Zak Yudhishthu
@zyudhishthu.bsky.social
Sidewalk enthusiast and former St. Paulite. I like to write about housing policy, especially in the Twin Cities. Nowadays I’m an economics research assistant in Chicago
https://pencillingout.substack.com/
https://pencillingout.substack.com/
Pinned
Chicago has a market for parking reform
The city’s new reforms will help build more units
citythatworks.substack.com
Chicago just eliminated parking minimums in most of the city. Does that matter?
In a post for A City That works, I show that Chicago has a strong market for low-parking housing. Developers have already been taking advantage of previous parking reforms.
citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicago-ha...
In a post for A City That works, I show that Chicago has a strong market for low-parking housing. Developers have already been taking advantage of previous parking reforms.
citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicago-ha...
What's a successful example of minimum lot size reform that's not Houston?
January 6, 2026 at 3:22 AM
What's a successful example of minimum lot size reform that's not Houston?
So cool to see clear data on the “second-order” benefits of congestion pricing: considerably faster bus rides, plus sizable declines in car accidents and traffic noise complaints
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
January 5, 2026 at 11:15 PM
So cool to see clear data on the “second-order” benefits of congestion pricing: considerably faster bus rides, plus sizable declines in car accidents and traffic noise complaints
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Gov. Tim Walz abandons reelection campaign amid unrelenting fraud attention, Trump clashes www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Gov. Tim Walz abandons reelection campaign amid unrelenting fraud attention, Trump clashes
Gov. Tim Walz was three months into a reelection campaign that has been plagued by criticism over his handling of fraud and political opposition stirred up by President Donald Trump.
www.mprnews.org
January 5, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Gov. Tim Walz abandons reelection campaign amid unrelenting fraud attention, Trump clashes www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
IMO this defense of inclusionary zoning leans on two misguided premises:
- "Critics of IZ believe that the market will solve all housing issues"
- "New market-rate housing is primarily bad for low-income renters"
shelterforce.org/2025/12/29/w...
- "Critics of IZ believe that the market will solve all housing issues"
- "New market-rate housing is primarily bad for low-income renters"
shelterforce.org/2025/12/29/w...
What Critics Get Wrong About Inclusionary Housing
Development should come with affordability. Here's the case for inclusionary housing, and why opponents aren't seeing the full picture.
shelterforce.org
January 5, 2026 at 1:57 PM
IMO this defense of inclusionary zoning leans on two misguided premises:
- "Critics of IZ believe that the market will solve all housing issues"
- "New market-rate housing is primarily bad for low-income renters"
shelterforce.org/2025/12/29/w...
- "Critics of IZ believe that the market will solve all housing issues"
- "New market-rate housing is primarily bad for low-income renters"
shelterforce.org/2025/12/29/w...
Back in Chicago 😀
January 5, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Back in Chicago 😀
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
In New Zealand they have a term for this: the ring of shame. By this I understand them to mean, close-in suburbs that combine extremely high feasibility (i.e. cheap, low-rise structures on expensive land near the center) with extremely restrictive exclusionary zoning.
There’s a narrative that it’s economically much harder to densify already-developed urban areas, so YIMBYism won’t do much.
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
December 29, 2025 at 6:56 PM
In New Zealand they have a term for this: the ring of shame. By this I understand them to mean, close-in suburbs that combine extremely high feasibility (i.e. cheap, low-rise structures on expensive land near the center) with extremely restrictive exclusionary zoning.
There’s a narrative that it’s economically much harder to densify already-developed urban areas, so YIMBYism won’t do much.
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
December 29, 2025 at 6:09 PM
There’s a narrative that it’s economically much harder to densify already-developed urban areas, so YIMBYism won’t do much.
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
This has some truth, but it can’t explain why the *densest* urban tracts have added substantially more housing than inner-ring suburbs since 2014
1 year later WE ARE BACK at the Hollywood Theater to see Chalamet
December 27, 2025 at 11:28 PM
1 year later WE ARE BACK at the Hollywood Theater to see Chalamet
Nobody would call it a "boom", but since rezoning the entire city for missing middle housing, Saint Paul has had multiple consecutive quarters of record-high development in 1-6 unit buildings... with a grand total of 23 buildings in a year and a half.
December 19, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Nobody would call it a "boom", but since rezoning the entire city for missing middle housing, Saint Paul has had multiple consecutive quarters of record-high development in 1-6 unit buildings... with a grand total of 23 buildings in a year and a half.
Also this week, there's a nice story over in Saint Paul about the benefits of getting phones out of high schools.
www.minnpost.com/education/20...
www.minnpost.com/education/20...
December 19, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Also this week, there's a nice story over in Saint Paul about the benefits of getting phones out of high schools.
www.minnpost.com/education/20...
www.minnpost.com/education/20...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Had such a fun time at the Big Tent Urbanist Happy Hour last night, meeting new and old folks, repping @abundanthousingil.bsky.social, and taking some fun photos!
December 19, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Had such a fun time at the Big Tent Urbanist Happy Hour last night, meeting new and old folks, repping @abundanthousingil.bsky.social, and taking some fun photos!
On the longstanding historical pattern of “deconversions,” here is an Old Town developer circa 1970:
“When I first moved in everybody took boarding houses and converted them into flats. In the last three or four years it has changed so that people are converting now to single family residences.”
