Zoning

Matt Yglesias discusses how zoning can work against a vibrant urban environment. I think this is one of those cases where a thinking person should be able to look at the rhetoric in support of certain policies, contrast that with the undeniable reality of their effects, and infer that the true motivations are something else. Zoning regulations have been recognized as a destructive force for decades, and the fact that they persist, and that well-connected developers continue to pocket piles of public money because of them, might suggest that the people who maintain them are perhaps not interested in urban vibrancy at all.

Not really related, but Harper's has publicly posted their article on "The next bubble." It's supposed to be a warning against buying into whatever mania takes the place of real estate, but my take-away is to invest in green technologies right now, then cash out in five years and buy a cheap-ass house. Can't fail.