Urban planning academical egghead. Former housing developer. Husband and dad. YEG-NH-DEN-Cambridge (MA)-SF/OAK-AUS
Austin
Joined January 2012
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Rigid bollards in Edmonton, Alberta. A simple way of keeping people on foot from getting crushed to death by errant cars on a busy road. Why exactly don't we do this in Austin?!
I spent years being frustrated at how hard it was to safely cross Lamar from the Triangle. And now it's been fixed! Dozens of small changes like this plus the explosion of e-bikes could transform how people get around Austin.
THREAD: City Council’s proposed compromise to allow more housing on the corridors makes me want to tear (what’s left of) my hair out. 1/X austinmonitor.com/stories/20…
Best journalistic treatment of "valid petitions" in Austin I've yet seen. With some great big-picture quotes from @ConnollyJoao and @DanKeshet bloomberg.com/news/features/…
So I just pulled ZHVI data from Zillow on home prices for 902 US metros, comparing right now to Feb 2020. Austin is the NUMBER TWO metro, with a 65% (!!) increase. #1 is tiny (Kalispell, +74%). The runnerup large metro is Phoenix (+52%). Jaw. On. Floor.
Even though we're months away from Halloween, I still talked about ghost dwellings with @ShaneDPhillips and @MichaelManvill6 on the UCLA Housing Voice podcast.lewis.ucla.edu/2022/01/19/ep…
In case you're wondering what Austin's current Land Development Code (1984) did to missing middle development--it kneecapped it. (Graphic from @courtney_banker)
So humid out this morning that there's a film of combined pollen and condensation on the window. You do not love to see it.
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I think a *lot* of people in this country would like to live in or near a suburban downtown that looks like these pictures of Redmond. There is absolutely zero reason why all suburbs have to continue to be what we think of as "suburban."
I’ve been exploring the east side and it’s not the giant sprawling suburban office park I thought it was. There are things that Seattle could learn. Here’s some pics from downtown Redmond.
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@gboeing Maybe this is more like it.
From @JackCraver's newsletter. The "valid petition" law in TX has just blown my mind since I learned about it a few years ago. California, the world capital of NIMBYism, has nothing remotely similar. So much for TX being the land of unrestrained private property rights. 1/2
PSA: My wife is volunteering at Gregory Gym's mass vaccination site today on the UT campus. They are doing WALK UP appointments today from 10-12 and 1-3! Free parking at Brazos Garage (or park a bike at the front door). You don't have to be UT affiliated to get a shot.
How am I supposed to be productive this afternoon now that I know that this place exists?
Curry Boys BBQ in San Antonio marries the velvety, rich flavors of spicy curry with the salt and smoke of barbecued meats. House-made pickles and chili oil add an extra punch.
texasmonthly.com/bbq/curry-b…
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Great closing quote from @joahspearman in one of those Bay Area-vs-Austin pieces of journalism I just can't resist lapping up. sfgate.com/tech/article/tech…
What an absolute master class in clear and effective communication with the general public. Her video is smart and nuanced and informed by research but avoids jargon and makes it clear why the average Harris County resident should care about I-45.
If I squint I can see @HarrisCoJudge starting a statewide shakeup in how these urban freeway megaprojects get framed and designed and I am 110% here for it. I can also see a smart, young, ambitious political leader who thinks about life in the year 2050 rather than 1950.
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A moving thread, well worth a read. To me, Prop B just seems flat-out mean. If you think that having to look at homeless encampments when you drive to work is a big problem, imagine having no other choice but to live in one--in a pandemic no less.
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From @JackCraver's newsletter.
We're lucky to have @NatashaD1atx on Council, consistently being brave and speaking the hard truths that need to be spoken.
