John Myers
@johnrmyers.bsky.social
Director @yimbyalliance.org • Housing and other infrastructure • yimbyalliance.org
Read the full article to see where else these ideas can unblock progress:
britishprogress.org/articles/the...
britishprogress.org/articles/the...
The rules of the game: using mechanism design to deliver a better, fairer Britain
A new toolkit for the Government to shape markets and crowd in investment.
britishprogress.org
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Read the full article to see where else these ideas can unblock progress:
britishprogress.org/articles/the...
britishprogress.org/articles/the...
Across these examples, the lesson is clear:
🏆 Great outcomes depend on how markets are shaped, and how people interact with them.
💡Mechanism design offers a valuable toolkit for building systems where the right outcomes emerge by default, not by constant firefighting.
🏆 Great outcomes depend on how markets are shaped, and how people interact with them.
💡Mechanism design offers a valuable toolkit for building systems where the right outcomes emerge by default, not by constant firefighting.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Across these examples, the lesson is clear:
🏆 Great outcomes depend on how markets are shaped, and how people interact with them.
💡Mechanism design offers a valuable toolkit for building systems where the right outcomes emerge by default, not by constant firefighting.
🏆 Great outcomes depend on how markets are shaped, and how people interact with them.
💡Mechanism design offers a valuable toolkit for building systems where the right outcomes emerge by default, not by constant firefighting.
🏗️ In Houston, huge minimum lot sizes blocked more homes. Reform was hard, as homeowners feared change.
The solution? Let the residents that care most choose to opt out.
Most didn’t — so over 34,000 new homes got built. The default became progress.
The solution? Let the residents that care most choose to opt out.
Most didn’t — so over 34,000 new homes got built. The default became progress.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🏗️ In Houston, huge minimum lot sizes blocked more homes. Reform was hard, as homeowners feared change.
The solution? Let the residents that care most choose to opt out.
Most didn’t — so over 34,000 new homes got built. The default became progress.
The solution? Let the residents that care most choose to opt out.
Most didn’t — so over 34,000 new homes got built. The default became progress.
That shifted when ballots were introduced: renewal projects now need majority support.
The game changed: developers had to convince people their tenures were safe. Since then over 30 ballots have passed, many with enormous ‘yes’ turnouts.
The game changed: developers had to convince people their tenures were safe. Since then over 30 ballots have passed, many with enormous ‘yes’ turnouts.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
That shifted when ballots were introduced: renewal projects now need majority support.
The game changed: developers had to convince people their tenures were safe. Since then over 30 ballots have passed, many with enormous ‘yes’ turnouts.
The game changed: developers had to convince people their tenures were safe. Since then over 30 ballots have passed, many with enormous ‘yes’ turnouts.
🏘️In London, estate renewal to build more homes was imposed from above.
Tenants didn’t trust developers and feared being forced away from their homes. This meant they fought, and often killed, projects that delivered more homes.
Tenants didn’t trust developers and feared being forced away from their homes. This meant they fought, and often killed, projects that delivered more homes.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🏘️In London, estate renewal to build more homes was imposed from above.
Tenants didn’t trust developers and feared being forced away from their homes. This meant they fought, and often killed, projects that delivered more homes.
Tenants didn’t trust developers and feared being forced away from their homes. This meant they fought, and often killed, projects that delivered more homes.
📈 These successes are well documented, but our research found many areas where mechanism‑design thinking is inspiring fresh policy ideas 👇
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
📈 These successes are well documented, but our research found many areas where mechanism‑design thinking is inspiring fresh policy ideas 👇
📍 Digital platforms
Before: platforms struggled to allocate scarce services in real time.
After: real‑time auctions and pricing enabled quick matching at massive scale on platforms like Google.
Before: platforms struggled to allocate scarce services in real time.
After: real‑time auctions and pricing enabled quick matching at massive scale on platforms like Google.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
📍 Digital platforms
Before: platforms struggled to allocate scarce services in real time.
After: real‑time auctions and pricing enabled quick matching at massive scale on platforms like Google.
Before: platforms struggled to allocate scarce services in real time.
After: real‑time auctions and pricing enabled quick matching at massive scale on platforms like Google.
📡 Spectrum licensing
Before: opaque “beauty contests”.
After: well‑designed auctions prompted truthful bids and maximised public value.
Before: opaque “beauty contests”.
After: well‑designed auctions prompted truthful bids and maximised public value.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
📡 Spectrum licensing
Before: opaque “beauty contests”.
After: well‑designed auctions prompted truthful bids and maximised public value.
Before: opaque “beauty contests”.
After: well‑designed auctions prompted truthful bids and maximised public value.
🏫 School admissions (US)
Before: chaotic processes that lucky parents could game.
After: matching algorithms made it the best strategy for families to list true preferences, delivering fairer outcomes.
Before: chaotic processes that lucky parents could game.
After: matching algorithms made it the best strategy for families to list true preferences, delivering fairer outcomes.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🏫 School admissions (US)
Before: chaotic processes that lucky parents could game.
After: matching algorithms made it the best strategy for families to list true preferences, delivering fairer outcomes.
Before: chaotic processes that lucky parents could game.
After: matching algorithms made it the best strategy for families to list true preferences, delivering fairer outcomes.
🏥 Kidney exchange
Before: thousands of willing donors couldn’t help their loved ones.
After: exchange cycles matched pairs efficiently, unlocking life‑saving transplants.
Before: thousands of willing donors couldn’t help their loved ones.
After: exchange cycles matched pairs efficiently, unlocking life‑saving transplants.
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🏥 Kidney exchange
Before: thousands of willing donors couldn’t help their loved ones.
After: exchange cycles matched pairs efficiently, unlocking life‑saving transplants.
Before: thousands of willing donors couldn’t help their loved ones.
After: exchange cycles matched pairs efficiently, unlocking life‑saving transplants.
In policy we usually know the goal: shorter NHS waiting lists, more homes, faster green growth.
Mechanism design shows how to help get there: shaping the system to make the right thing EASY, DESIRABLE or the DEFAULT.
It’s already delivered big benefits in a range of cases…👇
Mechanism design shows how to help get there: shaping the system to make the right thing EASY, DESIRABLE or the DEFAULT.
It’s already delivered big benefits in a range of cases…👇
July 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
In policy we usually know the goal: shorter NHS waiting lists, more homes, faster green growth.
Mechanism design shows how to help get there: shaping the system to make the right thing EASY, DESIRABLE or the DEFAULT.
It’s already delivered big benefits in a range of cases…👇
Mechanism design shows how to help get there: shaping the system to make the right thing EASY, DESIRABLE or the DEFAULT.
It’s already delivered big benefits in a range of cases…👇