Category Archives: Urban Planning

Cities Are DOOOOMED!!

Posted on March 17, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

That’s what the NY Times would have us believe anyway*. Yes, cities right now are suffering some revenue shortfalls–though why the NYT led with D.C., when D.C. will be immune to declines in income tax revenues due to people working … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Urban Planning | 1 Comment

Third Wave Gentrification: The Business Rents Are Too Damn High

Posted on February 20, 2020 by mikethemadbiologist

One of the problems discussing gentrification is that the term is used to encompass very different phenomena. I define gentrification as the period following abandonment, in which prices of existing housing begin to rise as they are renovated, and new … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Economics, Urban Planning | Comments Off on Third Wave Gentrification: The Business Rents Are Too Damn High

Why I’m Not Optimistic About Global Warming

Posted on December 27, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

Ultimately, if we want to seriously combat global warming–not just slow it slightly, but seriously get at the problem–then we need to alter how we live in very fundamental ways, as this piece about Boulder, Colorado illustrates (boldface mine): Low-density … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Transportation, Urban Planning | 2 Comments

We Are Willing to Build Urban Housing–For Cars

Posted on December 13, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

When I lived in Boston, one of the major reasons I got rid of my car was the cost of parking. Street parking really wasn’t much of an option, so I had to pay for a spot (first at a … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Urban Planning | 2 Comments

The Business Rent Is Too Damn High

Posted on December 4, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

Returning to what is an irregular series, we note that in Chelsea, NYC, the business rents are too damn high (boldface mine): Here we can see how an ideology of convenience is reshaping the economy. Ordering things like tape or … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Urban Planning | 1 Comment

The Business Rents Are Too Damn High. What to Do?

Posted on November 13, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

As some asshole with a blog has noted many times, many cities are facing a real estate crisis that’s less heralded than their housing crises, but still important: the business rents are too damn high. Last week, D.C. held hearings … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Urban Planning | 2 Comments

The Business Rent Is Too Damn High: The Bike Store Edition

Posted on September 18, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

I know I hit this theme a lot, but an underemphasized problem many booming cities are facing is skyrocketing business rents. If residents want affordable prices, along with more interesting options–and those interesting options often not the businesses that make … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, DC, Economics, Taxes, Urban Planning | 5 Comments

Can Tysons Corner Become a City?

Posted on August 9, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

It’s all about the sidewalks. In other words, can people easily walk around the new Tysons? I’m not entirely sure (boldface mine): What would you do if you were tasked with doubling the number of jobs and raising the number … Continue reading →

Posted in Urban Planning | 4 Comments

Accountability, Arrogance, and NIMBY

Posted on July 11, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

Over the long weekend, there was a fantastic article about a key element of the housing crisis in many urban metropolitan areas: NIMBY progressives (NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard). This is one reason, among many, why I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing, Progressives, Urban Planning | Comments Off on Accountability, Arrogance, and NIMBY

The Business Rent Is Too High: The Austin, TX Edition

Posted on June 26, 2019 by mikethemadbiologist

As part of our irregular series, we have another example of local businesses getting clobbered by massive rent increases, this time in Austin, TX (boldface mine): Just this week, Hut’s Hamburgers, in downtown Austin since 1969 (and on South Congress … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Food, Urban Planning | Comments Off on The Business Rent Is Too High: The Austin, TX Edition