Mayor Murray: Hoping to be Dealt an Ace from a Deck of Jokers
I have for a long time been a critic of the hegemony of angry single-family neighbors over land use and housing policy in the city. In fact, I described single-family neighbors “as angry, entitled, immoral, classist and racist, as zoo animals and as bloodthirsty dinosaurs.” I was also a neighborhood activist and planner myself in […]
Let’s Make a Deal? What if the City Wanted to Negotiate on MIZ?
What if the City decides to listen to us and invites us to talk about the Mayor’s proposed Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning (MIZ) proposal? What principles should we take if we’re asked to negotiate or compromise on the proposal? How do we ensure that whatever emerges from the political process doesn’t do long lasting damage to […]
HALA Recommendations: Stop Death by 1000 Processes!
There is a lot of talk about supporting what people point to and call “HALA,” which is supposed to be shorthand for the recommendations of the Mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Committee. Unfortunately, often what “I support HALA” means is Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning (MIZ), the inflationary scheme that will add costs, reduce rent revenues, […]
