Comments on: Land use and zoning roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2019/01/land-use-and-zoning-roundup/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Tue, 15 Jan 2019 03:56:54 +0000 hourly 1 By: Canvasback https://www.overlawyered.com/2019/01/land-use-and-zoning-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-352167 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 03:56:54 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=72922#comment-352167 That Tyler Cowen piece about Indonesia’s “kampungs” outlines a practical approach to improving conditions for some of their poorest. I can’t think of a way it would work here. No development fees going to city coffers. The residents would protest about gentrification. Many of our worst residential areas are places nobody wants to live any more (Detroit isn’t the labor market it used to be). And our Health & Safety and Building codes make no provision for non-conforming residential developments. Regarding this last, you can bet the professional community organizers would howl to Jupiter if such a thing were suggested.

]]> By: Bob Lipton https://www.overlawyered.com/2019/01/land-use-and-zoning-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-352158 Mon, 14 Jan 2019 16:26:56 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=72922#comment-352158 It all comes down to “There’s a problem and I’m going to make you do something about it.” Why, New York’s brilliant mayor has said that there’s plenty of money in the city; it’s just in the wrong hands.

Given that the just shy of $89 billion flows through the control of Mr. De Blasio and associates every year, I agree.

Bob

]]> By: cc https://www.overlawyered.com/2019/01/land-use-and-zoning-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-352156 Mon, 14 Jan 2019 15:51:55 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=72922#comment-352156 Naperville, Il is a nice microcosm of what can be done right in housing. It is a fairly prosperous town with good schools and high property taxes. Some areas are zoned for single family homes (a neighborhood) but in between are many blocks of townhomes and other blocks of apartments. There are some apartments close enough to shopping that some people without cars are able to function. In the downtown, which is popular, old homes (100+ yrs) could have been labeled “historic” but were not. Tallish apartment buildings have gone up right in the downtown area. Zoning has allowed controlled growth but not strangulation.
While many people aspire to live in a single family home with a yard, the downtown of a major city, where many people work, really needs to allow multi-family (ie apartments). Otherwise minorities and the young are priced right out of the market. Some cities are so restrictive that lots sent empty.

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