A recent article in the New York Times called “Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build”—that’s fourteen “builds,” by the way—chronicled the drama (and a fair amount of absurdity) surrounding a proposed development in Lafayette, California.
Lafayette, a wealthy suburb east of Berkeley, is known for being notoriously anti-development. When a developer proposed to build hundreds of new homes across the street from a BART station—something the land was zoned for—it set off a firestorm of protests. Some people protested that the plans were too big, others that they were too small. At one point, the developer, Dennis O’Brien, found himself in the farcical position of being sued in support of himself.
The article by Conor Dougherty is the kind of story that brilliantly illustrates the complexities, controversies, and personalities of the housing crisis. Which also makes it the right kind of article to get the Upzoned treatment.
In this week’s episode of Upzoned, host Abby Kinney is joined by Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn and Strong Towns senior editor Daniel Herriges to unpack the Lafayette story. Together, they discuss what the situation in Lafayette says about the degree to which housing policy should be controlled at the state level vs. the local level, the dangers of one-dimensional solutions for complex problems, and whether or not it’s time to reform our laws to simply get more building done.
Then on the Downzoned, Chuck Marohn tells the story of how he met Kansas City rapper Kemet the Phantom, whose song, “Get Out (The Streetcar Song),” is the new Upzoned bumper music. That meeting was a reminder to Chuck that the movement to build strong towns goes far beyond built environment professionals: engineers, planners, and architects.
Show NotesThe New York Times article: “Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build,” by Conor Dougherty,”
Abby Kinney on Twitter
Kemet the Phantom on Soundcloud
Conor Dougherty on Twitter
Recent Strong Towns articles on the housing crisis in California
“California Housing Crisis,” by Chuck Marohn
“One Important Question About California's Housing Future,” by Daniel Herriges
“Best of 2019: California’s Housing Crisis,” by Daniel Herriges
“Hey Google, Tell Me How to Make Bay Area Housing More Affordable,” by Daniel Herriges
Department of Justice Opens Criminal Investigation Into “Housing Cartel”
Inside the Notorious Gridlock of Colorado's I-70
“Redesigning” Cincinnati With the Connected Communities Plan
Our Financial System Favors Large-Scale Development…but at What Cost?
Traffic Deaths Now Exceed the Number of Homicides in LA. This Initiative Aims To Change That.
$350 Million Mixed-Use Development Presents a "Huge Opportunity" for South Bend, IN
Could this New Approach to Public Housing Actually Work?
Parking Minimums Might Be on the Way Out in Dallas
Coming Back Down to Earth After a “Next-Level” Downtown Revitalization
Today’s Generation of Families Are “Disillusioned” by Suburbia
Millennials Are Fleeing Cities in Favor of the Exurbs
Ryan Johnson: Builder of the First Car-Free Neighborhood Made From Scratch in the U.S.
Transportation Meltdown: Children on the School Bus Till 10 p.m.
Is Affordable Housing Possible Under Current Zoning Laws?
Arizona Pushes for Suburban and Rural Development, Despite Dwindling Water Supply
Atlanta’s New Idea To Address Their Housing Crisis
The Invisible Reason for High Housing Prices: Restrictive Land-Use Regulations
Why Can’t We Have the “Perfect” Neighborhood?
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