Urbanist Dad

Cities should be family-friendly.

[AURA: An Austin for Everyone @AURAatx]

TODAY is the last chance to vote for @MontserratforTX, a candidate who will fight for Austin affordability, housing, & transit at the state Capitol!

Polls close at 7pm!

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@JakeBridge73167 @KUT I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I think what you're saying is probably true for many of them.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@ClayDesert @KUT I think you are probably right that (for most people) the environmental argument against sprawl is not strong enough. My main argument is that SOS types make it worse and should know better.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@ClayDesert @KUT Sorry, I'm a little confused by your wording. Do you mean that limiting suburban development is also environmentally harmful?

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@mclark @KUT Yet here I am on the bus with my car sitting at home.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@mikesimonsen There's also the way property taxes shape political incentives around building new housing. If the taxes are low, homeowners benefit when supply is constricted, and the value of their homes rises. Admittedly, this is hard to quantify.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@DouglasTodd @CityofVancouver The central problem with this NIMBY approach is that the benefits of development accrue primarily to the people who live in the new housing.

[Bobby Fijan @bobbyfijan]

Mixed-use is necessary for a walkable neighborhood … but it’s not sufficient

Without schools (and children) it’s not a REAL city

It’s more like a resort town, college campus or retirement community. A nice place to be while for a period of time … but not a City

[Chris Powers @fortworthchris]

"We build our American cities around fire trucks…

…We should design our cities, then make the fire trucks fit."

In America, we have the largest fire trucks in the world—
and they’re quietly shaping how our cities look, feel, and function.

In this clip with @AustinTunnell , we break down how one overlooked policy is leading to worse urban design.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@KUTnathan @KirkPWatson @ATP_org Lots of space is becoming available at CapMetro's new offices on E 5th St.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

Without families, the American city will fail. To keep them from fleeing, it needs housing that fits families, reliable childcare, good schools, and a safe, walkable, and practical public realm.

[Manhattan Institute @ManhattanInst]

Losing families in large numbers is a sign that your city is in decline. Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happening in American cities—and it's not just a pandemic blip.

New @ManhattanInst research by @cojobrien and Liena Zagare diagnoses the urban family exodus and lays out the agenda for reversing it. 🧵

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@AleshireLaw No.
- The property tax for Project Connect is NOT 20%, it's about 4%.
- Light rail benefits everyone by improving traffic, air quality, economic development, and social mobility.
- Families leave Austin because of expensive housing caused by this kind of NIMBYism.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@data_atx There is substantial evidence that multi-lane one-way streets encourage drivers to go faster. Jeff Speck (one of the most prominent urban planners in the US) is a major proponent of converting 1 ways to 2 ways in downtowns.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@saveaustintx So wouldn’t the best option be to build the lowest cost new housing, like townhomes and small apartments?

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@KelseaBondATL @Urban_Connector @humantransit curious to hear your thoughts on this.

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@BenBear @bobbyfijan @YIMBYLAND @DeveloperHarris @BuildCasa @americanhousing @rileymeik Is the row home open to the public?

[Jenna Hanes @jenna_hnz]

I’m voting FOR Prop Q, and you should too!

Here’s what Prop Q actually does (and why it matters for Austin): 🧵

[Urbanist Dad @DavidTheFouts]

@YIMBYLAND @john102414 They love to mock California, but now they’re about to copy its biggest mistake but worse.