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POPSForbes interviews EricG on Clipmarks Since nobody clipped this yet ... here's the interview with EricG @ Forbes. Eric gave the link away in arifsali's clip Welcome to ClipCast . The video itself is unclippable (!), so go to source to watch it.
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POPSThe Right Answer in New Orleans A 1-1 replacement of affordable housing units should be part of any redevelopment. In the Allentown area, federal projects have also resulted in a net loss of affordable units.
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POPSAffordable housing? Here? I'll sue! Bradenton snobs are afraid that affordable cottages will lower the value of their McMansions. How about this... maybe it's the fact that they overpayed for gigantic houses that will lower their values! The story quotes a school teacher who bought a cottage, which justifies the residents' concerns about who the buyers will be, right?
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POPSTiny Houses in Texas Talk about "cottage living!" These are really small! Interesting that the use of recycled lumber drives up the cost so much. I think the best use for these would be urban in-fill on micro-sized lots, or else as accessory dwelling units--mother-in-law apartments--in the backyard. Amazingly, they're quite livable!
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POPSNIMBYs cry on Fox News The density of this project is less than 7 units/acre--hardly a "high density" neighborhood! I wonder how many entrances there are to Ms. Becerra's subdivision... I'm guessing she lives on a cul-de-sac herself. Instead of arguing over the supposed density, maybe residents should have argued over neighborhood amenities, like getting the developer to chip in for a new school or park, or preserve open space... but that's not really the point here... it's that residents don't want to live next to the kind of people who would live in "high-density" housing. Also, good job to Fox News for pointing out that "three to two" is "a close margin."
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POPSCommunity Land Trusts This is my newest obsession. Please note that this clip is from a press release, not a news article, and so should be take "grain of salt"-style.
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POPSSmart growth or no growth? An activist in Virginia argues against density and against sprawl... although she lives in a sprawled-out subdivision. She's making the same arguments against density that I've been looking into. And she doesn't seem to see density as a solution to sprawl.
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POPSMass Selectmen Oppose Cottages The impact on schools? Just how many kids do they think are going to be squeezed into 680 sq ft!!! I also love the exception to being against affordable housing if it's just for old people, not poor people. As soon as someone says "it'd be okay if it was age restricted to seniors," then you know it's all about who is going to be living there.
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POPSLong Island affordable housing scaled back The developer is using voluntary inclusionary zoning as it is intended: increasing the number of market-rate houses--and therefore his profits--while adding two subsidized lots... until the neighbors showed up. So, instead of 8 large single family homes and 10 affordable homes with 10 affordable apartments, there will be only 2 affordable homes--one 1.5 acre lots!--with 2 apartments.
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POPSSmart Growth & Racial Justice An article from 1999, reprinted by Cleveland's community land trust. Mr. Powell raises some great points. I think he simplifies the issue by concentrating only on race, but I also think he has to do that... from where I watch, the issues of race and concentration of poverty almost never surface as elements of a regional planning agenda. For more, read Myron Orfield's "American Metropolitics" and learn how White Fight really happens.
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POPSHagerstown, MD, idea This is an interesting idea... an ALL affordable development. This goes against my grain a bit, since I'd prefer to see mixed income communities where developers offer a range of choices to a range of buyers, but they certainly have a good idea!
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POPSCottages come to Juneau "The density is a little too much for that area," according to one commissioner. As I see it, the density reaches the SHOCKING total of 6.2 units per acre! Still, the concessions from the developer, and Juneau's very-strict cottage ordinance, have given the project enough momentum to get approval. I'll be watching this one closely.
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POPSMortgage Scam in Alaska The house is "sold" three times! Nine people are going to jail on this one. The ultimate victim is the buyer who winds up paying $340,000 for a house only worth $240,000... also the lenders who will eat that loss themselves when the house forecloses and neighbors who pay inflated prices & taxes for their houses because of the fake appraisals. Yikes!
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POPSAlaska Gasline details revealed! At last! Governor Murkowski lets us see the deal he cut with the oil companies for taxing the North Slope gas. The prices look about right, but I'm still not sure about the risks of being a 20% owner in the transmission line. I mean, if the state owns the gas, it has an interest in keeping tarriffs down. If the state owns the pipeline, it has an interest in keeping tarriffs high! Also, if the state is buying into the gasline, then the state is taking on a lot of the risks. Shouldn't that mean Alaska should take more of the profits? Beyond the profits of owning part of he line? Here's my rationale: by absorbing risk, the companies see this project as more possible. Shouldn't the state get more compensation for that? Just a thought. I'm also concerned about the way the state is linking a revision to its oil tax regime to the gasline. I hope that greed for more oil money doesn't jeopardize the lucrative gasline!
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POPSKirkland, WA, Cottages This town on the east shore of Lake Washington borders Microsoft and seems to be home to some highly-paid employees. It's funny how residents are complaining that giant mansions are ruining their town, but little cottages would ruin it too!
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POPSBaby Bush to run? Oh God, no! I mean, sure, Jeb is 10X more competent than his big brother, but COME ON! Don't even joke about it! How about this: if the Democrats promise not to nominate Hillary, can the Republicans promise not to run Jeb? That way we could get rid of all of the nepotism at once.
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