Mayor Gainey has just announced a zoning reform proposal that will raise your rent. The proposal would make newly constructed apartmentsillegal to build unless 10% of the units were sold at a price below their construction cost. This requirement is so burdensome it will reduce the amount of new housing that gets built. The reduced
Tag: Zoning
Yes Frick’n Way: Responding to Critics of New Housing By Frick Park
I previously authored a blog post in favor of the proposed residential development at the site of the former Irish Centre next to Frick Park. Since writing that post, I have heard a number of concerns that people have about the development. This follow-up post addresses some of them. Traffic Concerns are Overblown The biggest
What can be done about the Bus Driver Shortage?
There is a nationwide bus driver shortage. The Port Authority is actively hiring new drivers. If any readers know of someone who might be interested, job details can be found here. It is not only bus drivers that are in short supply, the economy is at full employment for the first time in decades. There
The Busway Extension that Port Authority Should Build
Should the east busway be extended to McKeesport or Monroeville? And what level of investment is justified?
How Pittsburgh Bans People who want to from Living Together
Pittsburgh prohibits more than three unrelated people from living together. This unjust policy causes major problems.
How Infill Development Benefits Transit Riders
When a development is proposed in Pittsburgh that will increase building space, neighbors often object. Sometimes they are able to get the project cancelled entirely, other times they obtain costly concessions that deter developers from even proposing similar projects in other areas. One reason they are successful is that the benefits of infill development to
Should the Port Authority Fund Park-in-Ride Garages?
The Port Authority is redeveloping the park-in-ride serving the West Busway at Carnegie. The plan includes several good investments, including an expansion of the panhandle trail, storage for bicycles, and electric charging stations for buses. However, a substantial portion of the public funds are going to a bad investment, parking spaces for cars. Several transit
The Pittsburgh Zoning Code makes Life Difficult for People without a Car. That Needs to Change.
There are only a handful of Pittsburgh neighborhoods that have both the quality transit and walkability that make it convenient to live without a car. These include places like much of Squirrel Hill and Shadyside, as well as the parts of East Liberty near the busway station. These places tend to have higher housing costs
How the Pittsburgh Zoning Code Makes Housing more Expensive
For the first six years of our marriage, my wife and I owned a two bedroom condominium in a ten story building in Squirrel Hill. We loved our condo, and it was so convenient not having to mow a lawn, shovel a driveway, or worry about exterior building maintenance. Since the condo didn’t have stairs,