Mott Smith
@mottsmith.bsky.social
Co-Founder of Amped Kitchens (http://ampedkitchens.com). Board Chair, Council of Infill Builders. Vice Chair, LA City Small Business Comm. Adjunct prof of Real Estate Dev, USC's Price School. Personal account. Posts are solely mine. Follow ≠ endorsement.
Reposted by Mott Smith
This is a dialogue re Measure ULA with Joan Ling, former executive director for Community Corporation of Santa Monica (a nonprofit housing developer) and a staff attorney for Public Counsel.
www.planningreport.com/2025/09/18/r...
www.planningreport.com/2025/09/18/r...
Real Property Transfer Tax and Measure ULA: Sorting Fact from Fiction | The Planning Report
The Planning Report is the insider's guide to urban planning and infrastructure in Southern California
www.planningreport.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:26 PM
This is a dialogue re Measure ULA with Joan Ling, former executive director for Community Corporation of Santa Monica (a nonprofit housing developer) and a staff attorney for Public Counsel.
www.planningreport.com/2025/09/18/r...
www.planningreport.com/2025/09/18/r...
The coalition behind Measure ULA just released a report attacking UCLA research on the tax. They’re claiming it “debunks” the research. It doesn’t even come close.
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September 8, 2025 at 1:20 AM
The coalition behind Measure ULA just released a report attacking UCLA research on the tax. They’re claiming it “debunks” the research. It doesn’t even come close.
🧵
🧵
Is @citylosangeles going to be ready for the Olympics? Spoke w/ a colleague at the LA County Dept of Public Health today. They said they were expecting a crush of applications for new restaurants, hotels and bars to be open by 2028. Instead, apps are down.
June 18, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Is @citylosangeles going to be ready for the Olympics? Spoke w/ a colleague at the LA County Dept of Public Health today. They said they were expecting a crush of applications for new restaurants, hotels and bars to be open by 2028. Instead, apps are down.
Reposted by Mott Smith
I think we should spend less time worrying about how affordable brand new homes are and more time worrying about how affordable existing older homes are.
May 17, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I think we should spend less time worrying about how affordable brand new homes are and more time worrying about how affordable existing older homes are.
For those curious how steep transfer taxes like L.A.'s Measure ULA and Santa Monica's Measure GS impact permitting, look at what happened in Santa Monica after Measure GS was enacted in 2023.
2023: 593 units permitted
2024: 30 units permitted
Poorly designed transfer taxes kill housing.
2023: 593 units permitted
2024: 30 units permitted
Poorly designed transfer taxes kill housing.
April 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
For those curious how steep transfer taxes like L.A.'s Measure ULA and Santa Monica's Measure GS impact permitting, look at what happened in Santa Monica after Measure GS was enacted in 2023.
2023: 593 units permitted
2024: 30 units permitted
Poorly designed transfer taxes kill housing.
2023: 593 units permitted
2024: 30 units permitted
Poorly designed transfer taxes kill housing.
Reposted by Mott Smith
Today the @uclalewiscenter.bsky.social published our analysis on Measure ULA's effect on multifamily housing production in Los Angeles — a report that has been more than a year in the making for me and my coauthor Jason Ward at RAND. A thread on our findings below. www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/tax...
Taxing Tomorrow: Measure ULA's Impact on Multifamily Housing Production and Potential Reforms
This research links Measure ULA to an 18% drop in multifamily housing production in Los Angeles, estimating 1,900+ fewer units annually since its implementation.
www.lewis.ucla.edu
April 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Today the @uclalewiscenter.bsky.social published our analysis on Measure ULA's effect on multifamily housing production in Los Angeles — a report that has been more than a year in the making for me and my coauthor Jason Ward at RAND. A thread on our findings below. www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/tax...
Some context on the claims in this quote aboute Measure ULA:
- 9 projects have received ULA funds. Only 4 are under construction -- all started a year before ULA was in effect.
- The dip in sales has been persistent, even after the court challenges to ULA were lost
- 9 projects have received ULA funds. Only 4 are under construction -- all started a year before ULA was in effect.
- The dip in sales has been persistent, even after the court challenges to ULA were lost
April 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Some context on the claims in this quote aboute Measure ULA:
- 9 projects have received ULA funds. Only 4 are under construction -- all started a year before ULA was in effect.
- The dip in sales has been persistent, even after the court challenges to ULA were lost
- 9 projects have received ULA funds. Only 4 are under construction -- all started a year before ULA was in effect.
- The dip in sales has been persistent, even after the court challenges to ULA were lost
UCLA report claims the ‘mansion tax’ stifles commercial development in L.A.
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
UCLA report claims the 'mansion tax' stifles commercial development in L.A.
Two years into Measure ULA, a new report claims that the tax is hurting commercial development and causing the city to lose $25 million in annual property tax revenue.
www.latimes.com
April 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
UCLA report claims the ‘mansion tax’ stifles commercial development in L.A.
