it is partly true. Zoning is hugely problematic but would be substantially less so if real estate was about utility instead of being an investment opportunity
The number one problem in housing is that it is financialized: the entire system is built on infinite growth in real estate value and borrowing against it, etc etc. Zoning is the micro scale effect of this, where homeowners become protective of their supposed infinite value cow (for lack of guaranteed housing and retirement, everyone must instead scramble to get theirs).
You can mildly push back on this through zoning, but you aren't going to stop the spiral, just slow it down.
Building more dwellings would obviously be a profitable enterprise but local elites prevent it for racist and classist reasons
Its more complicated than that. A lot of high density development comes at the expense of historical (typically lower rent) housing. Gentrification is all about evicting low income and elderly families for access to cheap real estate, then flipping it into higher priced "luxury" space.
Alternatively, you have the Pruitt Igo model, where the high density housing is packed with low income families and then defunded to the point it becomes a slum.
Dense housing is fundamentally good and necessary, but it isn't above being systematically corrupted and abused.
Japan's zoning is extremely permissive, permitting almost any development with a maximum level of "disruption" (utilities, traffic, noise, blocking light) for that zone.
I think the problem is cars; if it takes roughly the same amount of time to drive to and find parking at a destination 300 feet vs 13 miles away, there's little incentive to buy a house (or an allyway between 2 houses) and put in a tiny convenient shop or restaurant without parking; making better use of the limited land available.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001050453.pdf
It helps a little bit that most of Japan's housing is built so cheaply they become worthless in 20 years.
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it is partly true. Zoning is hugely problematic but would be substantially less so if real estate was about utility instead of being an investment opportunity
Scarcity makes line go up
The number one problem in housing is that it is financialized: the entire system is built on infinite growth in real estate value and borrowing against it, etc etc. Zoning is the micro scale effect of this, where homeowners become protective of their supposed infinite value cow (for lack of guaranteed housing and retirement, everyone must instead scramble to get theirs).
You can mildly push back on this through zoning, but you aren't going to stop the spiral, just slow it down.
:this:
Its more complicated than that. A lot of high density development comes at the expense of historical (typically lower rent) housing. Gentrification is all about evicting low income and elderly families for access to cheap real estate, then flipping it into higher priced "luxury" space.
Alternatively, you have the Pruitt Igo model, where the high density housing is packed with low income families and then defunded to the point it becomes a slum.
Dense housing is fundamentally good and necessary, but it isn't above being systematically corrupted and abused.
The recent TrueAnon episode on this blew my fucking mind
Houston doesn't have zoning and it is an utter disaster area. You can put a strip club right next to a school.
This bothers me way less than putting a refinery right next to a school tbh
Japan's zoning is extremely permissive, permitting almost any development with a maximum level of "disruption" (utilities, traffic, noise, blocking light) for that zone.
I think the problem is cars; if it takes roughly the same amount of time to drive to and find parking at a destination 300 feet vs 13 miles away, there's little incentive to buy a house (or an allyway between 2 houses) and put in a tiny convenient shop or restaurant without parking; making better use of the limited land available.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001050453.pdf
It helps a little bit that most of Japan's housing is built so cheaply they become worthless in 20 years.