matty_prasad
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urbanmatt.bsky.social
matty_prasad
@urbanmatt.bsky.social
Practical Urban Designer, imperfect person. Trying to make places better for people one space at a time - opinions are my own.
I'm feeling this page
March 3, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Reposted by matty_prasad
19. Straight. Months.

That’s how long rents have been declining in Austin, Texas.

Behold the power of abundant housing!
After Skyrocketing, Rents in Austin Have Dropped 19 Straight Months
The reason is simple: A boom in apartment construction. Developers are pulling permits at a rate nearly triple that of San Antonio on a per capita basis.
buff.ly
February 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by matty_prasad
1/ How much does Melbourne’s zoning restrict housing supply? We ran the numbers in Boroondara, one of Melbourne’s wealthiest areas, comparing current zoning to 6-storey height limits.

The results? Stark. 🧵 👇
February 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by matty_prasad
Let's be clear about the difference between
1. Big 'A' Affordable housing-where either const cost or rents are SUBSIDIZED by generally public money to be below what the market would bear, and
2. little 'a' affordable housing-where size, type, age makes it LESS EXPENSIVE than average).
December 16, 2024 at 11:41 PM
and just like it's going to be easier to build in Waikato Vs Hamilton. this will create all sorts of urban challenges.
hey @benakl.bsky.social am I right to say that Waikato implemented MDRS for all its major settlements.

with Hamilton opting out of MDRS this may create an interesting urban shift.
December 13, 2024 at 2:47 AM
hey @benakl.bsky.social am I right to say that Waikato implemented MDRS for all its major settlements.

with Hamilton opting out of MDRS this may create an interesting urban shift.
December 12, 2024 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by matty_prasad
Omg! Auckland Council has opposed increased height limits to Sylvia Park under PC78. They have expressed concern that it will ruin people’s view when driving along the motorway. 🤦‍♀️
December 8, 2024 at 3:39 AM
Lol Notre dame cathedral had a devastating fire and is mostly restored, reopening about 5 years later today. Christchurch cathedral. still a pile of ruble.
December 8, 2024 at 6:44 AM
great to see a group set up to tackle the problem but I see a problem already.
December 6, 2024 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by matty_prasad
My latest in Bloomberg CityLab:

Kansas City is a pioneer using microtransit, one of the hottest ideas in public transit.

But KCATA chief Frank White told me microtransit’s costs are astronomical, 10x more than a fixed-route bus. He thinks the hype is overblown.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Kansas City Looks Back on its Long, Costly Ride With Microtransit
Since 2016, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority has offered door-to-door trips from on-demand shuttles. Here’s what the transit operator has learned.
www.bloomberg.com
December 5, 2024 at 1:34 PM
reducing the car dominance and addressing the lack of trees and tree canopy would dramatically improve this.
wow this is bleak
December 3, 2024 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by matty_prasad
So proud of the great work happening in Minneapolis, which shows that boosting housing supply helps make homes more affordable.
December 3, 2024 at 3:02 PM
my hope is we get rid of minimum subdivision and density rules in Aotearoa.

there a clear benefits
December 3, 2024 at 2:26 AM
it's Monday night the city is dead.
December 2, 2024 at 6:48 AM
at the 2050 infrastructure forum about to hear from Chris Bishop and Chris Hipkins looking forward to some interesting stuff hopefully.
December 2, 2024 at 3:01 AM
so this is under the 35m2 minimum studio apartment floor area.
November 30, 2024 at 2:27 AM
this shows a colossal misunderstanding of how biz hire managers. (assuming it is a misunderstanding)

managers are often hired from within & are known to the biz, if not go through several interviews etc.

if a manager is not performing that's on the business to correct if not they are a shite biz
November 28, 2024 at 8:56 PM
individualised rubbish bin collection is not fit for purpose for urban environments.

We need to move to more urban solutions with common collection bins.

These bins are placed in the bike lane. Even if they weren't, the grab arm from the truck would have to reach across the lane. both bad.
November 26, 2024 at 11:15 PM
New site, new content.

Thought I would resurrect something I used to do a while back. Fixing road/intersection/urban layouts for better urban outcomes.

Lets start with the infamous Panmure intersection.

Left is what it looks like today, Right is the original round-a-bout that was replaced

1/4
November 25, 2024 at 3:11 AM
whoa Canada is going to do a temporary (2month) tax relief by removing GST from all groceries, takeouts, beer, wine and other essentials.

that's gonna be expensive.
November 22, 2024 at 3:11 AM
is there an urbanist gang patch, and how do I get one?
November 21, 2024 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by matty_prasad
We need blanket legalization of coffee shops on every corner
November 21, 2024 at 12:24 AM
get in there people. we can't let "silhouettes of parapets in the sunset" derail this again.
November 16, 2024 at 1:32 AM
if I recall correctly the plan change has a height overlay of 32m. this is a super expensive car park.
demolishing properties to place a fucking parking lot instead is absolutely mental
November 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM