Processed 2015 Mexican Intercensus commute microdata with measures of urban area transportation s... more Processed 2015 Mexican Intercensus commute microdata with measures of urban area transportation supply and urban form
We examine pervasive opposition to building market-rate housing and relate it to localism: a pers... more We examine pervasive opposition to building market-rate housing and relate it to localism: a perspective that grants moral authority to incumbent residents. We argue that localism has become prevalent in housing planning in the United States and that its seeming equality—allowing all communities the right to define themselves—conceals profound imbalances that favor the affluent. We use survey data from California to measure localism, using opposition to state land use preemption as a proxy. We find that localism is concentrated among white, affluent homeowners. This suggests that localist beliefs are less prevalent in the population than they are in planning practice.
The State of California seeks to increase housing production by regulating the number of homes lo... more The State of California seeks to increase housing production by regulating the number of homes local zoning allows, yet the market feasibility of delivering units under more expansive zoning is rarely acknowledged and mostly unanalyzed. New guidelines from the Department of Housing and Community Development emphasize the need to assess realistic capacity of sites, including the feasibility of new housing development during the upcoming planning period. One statewide policy push is to allow three- and fourplexes in single-family zones. To assess the impact of this zoning change, we analyze the market feasibility of homebuilding under fourplex zoning on the 6.8 million parcels with single-family homes built in California prior to 2005
Author(s): Elmendorf, Christopher S.; Biber, Eric; Monkkonen, Paavo; O’Neill, Moira | Abstract: C... more Author(s): Elmendorf, Christopher S.; Biber, Eric; Monkkonen, Paavo; O’Neill, Moira | Abstract: City councils are on the front lines of California’s housing crisis. But local lawmakers who understand that California needs to accommodate a lot more housing are stuck in a political bind. Wherever they might put new housing, neighborhood groups spring up and oppose it. The same groups will have money to spend or voters to turn out at the next election. What’s a well-meaning city councilperson to do? Our answer: California’s “housing element” process provides a way forward. California requires cities to periodically adopt a state-approved plan, called a housing element, which accommodates the city’s share of regional housing need. These plans are reviewed and certified for compliance by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Cities across the state will adopt new housing elements between 2020 and 2022, guiding development for the next eight years. This process hasn’t always worked well in the past, but the legislature and HCD have recently strengthened the framework. There are now substantial political advantages for city officials to pursue pro-housing policies through their housing element, rather than through the normal municipal lawmaking channels.
Since 1980, California has had an ambitious planning framework on the books to make local governm... more Since 1980, California has had an ambitious planning framework on the books to make local governments accommodate their fair share of “regional housing need” “for all income levels.” The framework relied, however, on a rickety and complicated conveyor belt for converting regional housing targets into actual production. Superintending the conveyor belt was an administrative entity, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), whose rules had no legal effect, and whose judgments about the adequacy of a local government’s housing plan received virtually no deference from the courts. This paper contends that HCD’s position has been fundamentally transformed by a series of individually modest but complementary bills enacted from 2017-2019. HCD now has authority to strengthen, simplify, and supplement the conveyor belt in ways that would have been (legally speaking) unimaginable just a few years ago. We argue (1) that HCD may adopt the “expected yield” definition of site capacity, which would more than the double the amount of zoned capacity that local governments must provide; (2) that HCD may promulgate metrics and standards for whether the supply of housing within a local government’s territory is substantially constrained; and (3) that HCD may insist, as a condition of housing-plan approval, that poorly performing local governments adopt major, substantive reforms to local development processes, regulations, and fees. Though it’s doubtful that the department could mandate particular constraint-mitigation measures, such as ministerial permitting, the department could incentive their adoption by announcing compliance safe harbors. Our objective in this paper is to lay the legal foundation for such departmental initiatives, not to say how they should be carried out. In future work, we plan to offer more concrete policy recommendations, and to relate our recommendations to evidence of local-government and HCD practice in the writing and reviewing of housing plans.