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by Mott Smith
Measure ULA hasn’t raised nearly as much money for affordable housing as expected, so what happened and how do we make it better?
@shanedphillips.bsky.social and @mottsmith.bsky.social discuss during an April 10 ULI event.
🎟️RSVP now!
la.uli.org/events/de...
@shanedphillips.bsky.social and @mottsmith.bsky.social discuss during an April 10 ULI event.
🎟️RSVP now!
la.uli.org/events/de...
April 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Measure ULA hasn’t raised nearly as much money for affordable housing as expected, so what happened and how do we make it better?
@shanedphillips.bsky.social and @mottsmith.bsky.social discuss during an April 10 ULI event.
🎟️RSVP now!
la.uli.org/events/de...
@shanedphillips.bsky.social and @mottsmith.bsky.social discuss during an April 10 ULI event.
🎟️RSVP now!
la.uli.org/events/de...
Reposted by Mott Smith
Measure ULA was supposed to raise at least $600m annually for affordable housing. It has raised less than half that.
Michael Manville and @mottsmith.bsky.social explain where the so-called “Mansion Tax” may have failed, and propose recommendations to fix it.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/r...
Michael Manville and @mottsmith.bsky.social explain where the so-called “Mansion Tax” may have failed, and propose recommendations to fix it.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/r...
The Unintended Consequences of Measure ULA - UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
This report analyzes Measure ULA, a real estate transfer tax approved by L.A. voters in 2022. The analysis reveals reduced high-end real estate transactions, particularly non-single family properties, potentially hindering housing production, revitalization, and property tax revenue in Los Angeles.
www.lewis.ucla.edu
April 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Measure ULA was supposed to raise at least $600m annually for affordable housing. It has raised less than half that.
Michael Manville and @mottsmith.bsky.social explain where the so-called “Mansion Tax” may have failed, and propose recommendations to fix it.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/r...
Michael Manville and @mottsmith.bsky.social explain where the so-called “Mansion Tax” may have failed, and propose recommendations to fix it.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/r...
LA’s Measure ULA passed with good intentions: tax high-value property sales to help low-income renters.
But the early evidence is sobering: transactions have collapsed, revenues have fallen far short, and housing projects are harder to build.
But the early evidence is sobering: transactions have collapsed, revenues have fallen far short, and housing projects are harder to build.
April 2, 2025 at 5:49 AM
LA’s Measure ULA passed with good intentions: tax high-value property sales to help low-income renters.
But the early evidence is sobering: transactions have collapsed, revenues have fallen far short, and housing projects are harder to build.
But the early evidence is sobering: transactions have collapsed, revenues have fallen far short, and housing projects are harder to build.
Reposted by Mott Smith
What will it to take to rebuild after the #wildfires? Money, yes, but also a new City Hall approach to permits. Important, says
@mottsmith.bsky.social, is to "consciously change our city culture from a culture of ‘no’ to a culture of ‘yes.'” More for @lamag.bsky.social. lamag.com/news/build-b...
@mottsmith.bsky.social, is to "consciously change our city culture from a culture of ‘no’ to a culture of ‘yes.'” More for @lamag.bsky.social. lamag.com/news/build-b...
Build, Baby, Build
How to Replace Thousands of Lost Homes – and Speed Up L.A.’s Slow Permitting Process
lamag.com
February 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
What will it to take to rebuild after the #wildfires? Money, yes, but also a new City Hall approach to permits. Important, says
@mottsmith.bsky.social, is to "consciously change our city culture from a culture of ‘no’ to a culture of ‘yes.'” More for @lamag.bsky.social. lamag.com/news/build-b...
@mottsmith.bsky.social, is to "consciously change our city culture from a culture of ‘no’ to a culture of ‘yes.'” More for @lamag.bsky.social. lamag.com/news/build-b...
Want to streamline building permits in fire-ravaged L.A.?
If we do nothing else, we should do this.
Offer architect/engineer self-certification for single family and small commercial building permits
If we do nothing else, we should do this.
Offer architect/engineer self-certification for single family and small commercial building permits
January 13, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Want to streamline building permits in fire-ravaged L.A.?
If we do nothing else, we should do this.
Offer architect/engineer self-certification for single family and small commercial building permits
If we do nothing else, we should do this.
Offer architect/engineer self-certification for single family and small commercial building permits
Someone on Bluesky is impersonating me. Please report this to the moderators if you have a moment.
December 22, 2024 at 4:26 AM
Someone on Bluesky is impersonating me. Please report this to the moderators if you have a moment.
I'm good at a lot of stuff. But one thing I am not good at is scheduling meetings using my phone calendar while flying over new time zones.
December 13, 2024 at 3:38 PM
I'm good at a lot of stuff. But one thing I am not good at is scheduling meetings using my phone calendar while flying over new time zones.
Is Google trying to tell me something?
December 6, 2024 at 10:07 PM
Is Google trying to tell me something?
