Dan May
@dbmay.bsky.social
He’s carving it out of a bill that reduces heights. I get that the truly correct answer may be to zone it for more density, but what’s the benefit of reducing allowable heights in an urban core neighborhood? i feel like I’m misunderstanding something
November 14, 2025 at 12:26 AM
He’s carving it out of a bill that reduces heights. I get that the truly correct answer may be to zone it for more density, but what’s the benefit of reducing allowable heights in an urban core neighborhood? i feel like I’m misunderstanding something
But the parcels he is exempting aren’t currently zoned DTC are they?
November 13, 2025 at 11:58 PM
But the parcels he is exempting aren’t currently zoned DTC are they?
Isn’t he carving it out from a bill that reduces heights? That seems good?
November 13, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Isn’t he carving it out from a bill that reduces heights? That seems good?
Only in the residential character area
August 20, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Only in the residential character area
And not just on that lot! Supply helps the most further down the affordability spectrum
www.pew.org/en/research-...
www.pew.org/en/research-...
New Housing Slows Rent Growth Most for Older, More Affordable Units
The nationwide housing shortage has driven rents up more in low-income neighborhoods than in the U.S. overall, but in areas that have recently added large amounts of housing, rents have fallen the mos...
www.pew.org
August 20, 2025 at 11:30 AM
And not just on that lot! Supply helps the most further down the affordability spectrum
www.pew.org/en/research-...
www.pew.org/en/research-...
Does replica do simulations - eg what happens if I build a new apartment building here or upzone an area and it adds people over time? I don’t understand why developers pay for traffic studies when we have replica.
August 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Does replica do simulations - eg what happens if I build a new apartment building here or upzone an area and it adds people over time? I don’t understand why developers pay for traffic studies when we have replica.
Here is a link to a non paywalled prepub version of the paper. Worth a read in full www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10...
www.econstor.eu
July 30, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Here is a link to a non paywalled prepub version of the paper. Worth a read in full www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10...
To be clear, this chart just the relative cost of homes before and after on that parcel. This (afaik) doesn’t give any credit for the fact that a 4 home development also takes 3 families out of competition for other homes nearby
July 30, 2025 at 11:01 PM
To be clear, this chart just the relative cost of homes before and after on that parcel. This (afaik) doesn’t give any credit for the fact that a 4 home development also takes 3 families out of competition for other homes nearby
New cars are expensive and mostly bought by affluent people. But when there was a chip shortage in 2021, used car prices went way up because there wasn’t enough new car supply for people to trade up. Our zoning code is a self-imposed shortage of well-located land. It drives up prices of all housing
July 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM
New cars are expensive and mostly bought by affluent people. But when there was a chip shortage in 2021, used car prices went way up because there wasn’t enough new car supply for people to trade up. Our zoning code is a self-imposed shortage of well-located land. It drives up prices of all housing
Don’t love this take. One of the best things about Metro is that it’s non-partisan and you can work with people you usually disagree with. I haven’t thought deeply (read: at all) about the merits of this issue, but CMs should work with everyone.
July 1, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Don’t love this take. One of the best things about Metro is that it’s non-partisan and you can work with people you usually disagree with. I haven’t thought deeply (read: at all) about the merits of this issue, but CMs should work with everyone.
For example, there are lots of good reasons we don’t let healthcare work as pure market especially for elderly people. Just don’t see the same types of issues in housing
June 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
For example, there are lots of good reasons we don’t let healthcare work as pure market especially for elderly people. Just don’t see the same types of issues in housing
For me, the thing that would change my mind would be a clear articulation of why housing is somehow intrinsically different than other important things we buy (eg food, transportation, etc) that it warrants an extraordinary level of government control or that market forces don’t apply the same way
June 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM
For me, the thing that would change my mind would be a clear articulation of why housing is somehow intrinsically different than other important things we buy (eg food, transportation, etc) that it warrants an extraordinary level of government control or that market forces don’t apply the same way
Real question - I promise I’m not trolling. Are you open minded on this issue? Is there a set of facts that could persuade you that we should zone for greater housing supply? If so, what kind of evidence would move your position?
June 28, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Real question - I promise I’m not trolling. Are you open minded on this issue? Is there a set of facts that could persuade you that we should zone for greater housing supply? If so, what kind of evidence would move your position?
