M. Nolan Gray 🥑
@mnolangray.bsky.social
the once and future city planner // senior legislative director for california YIMBY // proud kentuckian // #BBN // buy my book ❤
Pinned
M. Nolan Gray 🥑
@mnolangray.bsky.social
· Oct 10
Ladies and gentlemen, we did it. SB 79 has been signed.
Reposted by M. Nolan Gray 🥑
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Cuando se ha aprobó esta medida dije repetidamente que iba a ser un fracaso y que no construirían nada de vivienda asequible. Se ha probado en mil sitios y no funciona.
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
La reserva del 30% solo ha generado 31 nuevas viviendas protegidas en siete años en Barcelona
Otros 123 pisos disponen de licencia ya aprobada, mientras los gremios afectados reclaman un marco legal estable para poder despertar al sector de su letargo
www.lavanguardia.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Reposted by M. Nolan Gray 🥑
A single person making $82,000 a year should not need a subsidized apartment. A family making $117,000 should be able to buy a home.
We need to build more homes until median rent is less than 30% of median monthly income and median home prices are less than 4x median annual income.
We need to build more homes until median rent is less than 30% of median monthly income and median home prices are less than 4x median annual income.
November 11, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A single person making $82,000 a year should not need a subsidized apartment. A family making $117,000 should be able to buy a home.
We need to build more homes until median rent is less than 30% of median monthly income and median home prices are less than 4x median annual income.
We need to build more homes until median rent is less than 30% of median monthly income and median home prices are less than 4x median annual income.
California cities: "No, you can't cap out right to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars in per-unit impact fees, you will bankrupt us!"
Also California cities:
Also California cities:
November 12, 2025 at 6:04 AM
California cities: "No, you can't cap out right to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars in per-unit impact fees, you will bankrupt us!"
Also California cities:
Also California cities:
The background scenes of my life for four years in Palms.
November 12, 2025 at 5:43 AM
The background scenes of my life for four years in Palms.
What should I do/see/eat/walk in Toronto?
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
What should I do/see/eat/walk in Toronto?
Sacramento's annexation history. I wonder if the southern suburbs (Fruitridge Pocket, Lemon Hill, etc) will ever be annexed?
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Sacramento's annexation history. I wonder if the southern suburbs (Fruitridge Pocket, Lemon Hill, etc) will ever be annexed?
If you're ever upset about the state of US land use policy, just spend 30 seconds reading anything about the UK. Automated NIMBYism!
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
AI-powered nimbyism could grind UK planning system to a halt, experts warn
Tools that help people scan applications and find grounds for objection have potential to hit government’s housebuilding plans
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM
If you're ever upset about the state of US land use policy, just spend 30 seconds reading anything about the UK. Automated NIMBYism!
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Happy Veterans Day!
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Happy Veterans Day!
It has its role, but in the present circumstances, resolving affordability by just further expanding access to debt is just really depressing.
November 10, 2025 at 11:49 PM
It has its role, but in the present circumstances, resolving affordability by just further expanding access to debt is just really depressing.
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
November 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
Why is there such a stigma around changing one's accent? People make changes to their style or grooming for similar reasons all the time. Yet when one's accent shifts naturally, it's treated with suspicion, and to actively try to change one's accent is seemingly viewed as outright fraud.
November 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Why is there such a stigma around changing one's accent? People make changes to their style or grooming for similar reasons all the time. Yet when one's accent shifts naturally, it's treated with suspicion, and to actively try to change one's accent is seemingly viewed as outright fraud.
"How Sacramento CAN Grow" (circa 1960)
November 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
"How Sacramento CAN Grow" (circa 1960)
I'm really glad I went to go see Bugonia in a movie theater, and didn't read anything about it in advance.
November 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I'm really glad I went to go see Bugonia in a movie theater, and didn't read anything about it in advance.
I've been negatively polarized against mainstream vexillology, but I will admit that we need to fix this one.
November 7, 2025 at 5:42 AM
I've been negatively polarized against mainstream vexillology, but I will admit that we need to fix this one.