International organisations increasingly encourage land regularisation programmes as a component ... more International organisations increasingly encourage land regularisation programmes as a component of urban policy in developing countries, yet research on the mechanisms of these programmes is limited. This paper examines the land regularisation system in Tijuana, Mexico, which has had limited success after several decades of operation. A theoretical model of the demand for land regularisation in urban areas is developed based on models of demand for registration of agricultural land. A unique combination of census and administrative data on informally developed neighbourhoods in Tijuana is used to test the model empirically. Results are mostly consistent with theory. One of the central predictions, however—that more valuable land will have a higher rate of regularisation—is rejected. When considered alongside the incentives to regularise land, this result suggests that the land regularisation system is not well structured to encourage land market efficiency or the upgrading of low-i...
Much has been written about what is perhaps the largest and most important city built entirely in... more Much has been written about what is perhaps the largest and most important city built entirely in the 20th century. By some, Brasília is seen as the epitome of modernism's failure and, by others, simply an example of an overregulated city unable to cope with rapid urbanisation and population growth. This paper argues that Brasília is not a typical case. The spatial structure of the metropolitan region of Brasília is completely different from comparable regions in Brazil and its land market exhibits several distinct patterns. Furthermore, it is argued that the region's unique origin and restrictive urban land development policies have led to the current sprawling form of the region. It is concluded that the urban form of Brasília is detrimental to the quality of life of its residents as it leads to higher housing and transport costs.
Gaining access to housing that provides adequate shelter and physical safety is one of the greate... more Gaining access to housing that provides adequate shelter and physical safety is one of the greatest challenges confronting the urban poor. Most poor people live in informal housing, often located in marginal areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters and poorly served by public services or utilities. This chapter looks at how the poor obtain shelter and what this implies in terms of their living conditions. It then discusses what can be done to improve the often dismal living conditions of the urban poor through housing and land policies, infrastructure reform, and disaster manage-ment interventions. How Do the Poor Access Shelter? The poor are typically homeowners with insecure tenure who improve their houses over time. Access to services is relatively high, although poor quality and informal coverage cause serious environmental risks. The poor quality of housing and infrastructure, combined with the fact that informal settlements are often located in risky locations, im-plies ...
Processed 2015 Mexican Intercensus commute microdata with measures of urban area transportation s... more Processed 2015 Mexican Intercensus commute microdata with measures of urban area transportation supply and urban form
We examine pervasive opposition to building market-rate housing and relate it to localism: a pers... more We examine pervasive opposition to building market-rate housing and relate it to localism: a perspective that grants moral authority to incumbent residents. We argue that localism has become prevalent in housing planning in the United States and that its seeming equality—allowing all communities the right to define themselves—conceals profound imbalances that favor the affluent. We use survey data from California to measure localism, using opposition to state land use preemption as a proxy. We find that localism is concentrated among white, affluent homeowners. This suggests that localist beliefs are less prevalent in the population than they are in planning practice.
The State of California seeks to increase housing production by regulating the number of homes lo... more The State of California seeks to increase housing production by regulating the number of homes local zoning allows, yet the market feasibility of delivering units under more expansive zoning is rarely acknowledged and mostly unanalyzed. New guidelines from the Department of Housing and Community Development emphasize the need to assess realistic capacity of sites, including the feasibility of new housing development during the upcoming planning period. One statewide policy push is to allow three- and fourplexes in single-family zones. To assess the impact of this zoning change, we analyze the market feasibility of homebuilding under fourplex zoning on the 6.8 million parcels with single-family homes built in California prior to 2005
Author(s): Elmendorf, Christopher S.; Biber, Eric; Monkkonen, Paavo; O’Neill, Moira | Abstract: C... more Author(s): Elmendorf, Christopher S.; Biber, Eric; Monkkonen, Paavo; O’Neill, Moira | Abstract: City councils are on the front lines of California’s housing crisis. But local lawmakers who understand that California needs to accommodate a lot more housing are stuck in a political bind. Wherever they might put new housing, neighborhood groups spring up and oppose it. The same groups will have money to spend or voters to turn out at the next election. What’s a well-meaning city councilperson to do? Our answer: California’s “housing element” process provides a way forward. California requires cities to periodically adopt a state-approved plan, called a housing element, which accommodates the city’s share of regional housing need. These plans are reviewed and certified for compliance by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Cities across the state will adopt new housing elements between 2020 and 2022, guiding development for the next eight years. This process hasn’t always worked well in the past, but the legislature and HCD have recently strengthened the framework. There are now substantial political advantages for city officials to pursue pro-housing policies through their housing element, rather than through the normal municipal lawmaking channels.