You’re right - tomatoes are probably a bad example. Our ag policy does include a lot of weird subsidies and is widely agreed to be a debacle. I’d like housing policy to look less like that.
June 28, 2025 at 9:27 AM
You’re right - tomatoes are probably a bad example. Our ag policy does include a lot of weird subsidies and is widely agreed to be a debacle. I’d like housing policy to look less like that.
Yeah - it’s not how we run anything else in our economy. We don’t pass laws to make sure we build just the right number of cars or plant just the right number of tomatoes. Centrally planned economies have a pretty poor track record. Yet for this one big thing, we insist on central planning.
June 28, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Yeah - it’s not how we run anything else in our economy. We don’t pass laws to make sure we build just the right number of cars or plant just the right number of tomatoes. Centrally planned economies have a pretty poor track record. Yet for this one big thing, we insist on central planning.
Ah I see. Seems like no matter how you slice it the city has grown a ton in the last decade despite several atypical years around a pandemic and has returned to growth post COVID. Seems like we need to build more housing!
June 28, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Ah I see. Seems like no matter how you slice it the city has grown a ton in the last decade despite several atypical years around a pandemic and has returned to growth post COVID. Seems like we need to build more housing!
It’s not wfh. Job growth in Davidson county is faster than population growth. Maybe more people are commuting from the suburbs because the city is too expensive! If they just want a bigger yard, then fine, upzoning won’t produce much development because the homes won’t sell!
June 28, 2025 at 2:02 AM
It’s not wfh. Job growth in Davidson county is faster than population growth. Maybe more people are commuting from the suburbs because the city is too expensive! If they just want a bigger yard, then fine, upzoning won’t produce much development because the homes won’t sell!
And the city lost ~3-4 years of growth around COVID as people moved to suburbs. Would probably be 750+ but for that
June 28, 2025 at 12:23 AM
And the city lost ~3-4 years of growth around COVID as people moved to suburbs. Would probably be 750+ but for that
I’m not sure I follow. 200k over 25 years is 8k per year people added. If we were at 645 in 2015 (your number above), then 8k per year over the intervening 9 years would be 717. We are at 729 according to census/ACS data for 2024.
June 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
I’m not sure I follow. 200k over 25 years is 8k per year people added. If we were at 645 in 2015 (your number above), then 8k per year over the intervening 9 years would be 717. We are at 729 according to census/ACS data for 2024.
Census says 729k in 2024. Agree that if we built more housing to reduce gentrification pressure it would be higher instead of pushing so much development to Rutherford and Wilson Counties
www.census.gov/quickfacts/f...
www.census.gov/quickfacts/f...
www.census.gov
June 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Census says 729k in 2024. Agree that if we built more housing to reduce gentrification pressure it would be higher instead of pushing so much development to Rutherford and Wilson Counties
www.census.gov/quickfacts/f...
www.census.gov/quickfacts/f...
What about an IDD natlawreview.com/article/unde...
Understanding Infrastructure Development Districts in Tennessee
Infrastructure Development Districts (IDDs) are a pivotal tool for managing growth and development in Tennessee. As Tennessee’s population grows, the need for efficient infrastructure becomes paramoun...
natlawreview.com
June 27, 2025 at 2:07 AM
What about an IDD natlawreview.com/article/unde...
This doesn’t seem implausible? If you had a house that used to appraise at 300k, you’d have paid about 2440 in tax (300k*3.254%*25%). If your appraisal went up 50% to 450, you’d now pay ~3,240 (450k*2.88%*25%). Numbers obviously imprecise but they do work out to 800 bucks and don’t seem crazy?
June 18, 2025 at 1:39 AM
This doesn’t seem implausible? If you had a house that used to appraise at 300k, you’d have paid about 2440 in tax (300k*3.254%*25%). If your appraisal went up 50% to 450, you’d now pay ~3,240 (450k*2.88%*25%). Numbers obviously imprecise but they do work out to 800 bucks and don’t seem crazy?
That park is amazing. My kids spent hours there. Also had free sunscreen sponsored by a local dermatology practice.
June 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
That park is amazing. My kids spent hours there. Also had free sunscreen sponsored by a local dermatology practice.
Why just the affordable housing?
June 7, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Why just the affordable housing?