It was a great tour! The other thing I should point out is that relaxing land use restrictions is win-win. For renters and first-time homebuyers, it makes higher-density housing (apartments) cheaper, because there's more of them. But for long-time homeowners, it also makes lower-density housing (single-detached houses) more valuable, because the land can be redeveloped. Empirical evidence from Auckland's land use reforms in 2016: https://morehousing.ca/win-win
The big constraint is that we tend to be small-c conservative. Nearly every referendum and plebisicite held in Canada in the last 150 years has failed. If we have a mini-referendum every time someone wants to replace a single-detached house with an apartment building, naturally people will say no. So I always emphasize the importance of incrementalism: let's aim for the "next level up" (gentle density in residential neighbourhoods, mid-rise buildings near local shopping areas, high-rises near SkyTrain stations).
Honestly not sure what the pitch should be for the UEL. Maybe say that Area A, B, and C should have the same land-use rules as Area D.
This is new information to me 😳
It was a great tour! The other thing I should point out is that relaxing land use restrictions is win-win. For renters and first-time homebuyers, it makes higher-density housing (apartments) cheaper, because there's more of them. But for long-time homeowners, it also makes lower-density housing (single-detached houses) more valuable, because the land can be redeveloped. Empirical evidence from Auckland's land use reforms in 2016: https://morehousing.ca/win-win
The big constraint is that we tend to be small-c conservative. Nearly every referendum and plebisicite held in Canada in the last 150 years has failed. If we have a mini-referendum every time someone wants to replace a single-detached house with an apartment building, naturally people will say no. So I always emphasize the importance of incrementalism: let's aim for the "next level up" (gentle density in residential neighbourhoods, mid-rise buildings near local shopping areas, high-rises near SkyTrain stations).
Honestly not sure what the pitch should be for the UEL. Maybe say that Area A, B, and C should have the same land-use rules as Area D.