In my estimation, people who are primarily concerned about water never talk about opposing apartments, but people who don't like apartments frequently point out how concerned they are about water.
Good article Kevin. I noticed on your Twitter feed that you seem to be getting pushback from the usual assortment of NIMBY idiots because of it. That's a good thing, because the more exposure pro-zoning types get the crazier they sound. Before I ask you to start picking fights with Randal O'Toole (oh please, please pick a fight with him, please, please....) I noticed that you mention how the density of some older Phoenix neighborhoods is 3.5 to 5 houses per acre. Although that's consistent with the American average for house lot sizes it's still fairly low density. It's easy to speculate that large lot minimums AND single-family zoning regulations create pernicious effect on housing costs.
Speaking of density, what's up with the huge patches of open space in Gilbert? Like due east of the Estates at Spectrum? For the record, I know squat about Phoenix---only visited it in the 90's.
I understand the frustration with O'Toole, but, believe it or not, I would say that his book, "American Nightmare" comes closer to understanding the supply-side cause of the Great Recession that I try to highlight than any other book (besides my own, and Scott Sumner's, of course) that I know of.
On Gilbert, the development just tends to happen a bit spotty. I think that area probably had a lot of horse properties - lots of an acre or more. It will probably eventually develop, but it's harder for a builder to buy up 50 acres and plan a neighborhood. In some other areas, you'll find big gaps like that, an it's because there's a big feed lot in the middle, and it stinks like hell for 2 miles in any direction, so development happens around them until the farmer sells out, and then it all fills in.
I appreciate O'Toole because he's always willing to point out the brutal truths of transportation technology in the U.S.---i.e. people like cars. But, I am frustrated by some of his positions. How about a debate with Dean Baker?
I wasn't aware of the equestrian traditions of the Phoenix metro region. Obviously, these abandoned horse farms need to be placed under the protection of Historic Preservation covenants for perpetuity. Otherwise, how will future generations appreciate the diverse history of land use in your community?
Baker is interesting, because he also shares some of my conclusions about the Great Recession. He doesn't think the banking system was the problem. He thinks the housing bust was the problem. Where we differ is that he thinks the bust was inevitable and that prices in 2006 weren't justified by rents. Obviously, in some cases they weren't, but he generally treated the US market as a monolith, which I think is one of the key issues where I have introduced an important corrective. I'm afraid he is on the record with weak assertions that are strong enough, regarding aggregate rent and price relationships, that he can't correct that position in a face-saving way, and so I'm afraid a debate would devolve into a defensive back and forth.
Where is the water going to come from?
In my estimation, people who are primarily concerned about water never talk about opposing apartments, but people who don't like apartments frequently point out how concerned they are about water.
Good article Kevin. I noticed on your Twitter feed that you seem to be getting pushback from the usual assortment of NIMBY idiots because of it. That's a good thing, because the more exposure pro-zoning types get the crazier they sound. Before I ask you to start picking fights with Randal O'Toole (oh please, please pick a fight with him, please, please....) I noticed that you mention how the density of some older Phoenix neighborhoods is 3.5 to 5 houses per acre. Although that's consistent with the American average for house lot sizes it's still fairly low density. It's easy to speculate that large lot minimums AND single-family zoning regulations create pernicious effect on housing costs.
Speaking of density, what's up with the huge patches of open space in Gilbert? Like due east of the Estates at Spectrum? For the record, I know squat about Phoenix---only visited it in the 90's.
Thanks, Dave.
I understand the frustration with O'Toole, but, believe it or not, I would say that his book, "American Nightmare" comes closer to understanding the supply-side cause of the Great Recession that I try to highlight than any other book (besides my own, and Scott Sumner's, of course) that I know of.
On Gilbert, the development just tends to happen a bit spotty. I think that area probably had a lot of horse properties - lots of an acre or more. It will probably eventually develop, but it's harder for a builder to buy up 50 acres and plan a neighborhood. In some other areas, you'll find big gaps like that, an it's because there's a big feed lot in the middle, and it stinks like hell for 2 miles in any direction, so development happens around them until the farmer sells out, and then it all fills in.
I appreciate O'Toole because he's always willing to point out the brutal truths of transportation technology in the U.S.---i.e. people like cars. But, I am frustrated by some of his positions. How about a debate with Dean Baker?
I wasn't aware of the equestrian traditions of the Phoenix metro region. Obviously, these abandoned horse farms need to be placed under the protection of Historic Preservation covenants for perpetuity. Otherwise, how will future generations appreciate the diverse history of land use in your community?
Either of them would be fun.
Baker is interesting, because he also shares some of my conclusions about the Great Recession. He doesn't think the banking system was the problem. He thinks the housing bust was the problem. Where we differ is that he thinks the bust was inevitable and that prices in 2006 weren't justified by rents. Obviously, in some cases they weren't, but he generally treated the US market as a monolith, which I think is one of the key issues where I have introduced an important corrective. I'm afraid he is on the record with weak assertions that are strong enough, regarding aggregate rent and price relationships, that he can't correct that position in a face-saving way, and so I'm afraid a debate would devolve into a defensive back and forth.