the built environment of a stateless society
Episodes
Saturday May 27, 2023
Saturday May 27, 2023
We grapple with the recent “Post-Libertarian” vs. “Lolbert” schism in the broader liberty movement.
Are libertarian principles antithetical to achieving a libertarian society?
Use hashtag #ana036 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at http://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana036.
Read the rest of this entry »Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
We “rap up” our long lost “Citizen of Nowhere” series, and apply our theory of public space to present a unique perspective on the immigration debate.
Can Hoppean principles justify open borders?
Use hashtag #ana035 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at https://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana035.
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Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Tim presented our entry to the Liberland International Design Competition at Porcfest 2021.
His talk covered:
- The geographical and political history of Liberland
- Site and ecology, ground conditions, flooding
- Energy, Water, Wastewater Infrastructure
- Transportation
- Our proposed site layout
- Blockchain based development incentivisation and infrastructure DAO’s
- THE LIBERTARIUM
- Q&A
Our entry to the Liberland Design Competition (download PDF)
Use hashtag #ana034 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment.
View full show notes at https://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana034.
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Friday Mar 12, 2021
Friday Mar 12, 2021
We released episode ana027: 11 SPOOKY Fears about Short Term Rentals | ASSUAGED! on Halloween in 2019. Hours later, there was a multiple homicide at an Airbnb renter’s Halloween party in Orinda, CA. Tim wrote a blog post discussing this incident with a view towards understanding what went so wrong.
In November 2019, Tom Woods interviewed Tim about the Orinda shooting and the broader topic of short term rentals. This was a more succinct presentation of our earlier episode, but they also covered some new ground.
Since then, Tim has spent over a year arguing against new regulations on short term rentals in his home town in Maine. At the same time, he renovated his basement into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for short-term rental in a race against the clock.
This episode starts with Tim’s interview on The Tom Woods Show, and then Tim reveals all the gory reality of small town politics. We close out with some profound lessons learned for libertarian principles and strategy.
Use hashtag #ana033 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at https://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana033.
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Thursday Aug 20, 2020
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
If COVID-19 is airborne, will it spread in classrooms? Can HVAC systems reduce this risk, or will they spread it through entire school buildings?
Goshe King and Joe Green are HVAC engineers and the voices behind the Angineering Tech podcast.
We have a detailed technical discussion covering:
- Biomechanics of the virus (aerosol vs. droplet spread)
- Anatomy of an HVAC system
- How ventilation and filtration can reduce probability of infection
- UV and HEPA air purifiers
- Can schools be retrofitted with effective systems?
- Operational strategies for HVAC systems
- Masks – what can they do, and what can’t they do?
- Joe’s crackpot theory
Use hashtag #ana032 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at https://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana032.
Read the rest of this entry »Tuesday Jul 14, 2020
Tuesday Jul 14, 2020
Want to design a libertarian micronation?
Daniela Ghertovici, Founder and Director of ArchAgenda LLC, joins us to discuss the Liberland Design Competition 2020, which she is curating. https://designliberland2020.splashthat.com/
Daniela is also curating the Free Private Cities Architecture Symposium on July 18, 2020. It's a free online event with no less than three former Anarchitecture guests: Patrik Schumacher, Titus Gebel, and Scott Beyer. Register now at https://freeprivatecitiesarchitecture.splashthat.com/
We can't mention Patrik Schumacher without talking about parametricism, which ArchAgenda LLC was established to promote. Patrik is Daniela's PhD advisor, and together with Lars Van Vianen they are launching Parametricism.com
Use hashtag #ana031 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at http://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana031.
Read the rest of this entry »Friday Jun 26, 2020
Friday Jun 26, 2020
"Market Urbanism is the intersection of urban issues and free market philosophy."
We interview Scott Beyer of the Market Urbanism Report to introduce the ideas of Market Urbanism and discuss a broad sweep of issues in housing, transportation, and governance.
Use hashtag #ana030 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at http://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana030.
Intro
- Contrition
- Joe's urbanism crash course
- Tim met some OG Market Urbanists
- Scott Beyer and the Market Urbanism Report
- Demystifying urbanist jargon
- Market Urbanists are down in the trenches
- We are explicitly ideological, Scott is more pragmatic
- Urban issues have a natural affinity for libertarian solutions - becuase they work
- Three broad categories - Housing, Transportation, and Governance
- The Anarchitecture Podcast All-Star Game (details in links below)
Discussion
- What is Market Urbanism?
- Cross between free-market policy and urban issues
- Theory - how would decentralized private cities work?
- Practical set of policy reforms
- Market oriented reforms
- How did Scott get interested in these ideas?
- Living in cities, interested in urban issues
- Why are projects hard to get approved?
- Why do downtowns empty out at 5PM?