Since 1980, California has had an ambitious planning framework on the books to make local governm... more Since 1980, California has had an ambitious planning framework on the books to make local governments accommodate their fair share of “regional housing need” “for all income levels.” The framework relied, however, on a rickety and complicated conveyor belt for converting regional housing targets into actual production. Superintending the conveyor belt was an administrative entity, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), whose rules had no legal effect, and whose judgments about the adequacy of a local government’s housing plan received virtually no deference from the courts. This paper contends that HCD’s position has been fundamentally transformed by a series of individually modest but complementary bills enacted from 2017-2019. HCD now has authority to strengthen, simplify, and supplement the conveyor belt in ways that would have been (legally speaking) unimaginable just a few years ago. We argue (1) that HCD may adopt the “expected yield” definition of site capacity, which would more than the double the amount of zoned capacity that local governments must provide; (2) that HCD may promulgate metrics and standards for whether the supply of housing within a local government’s territory is substantially constrained; and (3) that HCD may insist, as a condition of housing-plan approval, that poorly performing local governments adopt major, substantive reforms to local development processes, regulations, and fees. Though it’s doubtful that the department could mandate particular constraint-mitigation measures, such as ministerial permitting, the department could incentive their adoption by announcing compliance safe harbors. Our objective in this paper is to lay the legal foundation for such departmental initiatives, not to say how they should be carried out. In future work, we plan to offer more concrete policy recommendations, and to relate our recommendations to evidence of local-government and HCD practice in the writing and reviewing of housing plans.
International organisations increasingly encourage land regularisation programmes as a component ... more International organisations increasingly encourage land regularisation programmes as a component of urban policy in developing countries, yet research on the mechanisms of these programmes is limited. This paper examines the land regularisation system in Tijuana, Mexico, which has had limited success after several decades of operation. A theoretical model of the demand for land regularisation in urban areas is developed based on models of demand for registration of agricultural land. A unique combination of census and administrative data on informally developed neighbourhoods in Tijuana is used to test the model empirically. Results are mostly consistent with theory. One of the central predictions, however—that more valuable land will have a higher rate of regularisation—is rejected. When considered alongside the incentives to regularise land, this result suggests that the land regularisation system is not well structured to encourage land market efficiency or the upgrading of low-i...
Much has been written about what is perhaps the largest and most important city built entirely in... more Much has been written about what is perhaps the largest and most important city built entirely in the 20th century. By some, Brasília is seen as the epitome of modernism's failure and, by others, simply an example of an overregulated city unable to cope with rapid urbanisation and population growth. This paper argues that Brasília is not a typical case. The spatial structure of the metropolitan region of Brasília is completely different from comparable regions in Brazil and its land market exhibits several distinct patterns. Furthermore, it is argued that the region's unique origin and restrictive urban land development policies have led to the current sprawling form of the region. It is concluded that the urban form of Brasília is detrimental to the quality of life of its residents as it leads to higher housing and transport costs.
Gaining access to housing that provides adequate shelter and physical safety is one of the greate... more Gaining access to housing that provides adequate shelter and physical safety is one of the greatest challenges confronting the urban poor. Most poor people live in informal housing, often located in marginal areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters and poorly served by public services or utilities. This chapter looks at how the poor obtain shelter and what this implies in terms of their living conditions. It then discusses what can be done to improve the often dismal living conditions of the urban poor through housing and land policies, infrastructure reform, and disaster manage-ment interventions. How Do the Poor Access Shelter? The poor are typically homeowners with insecure tenure who improve their houses over time. Access to services is relatively high, although poor quality and informal coverage cause serious environmental risks. The poor quality of housing and infrastructure, combined with the fact that informal settlements are often located in risky locations, im-plies ...
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Papers by Paavo Monkkonen