Personality cults are the crabs of human social organization. We just keep endlessly producing them, regardless of the context.
Where is your god now, economists?
Hmm
November 6, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Personality cults are the crabs of human social organization. We just keep endlessly producing them, regardless of the context.
What's the obscure German word for the following? "Getting excited about the prospect of finally getting some work done, only to realize you have even more meetings."
November 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
What's the obscure German word for the following? "Getting excited about the prospect of finally getting some work done, only to realize you have even more meetings."
Across the developed world, big city conservative mayors and council majorities are quite common—except in the US. Why are Republicans are so much less relevant in cities than their peers in every other developed country? My latest:
mnolangray.substack.com/p/why-are-re...
mnolangray.substack.com/p/why-are-re...
Why Are Republicans So Irrelevant In Big City Politics?
A little armchair political science among friends.
mnolangray.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Across the developed world, big city conservative mayors and council majorities are quite common—except in the US. Why are Republicans are so much less relevant in cities than their peers in every other developed country? My latest:
mnolangray.substack.com/p/why-are-re...
mnolangray.substack.com/p/why-are-re...
It basically always just means "whoever called the planner/council member" and/or "whoever showed up at the 10am Tuesday public hearing." That is to say, people not remotely representative of the broader public.
This is a completely random point, but I’ve never really liked the term “members of the public.” It gets used by city planners & city halls a fair bit. I’ve always thought it sounds odd & kinda begs the question “are there some of the public that aren’t members?”
Anyway, I just say “the public.”
Anyway, I just say “the public.”
November 6, 2025 at 7:39 PM
It basically always just means "whoever called the planner/council member" and/or "whoever showed up at the 10am Tuesday public hearing." That is to say, people not remotely representative of the broader public.
It's ridiculous that any cities in California are still charging per-unit fees in the tens-of-thousands of dollars for what are essentially just amenities at a time when overall affordability is the number one issue. Every city should be doing fee holidays. www.svvoice.com/city-defers-...
City Defers Developer Impact Fees In Hopes Of Bolstering Housing Stock
The Santa Clara Council deferred developer impact fees to spur housing development and established a Stadium Neighborhood Relations committee.
www.svvoice.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
It's ridiculous that any cities in California are still charging per-unit fees in the tens-of-thousands of dollars for what are essentially just amenities at a time when overall affordability is the number one issue. Every city should be doing fee holidays. www.svvoice.com/city-defers-...
I like that the proposed demand subsidies in these program would be reserved for purchases of *new* homes. Just juicing demand without stimulating new supply doesn't help with housing affordability.
jewishjournal.com/commentary/o...
jewishjournal.com/commentary/o...
'Home Is Where the Wealth Is': The Restoration of the American Dream
The heart of the Middle-Class Homeownership Act lies in its commitment to reversing the decline in middle-class homeownership rates.
jewishjournal.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:35 PM
I like that the proposed demand subsidies in these program would be reserved for purchases of *new* homes. Just juicing demand without stimulating new supply doesn't help with housing affordability.
jewishjournal.com/commentary/o...
jewishjournal.com/commentary/o...
According to building management, the Samsung washing machine in my two-year old unit had a core component break. Your friendly reminder to just buy a Speed Queen!
November 6, 2025 at 5:58 AM
According to building management, the Samsung washing machine in my two-year old unit had a core component break. Your friendly reminder to just buy a Speed Queen!
If reversing the fertility decline were my thing, I would have this tattooed on my forehead.
November 6, 2025 at 3:46 AM
If reversing the fertility decline were my thing, I would have this tattooed on my forehead.
Google Maps is a more impressive achievement than any given physical wonder of the world, in my opinion.
November 6, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Google Maps is a more impressive achievement than any given physical wonder of the world, in my opinion.
Guyana City, a midsized city in eastern Venezuela that you've never heard of, has a larger population than the entire nation of Guyana.
November 6, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Guyana City, a midsized city in eastern Venezuela that you've never heard of, has a larger population than the entire nation of Guyana.
Remember Severance? That was a good show.
November 6, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Remember Severance? That was a good show.