Blogosphere: SG Great Unless Causing Bubbles
Grist
Did land-use regulation contribute to the housing bubble? The idea is no comfort to Smart Growth fans, but it's the conclusion of new research [PDF] from a pair of economists...
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(July 30, 2010)
Blogosphere: Missing the Point on Inclusionary Zoning
NRDC Switchboard
Earlier this week, The Washington Post featured an article by Jeffrey O'Connell headlined, "DC affordable housing policy has put up a goose egg." The article casts a pall over the city's new inclusionary zoning program, citing a city report to the effect that the law had created no new affordable homes in Washington between last August, when it went into effect, and March of this year...
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(July 30, 2010)
National: Slow Moving Fanny and Freddie Overhaul
Washington Post
The Obama administration on Tuesday tiptoed closer to overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announcing a conference next month to begin a public discussion on how to remake the nation's system for funding home loans...
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(July 30, 2010)
National: "Livability" Taken Out of Senate Bill
Land Lines Magazine
The Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced a federal spending bill without including President Obama's request to create an "office of livability." The definition of a "livable community" has been scrutinized since the issue was first proposed last year...
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(July 23, 2010)
Blogosphere: Commute Market Share Wrong Way to Go
Urbanophile
It's common to look at transit in terms of commuting market share. It's understandable why we do this, since, among other things, it is easy to get the data. But the generally low showing of transit on this metric I think misses the bigger picture. Chicago metro has a transit market share of 11.5%, for example...
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(July 23, 2010)
TOD State & Local Policy Matrix
Reconnecting America is creating a matrix of funding programs and policies at the state,regional, and local level that provide assistance to developers in building transit-oriented developments. Bill is helping to complete the matrix by early August, and then help Sasha and Alia draft a paper that includes the matrix by mid-August.
(July 23, 2010)
Quote of the Day
FTA
"For millions of Americans, having a safe and reliable transit system is the difference between seeing their children before bed or not, making it to work on time or arriving late, or getting to a doctor's appointment or forgoing it."
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(July 22, 2010)
Blogosphere: Our Big Fat Housing Problem
Mother Jones
It's a pretty good piece, and it gives me a chance to distinguish between good and bad in this particular genre. It's almost indisputable, I think, that the federal government has massively favored the expansion of homeownership over the past six decades....
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(July 22, 2010)
Quote of the Day
San Francisco Business Times
""The intent of the new threshold is good, and everybody supports the idea. The way in which (the guidelines) are put together is problematic."
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(July 21, 2010)
Blogosphere: We Can't Afford This House
National Review (via Yglesias)
At the end of June, the House of Representatives voted to extend the $8,000 homebuyers' tax credit, by an extraordinary margin of 409-5. The Senate approved the measure on a voice vote...
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(July 21, 2010)
