Thread by @owasow

”There are people in the town of Princeton with a Black Lives Matter sign & We ❤️ our Muslim neighbors sign but oppose changing zoning policies that require 1.5 acre per house. That means, ‘We love our Muslim neighbors, as long as they're millionaires.’” cnn.com/2020/08/01/us/…

“A growing body of economic literature suggests that anti-growth sentiment, when multiplied across countless unheralded local development battles, is a major factor in creating a stagnant and less equal American economy.” nytimes.com/2016/07/04/bus…

”Studies show laws aimed at things like ‘maintaining neighborhood character’ or limiting how many unrelated people can live together in the same house contribute to racial segregation and deeper class disparities. They also exacerbate inequality.” nytimes.com/2016/07/04/bus…

Percent of residential land zoned for detached single-family homes:
—LA: 75%
—Portland: 77%
—Chicago: 79%
—Seattle: 81%
—Charlotte: 84%
—San Jose: 94%

Compare to:
—NYC: 15%
—Washington: 36%
nytimes.com/interactive/20…

“Economic zoning was in effect exclusionary, accomplishing much of the same results as explicit racial zoning.” nyti.ms/2uoQ2eH

“The creeping web of regulations has smothered wage and GDP growth in cities by a stunning 50% over past 50 years. Without these regulations, US economy today would be 9% bigger — for the average American worker an additional $6,775 in annual income.” nytimes.com/2017/09/06/opi…

“Single-family zoning in Minneapolis, as in other cities, had deep roots in efforts to enforce racial segregation. Cities found that banning apartment construction in white neighborhoods was an effective proxy for racial discrimination,” nytimes.com/2019/06/15/opi…

How did Minneapolis enact zoning reform when CA failed? In this excellent episode of #GimmeShelter, Lisa Bender, president of the Minneapolis City Council, shares how folks concerned about the environment, racial justice & growth built a winning coalition. player.fm/series/gimme-s…