Daniel Kay Hertz
@danielkayhertz.bsky.social
Personal account. Housing Director at Impact for Equity, a law and policy center in Chicago. Former policy director, Chicago Dept of Housing. Book "The Battle of Lincoln Park" on the origins of gentrification in Chicago.
https://daniel-kay-hertz.ghost.io/
https://daniel-kay-hertz.ghost.io/
You can really see the contrast with the (very typical) 2000s-era infill next to it, which has some fun, promising pomo elements (the circular window, the peaked cornice) but to my eye is sort of ruined by the dinky-looking juliet balconies and awkward concrete bands
November 6, 2025 at 4:02 PM
You can really see the contrast with the (very typical) 2000s-era infill next to it, which has some fun, promising pomo elements (the circular window, the peaked cornice) but to my eye is sort of ruined by the dinky-looking juliet balconies and awkward concrete bands
Imo Chicago infill architects are getting pretty good at these historicist brick facades
November 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Imo Chicago infill architects are getting pretty good at these historicist brick facades
This would be similar to the State Housing Appeals Board, a body under the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act that theoretically has the ability to overturn local rejections of affordable housing. In practice, it has never been used. More here: impactforequity.org/report/build...
November 4, 2025 at 3:10 AM
This would be similar to the State Housing Appeals Board, a body under the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act that theoretically has the ability to overturn local rejections of affordable housing. In practice, it has never been used. More here: impactforequity.org/report/build...
Ditto as above, just for a different class of development. These standards, applied in Chicago, would functionally legalize 3/4-flats in most of the city.
November 4, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Ditto as above, just for a different class of development. These standards, applied in Chicago, would functionally legalize 3/4-flats in most of the city.
Chicago doesn't have an exact analogue to the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP). But one could imagine giving similar developments a pass on the Development Commission or ZBA. Or to go the full distance—bc ULURP includes Council review—let them apply via admin adjustment or special use permit.
November 4, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Chicago doesn't have an exact analogue to the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP). But one could imagine giving similar developments a pass on the Development Commission or ZBA. Or to go the full distance—bc ULURP includes Council review—let them apply via admin adjustment or special use permit.
It genuinely seems to be the position of this article that upzoning commercial areas for dense residential is "direct...public planning" but upzoning single-family areas for dense residential is "private-sector deregulation"
November 3, 2025 at 6:19 PM
It genuinely seems to be the position of this article that upzoning commercial areas for dense residential is "direct...public planning" but upzoning single-family areas for dense residential is "private-sector deregulation"
Defeat the YIMBY playbook by upzoning commercial areas for dense housing!
November 3, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Defeat the YIMBY playbook by upzoning commercial areas for dense housing!
This view of the skyline is almost Vancouverish, if Vancouver did super talls
November 3, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This view of the skyline is almost Vancouverish, if Vancouver did super talls
Has there been a mayoral campaign this racist in a major city since the opposition to Harold Washington in Chicago in the 80s
November 2, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Has there been a mayoral campaign this racist in a major city since the opposition to Harold Washington in Chicago in the 80s
Re: the new Northern IL Transit Authority's development powers, it explicitly can acquire property and contract with other governments or private actors to develop.
It is also authorized to use its funds to:
It is also authorized to use its funds to:
October 31, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Re: the new Northern IL Transit Authority's development powers, it explicitly can acquire property and contract with other governments or private actors to develop.
It is also authorized to use its funds to:
It is also authorized to use its funds to:
Big kudos to Block Club for covering an often unacknowledged tension--the unrepresentativeness of neighborhood associations: blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/29/f...
October 29, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Big kudos to Block Club for covering an often unacknowledged tension--the unrepresentativeness of neighborhood associations: blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/29/f...
Paging @zyudhishthu.bsky.social: As you've said, loss of 2-4s is more than made up for by construction of larger buildings, but to me this says the loss is a really significant headwind in growing supply (even before getting into submarkets)
October 28, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Paging @zyudhishthu.bsky.social: As you've said, loss of 2-4s is more than made up for by construction of larger buildings, but to me this says the loss is a really significant headwind in growing supply (even before getting into submarkets)
It's cool that when they think the audience is progressive, the Edgewater residents organizing against the Broadway rezoning say they're fighting gentrification, but otherwise they're pretty open about what they're worrying about
October 16, 2025 at 2:18 AM
It's cool that when they think the audience is progressive, the Edgewater residents organizing against the Broadway rezoning say they're fighting gentrification, but otherwise they're pretty open about what they're worrying about
Highly endorse the wild mile
October 4, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Highly endorse the wild mile
I meant historically...here's 1980 and 2000
September 28, 2025 at 9:27 PM
I meant historically...here's 1980 and 2000
While Chicago passes a prerogative-based expansion of ADUs, its northern neighbor Evanston is covering itself in glory by blocking more than 80 affordable homes in a downtown highrise because...the local Council person thinks half as many homes would be better evanstonroundtable.com/2025/09/26/g...
September 28, 2025 at 8:33 PM
While Chicago passes a prerogative-based expansion of ADUs, its northern neighbor Evanston is covering itself in glory by blocking more than 80 affordable homes in a downtown highrise because...the local Council person thinks half as many homes would be better evanstonroundtable.com/2025/09/26/g...
So mad this is $350
September 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
So mad this is $350
This is a really revealing and rich passage in what is overall a really good piece.
The reason nonprofits aren't producing more affordable housing isn't that they "can't operate at the scale of the federal government"—they literally are operating at the scale of the federal government('s subsidies)
The reason nonprofits aren't producing more affordable housing isn't that they "can't operate at the scale of the federal government"—they literally are operating at the scale of the federal government('s subsidies)
September 24, 2025 at 3:25 AM
This is a really revealing and rich passage in what is overall a really good piece.
The reason nonprofits aren't producing more affordable housing isn't that they "can't operate at the scale of the federal government"—they literally are operating at the scale of the federal government('s subsidies)
The reason nonprofits aren't producing more affordable housing isn't that they "can't operate at the scale of the federal government"—they literally are operating at the scale of the federal government('s subsidies)
Also Evanston
September 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Also Evanston
43rd and Drexel, 2017 and 2025
September 11, 2025 at 2:53 AM
43rd and Drexel, 2017 and 2025
63rd and Drexel, 2022 and 2025
September 11, 2025 at 2:47 AM
63rd and Drexel, 2022 and 2025
6500 block of south Maryland, 2019 and 2025
September 11, 2025 at 2:43 AM
6500 block of south Maryland, 2019 and 2025