Smart Growth Seattle on the Radio: Neighborhoods, Linkage, and Zoning
I was on the radio on Friday talking with Dave Ross. The story that was posted later captured what I said: “I’m not advocating for no regulation,” Valdez said. “Health and safety, we should keep that stuff.” “But if you can get a loan from the bank to build an 80- or 100-story tower for […]
Why is Afforable Housing So Expensive
I used to be, for a short time and one project, a non-profit housing developer. While I did that job it validated everything I had written about development in general: regulation and limits on density make housing more expensive to build. The difference between my world then and a market rate developer is that a […]
Council Bargains Away Housing in Mixed Low-Rise Vote
The stage was set: Which Councilmembers would appear to support or oppose Councilmember Tom Rasmussen’s terrible amendments to already not-so-great low-rise legislation? By the time deliberations began on his 8 amendments, 7 Councilmembers were present a the Planning Land Use and Sustainability (PLUS) Committee. As we’ve pointed out, the legislation went from bad, to better, […]
