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petertulip.bsky.social
Chief economist at Centre for Independent Studies
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NIMBYs think the central question is "which streetscape looks nicer?" We would get better housing policy if the debate was instead framed around the more important question: Does my preference for the status quo justify making housing unaffordable?

The photo perfectly conveys the kind of people that would stop a church using its land for affordable housing in the middle of a housing crisis. And they gave their names. www.abc.net.au/news/...

Interesting debate between @jasonfurman.bsky.social of the “neoliberal” Clinton/Obama administrations (www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state... ) versus @jaredb-econ.bsky.social of the “interventionist” Biden team (econjared.substack.com/p/no-delusio... ). 1/6

Anyone complaining about supermarket overcharging needs to ask "what gives supermarkets the power to overcharge?" An avoidable part of it is zoning restrictions that (often deliberately) restrict competition. As @mbowes.bsky.social discusses.

Community consultation is biased against housing development. Dorina Pojani and I discuss with Kenji Sato.

🚨 urban economics research siren 🚨 In this recently published (open access) paper in "Land Use Policy", my co-author (Matthew Maltman) and I review critiques of the economic evidence on the effects of upzoning in Auckland. We find these critiques have little to no merit. doi.org/10.1016/j.la...

Supply-side policy is simple—it's the politics that's hard. Phenomenal reporting from Tom Crowley cuts through to the core of the housing crisis. We share the optimism of Brendan Coates and @petertulip.bsky.social: we think that great change is around the corner.

Housing policy reform in New Zealand is estimated to have reduced rents by 28% in Auckland and by 21% in Lower Hutt. Stuart Donovan's new paper discusses the reforms and their impact on young people, affordability, and relevance to Australia. www.cis.org.au/publication/...

Alan Kohler's 7:30 report on housing. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02... I make a few appearances.

A good clear statement of the central problem in housing policy.

This Wednesday I will be having an extended discussion of housing policy with Joe Walker. Come along and ask questions! Tickets available here: events.humanitix.com/joe-walker-p...

My council, Ku-ring-gai, is considering requiring that 10% of new housing be “affordable” (i.e. subsidised). www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Council/Your... I think this policy is counter-productive. My submission to council is here.

Really the headline should read; MP OPPOSES MORE PARKLAND FOR 100 000 INNER CITY RESIDENTS The fight over opening 1/2 of 46ha Moore Park Golf course to the people continues. It was declared an open Community n in 1810, alienated as a fenced off golf course in 1920’s In 2020’s make it #publicsydney!

“New Zealand shows the way to housing affordability”. Join us on Tuesday for a webinar launching Stuart Donovan's new paper. cis.org.au/event/the-su... 1/2

I think policy proposals should be subject to expert scrutiny and quantification -- and that analysis should be public. However, that will weaken perceptions that the experts are independent, especially if the conclusions are controversial. Matt Nolan discusses: tvhe.substack.com/p/what-is-wr...

It is true that higher density is not financially feasible in outlying suburbs. It is also true that it is extremely lucrative in inner suburbs -- where people most want to live. So lets allow more building where people want to live. @yimby.melbourne does the numbers.

1/ How much does Melbourne’s zoning restrict housing supply? We ran the numbers in Boroondara, one of Melbourne’s wealthiest areas, comparing current zoning to 6-storey height limits. The results? Stark. 🧵 👇

The way to stop students being forced into crap towers or being exploited is to give them a choice. Extra supply is bad landlords' #1 enemy.

Message to NIMBYs: Public opinion is against you! www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

The idea that extra housing supply will not improve housing affordability ("supply denialism") is the biggest obstacle to better housing policy. There is a ton of evidence to the contrary. Opponents of extra supply do not realise the harm they do. bsky.app/profile/phil...

Trump is a provocateur who actively cultivates ill will. But he won't benefit by antagonising Canada. Justin Trudeau:

New podcast. I discuss housing policy with NAB's Phil Dobbie. shows.acast.com/morningcall/...

Housing is a human right. Parking is not. Yet our planning system insists on extra car parking spaces while denying extra housing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MwI...

Nicholas Moore and Tom Switzer of the CIS discuss Australia's productivity malaise. Housing and education are two of the biggest problems facing the country. They also happen to be areas where research shows big, clear improvements are possible. www.afr.com/policy/econo... 1/3

According to the City of Paris, in the last 10 years 150,000 trees have been planted and 45 hectares of parks created in the city, all intended to not only improve quality-of-life today, but also help the city adapt to and manage summer heatwaves of 50℃ (122F) by 2050. Plant a lot more urban trees.

Nightingale developments are pretty much the gold standard and do everything the most ardent NIMBY claim they want — non-profit developer, architecturally designed, portion for social housing, climate conscious, communal spaces.

We need more politicians to read about our top social problems.