Payton Chung
@westnorth.com
Card-carrying urbanist since 1998; housing developer, author, museum docent, board member, single-issue #climate voter. Opine solely for myself. Ex-CHI, BOS, RDU 🚄🚋🚴♂️🌇🏗️🚰🏳️🌈
Words @ggwash.org @citybuilder.bsky.social
Words @ggwash.org @citybuilder.bsky.social
Pinned
Payton Chung
@westnorth.com
· Nov 22
www.fastcompany.com
👋 new followers! #GreatestHits from the Other Site to get acquainted.
A 3750 sq. ft. McMansion is legal just about everywhere in America. But the exact same lot, with the exact same number of residential square feet, divided into eight tiny houses? No!
www.fastcompany.com/90348777/thi...
A 3750 sq. ft. McMansion is legal just about everywhere in America. But the exact same lot, with the exact same number of residential square feet, divided into eight tiny houses? No!
www.fastcompany.com/90348777/thi...
Reposted by Payton Chung
GGWash Picks 2025: This year, Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the DC Council for $856 million in public funds to subsidize a new Commanders stadium. We think the real price paid by taxpayers will be more like…$6 billion.
GGWash Picks 2025: A Commanders stadium at RFK will actually cost taxpayers $6 billion
View this post on ggwash.org
ggwash.org
December 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
GGWash Picks 2025: This year, Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the DC Council for $856 million in public funds to subsidize a new Commanders stadium. We think the real price paid by taxpayers will be more like…$6 billion.
Reposted by Payton Chung
GGWash Picks 2025: Making it easier to build more, smaller houses would bring down home prices and help bring back the starter home. Here's how.
GGWash Picks 2025: How re-legalizing starter homes cuts new house prices
View this post on ggwash.org
ggwash.org
December 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
GGWash Picks 2025: Making it easier to build more, smaller houses would bring down home prices and help bring back the starter home. Here's how.
Reposted by Payton Chung
"I love living in a city, but I hate dealing with other people. I shouldn’t be subject to the whims of my neighbors, something I constantly scream at them during city council meetings." #McSweeneysTop25of2025
The Problem with My City Is That It’s a City
Our 23rd most-read article of 2025. - - -I’ve lived in this city for decades, but I’m noticing more and more problems. There’s crowding, congestio...
buff.ly
December 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
"I love living in a city, but I hate dealing with other people. I shouldn’t be subject to the whims of my neighbors, something I constantly scream at them during city council meetings." #McSweeneysTop25of2025
Reposted by Payton Chung
Check out this Boston triple-decker from @landwatch.bsky.social at our @bendyimby.bsky.social gingerbread contest!
December 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Check out this Boston triple-decker from @landwatch.bsky.social at our @bendyimby.bsky.social gingerbread contest!
Reposted by Payton Chung
I've been looking through old state transit reports recently, and was astounded at the fact that in 1976 Washington's intercity bus network carried 30 million passengers, half as many as every transit agency in the state at that time. Spokane had nearly 40 daily one way trips to different cities.
December 26, 2025 at 1:55 AM
I've been looking through old state transit reports recently, and was astounded at the fact that in 1976 Washington's intercity bus network carried 30 million passengers, half as many as every transit agency in the state at that time. Spokane had nearly 40 daily one way trips to different cities.
"The best thing about the New Urbanism is it comes with the new plumbing"
I did not like the location or the architecture of my new build home but it was truly maintenance free.
December 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
"The best thing about the New Urbanism is it comes with the new plumbing"
Reposted by Payton Chung
North Carolina lobbyist Ches McDowell has successfully leveraged his relationship with the president's son to position his firm as a broker to buy a Get Out Of Jail Free card from the president of the United States.
The going rate for a Trump pardon is now around $1 million.
The going rate for a Trump pardon is now around $1 million.
December 24, 2025 at 3:38 PM
North Carolina lobbyist Ches McDowell has successfully leveraged his relationship with the president's son to position his firm as a broker to buy a Get Out Of Jail Free card from the president of the United States.
The going rate for a Trump pardon is now around $1 million.
The going rate for a Trump pardon is now around $1 million.
Reposted by Payton Chung
I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%).
Lay article attached:
Lay article attached:
One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources isn’t straws or grocery bags – it’s your tires
Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particle...
www.pbs.org
December 24, 2025 at 4:49 AM
I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%).