Reposted by Mott Smith
WTF:
There is higher frequency of bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto than on any Metro subway or light rail line in Los Angeles
There is higher frequency of bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto than on any Metro subway or light rail line in Los Angeles
December 5, 2024 at 11:46 PM
WTF:
There is higher frequency of bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto than on any Metro subway or light rail line in Los Angeles
There is higher frequency of bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto than on any Metro subway or light rail line in Los Angeles
Reposted by Mott Smith
Who's done the best writing and research on California's dearth of condos near jobs? I'm looking for articles by reasonably neutral parties, like journalists or academics without financial ties to either side of the debates between builders & attorneys.
1/ Let’s talk about condominiums.
I was at a housing conference and heard the mayor of Long Beach, CA speak about the lack of condos in California. There are more condos under construction within the city of Miami, FL (not even including Miami Beach) than in the entire state of California. Why?
I was at a housing conference and heard the mayor of Long Beach, CA speak about the lack of condos in California. There are more condos under construction within the city of Miami, FL (not even including Miami Beach) than in the entire state of California. Why?
December 5, 2024 at 6:50 PM
Who's done the best writing and research on California's dearth of condos near jobs? I'm looking for articles by reasonably neutral parties, like journalists or academics without financial ties to either side of the debates between builders & attorneys.
Reposted by Mott Smith
California Asm. Ward has introduced a bill to ask the state to study allowing buildings up to 10 units in the IRC (these keep getting more ambitious…), and also to study cost drivers in multifamily codes and standards generally leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNa...
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
December 4, 2024 at 8:15 PM
California Asm. Ward has introduced a bill to ask the state to study allowing buildings up to 10 units in the IRC (these keep getting more ambitious…), and also to study cost drivers in multifamily codes and standards generally leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNa...
Reposted by Mott Smith
Something that you find among a lot of building code reformers and few code insiders: foreign language skills and a lot of interest and experience in other countries
you want to see a bit of single stair history?
this project was the first time i ever worked on, or realized, a multifamily project could only have one stair.
freiburg. 2003-4
www.wuestenrot-stiftung.de/wp-content/u...
this project was the first time i ever worked on, or realized, a multifamily project could only have one stair.
freiburg. 2003-4
www.wuestenrot-stiftung.de/wp-content/u...
December 4, 2024 at 12:44 AM
Something that you find among a lot of building code reformers and few code insiders: foreign language skills and a lot of interest and experience in other countries
The UPS person made my day today.
November 30, 2024 at 9:18 PM
The UPS person made my day today.
Reposted by Mott Smith
ULA is poorly designed - just what you’d expect from performative activists who think trying to understand policy makes you a neoliberal tool. A knock-on effect is reduction of assessment resets which only happen upon sales under Prop 13, so it’s possible the net revenue effect of ULA is negative.
Measure ULA has devastated sales of properties >$5 million since it took effect in 4/23. Average quarterly sales volume has dropped by 70%. (orange line)
How do we know it's b/c of ULA? By looking at properties NOT subject to ULA (<$5mm or outside city of LA). Those sales have gone up.
How do we know it's b/c of ULA? By looking at properties NOT subject to ULA (<$5mm or outside city of LA). Those sales have gone up.
November 27, 2024 at 6:03 PM
ULA is poorly designed - just what you’d expect from performative activists who think trying to understand policy makes you a neoliberal tool. A knock-on effect is reduction of assessment resets which only happen upon sales under Prop 13, so it’s possible the net revenue effect of ULA is negative.
New Measure ULA data drop!
Just got all LA County transactions above $1 million, back to 1/1/2020 -- about 160,000 data points.
It lets us compare what happened in LA under Measure ULA to Culver City under its Measure RE transfer tax.
The difference is staggering.
Just got all LA County transactions above $1 million, back to 1/1/2020 -- about 160,000 data points.
It lets us compare what happened in LA under Measure ULA to Culver City under its Measure RE transfer tax.
The difference is staggering.
November 27, 2024 at 4:19 PM
New Measure ULA data drop!
Just got all LA County transactions above $1 million, back to 1/1/2020 -- about 160,000 data points.
It lets us compare what happened in LA under Measure ULA to Culver City under its Measure RE transfer tax.
The difference is staggering.
Just got all LA County transactions above $1 million, back to 1/1/2020 -- about 160,000 data points.
It lets us compare what happened in LA under Measure ULA to Culver City under its Measure RE transfer tax.
The difference is staggering.
I just learned about something called polyvagal theory. It posits that our level of physiological arousal as regulated by the vagus nerve -- calm, fight-or-flight, etc. --drives how we feel, perceive events and relate to others.
In other words, what happens in the vagus doesn't stay in the vagus.
In other words, what happens in the vagus doesn't stay in the vagus.
November 25, 2024 at 12:22 AM
I just learned about something called polyvagal theory. It posits that our level of physiological arousal as regulated by the vagus nerve -- calm, fight-or-flight, etc. --drives how we feel, perceive events and relate to others.
In other words, what happens in the vagus doesn't stay in the vagus.
In other words, what happens in the vagus doesn't stay in the vagus.