Last week, the Arizona Republic printed an op-ed I wrote about the importance of passing the reforms currently being advanced through the state legislature. The op-Ed describes how individual cities get into a prisoners dilemma where if one city implements exclusionary policies, it’s no big deal, but when every city does, the metropolitan area gets suffocated in arbitrary rules that cause a breakdown. The nub:
I completely agree, Kevin. It's unhelpful to blame local leaders --- if everyone else is blockading new construction, it only makes sense to follow suit. No locality acting alone can move the needle on housing supply. Anyone expecting that housing prices in Palo Alto would come down if they just built enough apartment buildings will be disappointed, because the problem is so much larger than Palo Alto. Only state-level action can break the logjam, enable construction at scale, and ensure that we all share in both the costs and benefits of an adequate housing supply.
Years back, I tried find out if Milton Friedman had addressed the issue of property zoning. Not so much.
On issues like prostitution and x-rated movie theaters (a thing back then), he waffled and talked about community standards. Friedman actually praised local government, as people had the right to move from one community to another. He may have decided discretion is the better part of valor, when the issue is property zoning.
I completely agree, Kevin. It's unhelpful to blame local leaders --- if everyone else is blockading new construction, it only makes sense to follow suit. No locality acting alone can move the needle on housing supply. Anyone expecting that housing prices in Palo Alto would come down if they just built enough apartment buildings will be disappointed, because the problem is so much larger than Palo Alto. Only state-level action can break the logjam, enable construction at scale, and ensure that we all share in both the costs and benefits of an adequate housing supply.
Years back, I tried find out if Milton Friedman had addressed the issue of property zoning. Not so much.
On issues like prostitution and x-rated movie theaters (a thing back then), he waffled and talked about community standards. Friedman actually praised local government, as people had the right to move from one community to another. He may have decided discretion is the better part of valor, when the issue is property zoning.
https://financialpost.com/opinion/terence-corcoran-zoning-as-a-property-right
Above we have a libertarian saying zoning is a form of property rights.
When neighborhood property zoning is under review, there are no liberals, and no libertarians, either.
The Byzantine Empire eventually collapsed.
But before it did, I am sure some were protecting their neighborhoods from unwanted encroachment.