Lay article attached:
Lay article attached:
Reposted by Payton Chung
He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
December 23, 2025 at 11:49 PM
He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
Money saved: Nil
Value of credibility destroyed: Priceless
Value of credibility destroyed: Priceless
On DOGE’s watch, federal spending did not go down at all. It went up. But is still led to cuts that closed offices, canceled programs and deprived people of food, medicine and other aid.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little?
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Money saved: Nil
Value of credibility destroyed: Priceless
Value of credibility destroyed: Priceless
As a winter bike commuter in Chicago, I accumulated a whole lot of gear and learned to lean into the outdoorsy look -- common among pragmatic Midwesterners years before NYC embraced "gorpcore."
So glad to have a deep dive into its story!
So glad to have a deep dive into its story!
“Gear is a rich and unexpected listen, and one that exposes the uncomfortable connections between civilian clothing and the bloody business of war”
Via The Guardian
Via The Guardian
‘It becomes like Zoolander’: the podcast making you think differently about clothes
Avery Trufelman is the New York-based radio producer behind Articles of Interest, a fashion podcast that has non-fashion people gripped in their millions
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:40 PM
As a winter bike commuter in Chicago, I accumulated a whole lot of gear and learned to lean into the outdoorsy look -- common among pragmatic Midwesterners years before NYC embraced "gorpcore."
So glad to have a deep dive into its story!
So glad to have a deep dive into its story!
Key quote: "higher-density development may be *less feasible*, requiring higher rents than the local market may bear to make a project financeable. This results from the fact that higher construction costs for taller buildings dilute the benefit of increased density"
There's broad agreement that transit-oriented development—TOD—is good. But the financing isn't always in place to make it feasible.
In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, we investigate factors that make TOD financially feasible, and point to opportunities for states to move the needle.
In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, we investigate factors that make TOD financially feasible, and point to opportunities for states to move the needle.
The Financial Feasibility of Transit-Oriented Development
Our stylized analysis illuminates challenges facing TOD, including inadequate market rents in some areas and high construction costs, issues that may be aggr…
www.urban.org
December 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Key quote: "higher-density development may be *less feasible*, requiring higher rents than the local market may bear to make a project financeable. This results from the fact that higher construction costs for taller buildings dilute the benefit of increased density"
Reposted by Payton Chung
TIL there was almost a 2nd railroad bridge from DC to VA, near what's now Chain Bridge.
What would VRE look like today if it had happened?
ggwash.org/view/101896/...
What would VRE look like today if it had happened?
ggwash.org/view/101896/...
In the years after the Civil War, Washington became a junction between northern and southern railroads
Washingtonians in 1860 could take trains directly to Baltimore and from there to Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or the trans-Appalachian West. A journey from Alexandria to Richmond, however, required a 50-...
ggwash.org
December 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
TIL there was almost a 2nd railroad bridge from DC to VA, near what's now Chain Bridge.
What would VRE look like today if it had happened?
ggwash.org/view/101896/...
What would VRE look like today if it had happened?
ggwash.org/view/101896/...
Reposted by Payton Chung
congrats to Manhattan
almost every American urban core would benefit even more, if only they could overcome the political power of the larger proportion of drivers commuting into their city
almost every American urban core would benefit even more, if only they could overcome the political power of the larger proportion of drivers commuting into their city
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:19 PM
congrats to Manhattan
almost every American urban core would benefit even more, if only they could overcome the political power of the larger proportion of drivers commuting into their city
almost every American urban core would benefit even more, if only they could overcome the political power of the larger proportion of drivers commuting into their city
Your periodic reminder that downtown housing is expensive because it's "built with only the most expensive construction techniques, on the most expensive land"
ggwash.org/view/39226/m...
ggwash.org/view/39226/m...
December 22, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Your periodic reminder that downtown housing is expensive because it's "built with only the most expensive construction techniques, on the most expensive land"
ggwash.org/view/39226/m...
ggwash.org/view/39226/m...
Reposted by Payton Chung
The ultimate NIMBY.
Trump: If we build more housing, the price of homes will go down, and homeowners will lose their wealth.
December 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
The ultimate NIMBY.
Reposted by Payton Chung
whenever i hear some social-media poisoned populist blaring about how we have more empty homes than homeless people--
New story: How does Pittsburgh have 20,000 vacant homes — and a housing shortage?
I show you one block in the Knoxville neighborhood to tell you why. www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-h...
