going to talk about my experience, both lived, and as an academic/activist. To kick things off: zoning is racist.

submitted 99 days ago • 16 comments

Whoa @uytaelee.bsky.social is here!

submitted 100 days ago • 0 comments