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!
@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.
@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.
@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.
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
"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.
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.
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. 🧵
@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.
@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.