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https://twitter.com/andrewdouglass/status/1407697791732887559
Dense places can tend to be expensive; even if the price of housing approaches the marginal cost of constructing a new story, that rises with height, and the lumpiness of replacing tall buildings with taller buildings.
But the current expensiveness of US cities is pathological, not normal. Just 19 years ago I was paying $1000 for a 600-ish square foot 1BR in San Francisco, that probably goes for $3500 now. And I thought that $1000 was expensive compared to my $500 room back in Pasadena before that, a room that probably goes for $1000 now. Doubling and tripling in price like this is not something normal to shrug at as "well, density."
Just two years ago I was paying $1000 for a 400 square foot *house* in Osaka, as a *short term rental*, and the density and urban amenities of Osaka far exceed San Francisco, apart from the climate. Tokyo in particular has seen stable housing prices despite increasing population (Japan may be decreasing, but there's flow toward Tokyo.)
What's the difference? Zoning, largely. Policy that *could* be solved in a few broad strokes by a state legislature, though it would take some time for the effects to work out in the housing market.
Japanese zoning: http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html?m=1
Japanese housing: https://www.sightline.org/2021/03/25/yes-other-countries-do-housing-better-case-1-japan/
German housing: https://www.sightline.org/2021/05/27/yes-other-countries-do-housing-better-case-2-germany/
Dense places can tend to be expensive; even if the price of housing approaches the marginal cost of constructing a new story, that rises with height, and the lumpiness of replacing tall buildings with taller buildings.
But the current expensiveness of US cities is pathological, not normal. Just 19 years ago I was paying $1000 for a 600-ish square foot 1BR in San Francisco, that probably goes for $3500 now. And I thought that $1000 was expensive compared to my $500 room back in Pasadena before that, a room that probably goes for $1000 now. Doubling and tripling in price like this is not something normal to shrug at as "well, density."
Just two years ago I was paying $1000 for a 400 square foot *house* in Osaka, as a *short term rental*, and the density and urban amenities of Osaka far exceed San Francisco, apart from the climate. Tokyo in particular has seen stable housing prices despite increasing population (Japan may be decreasing, but there's flow toward Tokyo.)
What's the difference? Zoning, largely. Policy that *could* be solved in a few broad strokes by a state legislature, though it would take some time for the effects to work out in the housing market.
Japanese zoning: http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html?m=1
Japanese housing: https://www.sightline.org/2021/03/25/yes-other-countries-do-housing-better-case-1-japan/
German housing: https://www.sightline.org/2021/05/27/yes-other-countries-do-housing-better-case-2-germany/