“When I first moved in everybody took boarding houses and converted them into flats. In the last three or four years it has changed so that people are converting now to single family residences.”
December 15, 2025 at 2:48 PM
On the longstanding historical pattern of “deconversions,” here is an Old Town developer circa 1970:
“When I first moved in everybody took boarding houses and converted them into flats. In the last three or four years it has changed so that people are converting now to single family residences.”
“When I first moved in everybody took boarding houses and converted them into flats. In the last three or four years it has changed so that people are converting now to single family residences.”
No comment on the bathrooms... let's talk about a new-build in Portland selling for $300k 👀
Why the fuck are modest 2 bedroom homes being built with 2.5 baths? That's such a waste of limited square footage! 1.5 bath is appropriate for a 2 bedroom.
December 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
No comment on the bathrooms... let's talk about a new-build in Portland selling for $300k 👀
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
It goes back even further! Here is a major shareholder in the private Twin Cities Rapid Transit company that preceded Metro Transit, in 1950:
December 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
It goes back even further! Here is a major shareholder in the private Twin Cities Rapid Transit company that preceded Metro Transit, in 1950:
Despite being in charge of the Twin Cities' transit system, many of the people on the Met Council essentially never ride it.
The funny thing is we've known this for over a decade. It continues to be true, everybody says "that seems bad," and then nothing changes
The funny thing is we've known this for over a decade. It continues to be true, everybody says "that seems bad," and then nothing changes
December 13, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Despite being in charge of the Twin Cities' transit system, many of the people on the Met Council essentially never ride it.
The funny thing is we've known this for over a decade. It continues to be true, everybody says "that seems bad," and then nothing changes
The funny thing is we've known this for over a decade. It continues to be true, everybody says "that seems bad," and then nothing changes
4 of my favorite reads in 2025. What else did people enjoy this year?
December 13, 2025 at 6:36 PM
4 of my favorite reads in 2025. What else did people enjoy this year?
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Consultants contracted by Minnesota found that an eight-story single-stair building with 6,000 sq. ft. per floor (building 4) has dramatically lower fire risk than a same-height code-compliant two-stair building with a larger floor plate (building 1) www.dli.mn.gov/sites/defaul...
December 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Consultants contracted by Minnesota found that an eight-story single-stair building with 6,000 sq. ft. per floor (building 4) has dramatically lower fire risk than a same-height code-compliant two-stair building with a larger floor plate (building 1) www.dli.mn.gov/sites/defaul...
50 new units on a long-vacant lot, 11 parking spots, three storefronts 😀
50 apartments are coming to Logan Square’s vacant lot near "Greetings From Chicago’ mural. blockclubchi.co/4oUy673
December 12, 2025 at 12:30 AM
50 new units on a long-vacant lot, 11 parking spots, three storefronts 😀
A bit pessimistic from Brian Potter: we know construction productivity growth has been awful in the US the past couple decades.
However, there's not really any rich, large country that has seen strong growth in construction productivity the past 20 years (except Belgium?)
However, there's not really any rich, large country that has seen strong growth in construction productivity the past 20 years (except Belgium?)
December 12, 2025 at 12:28 AM
A bit pessimistic from Brian Potter: we know construction productivity growth has been awful in the US the past couple decades.
However, there's not really any rich, large country that has seen strong growth in construction productivity the past 20 years (except Belgium?)
However, there's not really any rich, large country that has seen strong growth in construction productivity the past 20 years (except Belgium?)
Now we just need Chance to tell people to take off their backpacks during rush hour...
CTA and the GRAMMY Award-winning hip-hop superstar Chance the Rapper have launched the new “Enjoy the Ride” campaign as part of a historic partnership. As result of this unique joining of forces, Chance’s voice can be heard at CTA rail stations, encouraging riders to continue supporting CTA.
December 4, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Now we just need Chance to tell people to take off their backpacks during rush hour...
It was a great year everybody
December 4, 2025 at 1:03 AM
It was a great year everybody
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
As someone whose spent a decade-plus covering social services in NY and TX, let me say this has nothing to do with immigration — and everything to do with government outsourcing delivery of key services to non-profits it cannot properly supervise and politics: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:28 PM
As someone whose spent a decade-plus covering social services in NY and TX, let me say this has nothing to do with immigration — and everything to do with government outsourcing delivery of key services to non-profits it cannot properly supervise and politics: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
If the climate models are inaccurate for some properties, that’s one thing (and should require some evidence in support!)
But the real estate industry is gonna need better arguments than “when people see the underlying climate risk of a property, they are less interested in buying it”
But the real estate industry is gonna need better arguments than “when people see the underlying climate risk of a property, they are less interested in buying it”
November 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
If the climate models are inaccurate for some properties, that’s one thing (and should require some evidence in support!)
But the real estate industry is gonna need better arguments than “when people see the underlying climate risk of a property, they are less interested in buying it”
But the real estate industry is gonna need better arguments than “when people see the underlying climate risk of a property, they are less interested in buying it”
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Back in spring, I made final images of some of the buildings slated for demolition along the path of the Red Line Extension.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Back in spring, I made final images of some of the buildings slated for demolition along the path of the Red Line Extension.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
Went to Boston. Saw the building
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Went to Boston. Saw the building