I show you one block in the Knoxville neighborhood to tell you why. www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-h...
How does Pittsburgh have 20,000 vacant homes — and a housing shortage?
One block in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood shows how a legacy of population decline and neglect has allowed homes to decay and neighbors to suffer.
www.publicsource.org
December 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
whenever i hear some social-media poisoned populist blaring about how we have more empty homes than homeless people--
Reposted by Payton Chung
To be clear, while Trump's HUD is telling a racist lie when they blame the housing shortage in CA and NY on immigrants, what they're saying is not all that different from the people who complain about transplants or who say California is full.
Same report: "Immigration accounts for up to 100 percent of housing demand growth in some regions, and for two-thirds of rental demand growth nationwide. In California and New York, immigrants have accounted for 100 percent of all rental growth ... in recent years."
December 22, 2025 at 10:34 PM
To be clear, while Trump's HUD is telling a racist lie when they blame the housing shortage in CA and NY on immigrants, what they're saying is not all that different from the people who complain about transplants or who say California is full.
Don't just blame the messenger when the insurance company's non-renewal notice arrives in the mail.
Your uncle's house in an intensifying wildfire zone didn't lose value because researchers documented the growing risk of it burning down.
It lost value because burning fossil fuels has made wildfires worse.
alexsteffen.substack.com/p/will-your-...
It lost value because burning fossil fuels has made wildfires worse.
alexsteffen.substack.com/p/will-your-...
Will your next home be a climate lemon?
Efforts to suppress disclosure of grave climate risks in brittle areas cheat buyers and sabotage communities.
alexsteffen.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Don't just blame the messenger when the insurance company's non-renewal notice arrives in the mail.
Reposted by Payton Chung
Cars: why are they so slow and constantly in my way? 🤔
December 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Cars: why are they so slow and constantly in my way? 🤔
Reposted by Payton Chung
A California judge ruled Tesla’s marketing around “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” was deceptive and the company should face a 30-day suspension to sell and manufacture #cars in the state
#California #tesla #marketing #business #autopilot #fullselfdriving #fsd #automotive #auto #transportation
#California #tesla #marketing #business #autopilot #fullselfdriving #fsd #automotive #auto #transportation
California judge rules that Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing around Autopilot
An administrative law judge in California ruled Tesla's license to sell or manufacture cars in the state should be suspended for 30 days.
www.cnbc.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A California judge ruled Tesla’s marketing around “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” was deceptive and the company should face a 30-day suspension to sell and manufacture #cars in the state
#California #tesla #marketing #business #autopilot #fullselfdriving #fsd #automotive #auto #transportation
#California #tesla #marketing #business #autopilot #fullselfdriving #fsd #automotive #auto #transportation
Reposted by Payton Chung
The song of the day is "Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" by John Denver
Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)
open.spotify.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The song of the day is "Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" by John Denver
Reposted by Payton Chung
Breaking news: Trump is citing “national security” to halt all active work on offshore wind projects
Five giant energy projects, countless jobs at risk
My story explains how the argument has legal weaknesses and comes from an anti-wind policy doc I reported in January
Five giant energy projects, countless jobs at risk
My story explains how the argument has legal weaknesses and comes from an anti-wind policy doc I reported in January
Trump Uses ‘National Security’ To Freeze Offshore Wind Work
The administration has already lost once in court wielding the same argument against Revolution Wind.
heatmap.news
December 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Breaking news: Trump is citing “national security” to halt all active work on offshore wind projects
Five giant energy projects, countless jobs at risk
My story explains how the argument has legal weaknesses and comes from an anti-wind policy doc I reported in January
Five giant energy projects, countless jobs at risk
My story explains how the argument has legal weaknesses and comes from an anti-wind policy doc I reported in January
Reposted by Payton Chung
Addison highlights these types of comments from American conservatives, and I’ve seen this all the time and always think it’s especially deranged. America has the lowest density, most “single-family” housing stock of basically any modern nation and it’s still not enough for these people!
December 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Addison highlights these types of comments from American conservatives, and I’ve seen this all the time and always think it’s especially deranged. America has the lowest density, most “single-family” housing stock of basically any modern nation and it’s still not enough for these people!
Reposted by Payton Chung
🧑🌾 SPOTTED in Jackson County, Wisconsin…
December 21, 2025 at 6:44 PM
🧑🌾 SPOTTED in Jackson County, Wisconsin…