- Research led to more libertarian understanding
- Influential writers
- MarketUrbanism.com
- Jane Jacobs
- Ed Glaeser
- We see urbanism as a conduit to bring libertarian / free market ideas to a broader audience
- People think of cities as complex infrastructure managed by big government
- A more granular look is more libertarian - the "Street Ballet" of voluntary exchange
- "When cities follow that libertarian impulse, they do really well."
- Nobody has planned the allocation of specific businesses and residences
- Housing
- Market Urbanism approach - a free-flowing, unregulated, market-oriented process
- Theory - How would cities develop under a free market?
- Practical - specific problems and policies in cities
- Restrictive Zoning
- Single Family Zoning in hot markets
- San Francisco - around 75% zoned for single family or duplex
- "The city cannot change."
- Setback Requirements
- Lot Coverage Requirements
- Parking Minimums
- Density Requirements
- Minimum Lot Size - an historic 6-unit building restricted to 2 units
- Counterintuitive zoning - do the planning boards even understand these impacts?
- The empty husk - 8-story building limited to 12 units means the units will be large and unaffordable
- No, they don't understand
- What has motivated zoning requirements?
- Early 20th century; cities grew using a combination of private deed restrictions and municipal zoning
- Racism and classism - "they thought that was a good thing!"
- Separating industry from housing
- Euclid v. Amber - "Euclidean Zoning"
- Late 20th century; more subjective and aesthetic, more complex
- Do cities have a responsibility to preserve property values?
- No - zoning should not be a protection for special interests
- The irony - absent the regulations, property values would increase
- MUH CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
- If a potential buyer can subdivide my lot, that increases my property value - capturing the location value twice
- Policy success - "by-right" incremental development allowed in some states
- ADU - Accessory Dwelling Unit; an additional unit on a single family property
- Attached: basement apartment
- Detached: backyard cottage, granny flat
- "We won't build proper housing for the Millenials, but we'll put them in the basement."
- ADU - a fiction created by zoning ordinances - the state taketh, then giveth back but a mere morsel
- It's better than nothing, but we need new housing
- Filtering
- The more new houses you build, the cheaper old houses become (in elastic markets)
- Gentrification
- Less than 10% of people get displaced, and relocate to a similar quality neighborhood (see links below)
- Existing owners tend to benefit from positive externalities
- Middle ground - allow the new developments, give housing vouchers
- You can't prevent neighborhoods from changing
- Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) - "Rent Control 2.0"
- Allow developers to build to a certain level if they allocate a percentage of "Affordable" units
- IZ tends to reduce the overall supply of housing by making projects less feasible
- Transportation
- Theory - Can a market provide sufficient transit efficiency?
- Examples of privatizated transport
- Mexico City - Paseros - "The Uber of Driving!"
- Uber - The Paseros of America
- "Who will build the roads?"
- Alain Bertaud - Order Without Design - Does the government need to build key infrastructure?
- Right-of-ways in developed places
- Brightline High Speed Rail (HSR) - Miami to Fort Lauderdale
- Proposed bullet trains hitting right of way issues
- Acela train - slows down through every Connecticut NIMBY town
- Trade-offs between nuisances and benefits
- Direct negotiations vs. government mediated negotiations
- Coase Theorem - if you want to obstruct development, you need to pay for that right
- Pigouvian tax
- Mitigation rather than obstruction
- If you live in NYC, you should expect tall buildings around you
- High speed rail can increase property values - sell it for a windfall and move away from the nuisance
- Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
- Value capture - train companies own and develop surrounding land plots to fund the rail
- In USA, regulatory hurdles prevent TOD
- For state owned transit agencies, there is no profit motive to develop
- How do you manage a complex street grid?
- Pricing different uses; NO FREE PARKING
- Bus operators could out-bid cars for street space
- Privatizing public space
- Market pricing for street space could entice further investment
- Pricing sidewalks and curb space
- Buses and bike share could carve out their spaces
- Scattered scooters - tragedy of the commons
- Prohibition and monopoly contracts for scooters
- There is no free parking
- No market incentive to build a small commercial garage
- Charge market rates for on-street parking
- Balancing the interest of local business owners - "We'll see how valuable it is to him"
- In urban contexts, most customers aren't driving to your store
- Increasing the cost of parking makes other transit options more attractive
- "Drivers in Boston are jerks, but drivers in Manhattan are just insane"
- The less space you allocate to parking, the more space you have for street beautification
- Car-free streets
- Social distancing promotes outdoor seating
- "Let the market work; let the consumer decide"
- City Governance
- City services shouldn't be government-run
- Charter Schools
- Privatizing (or "divesting", or "DESTATALIZING") public space
- Value Capture
- Land Value Tax - recoup value of improvements for reinvestment
- Government provision - no pricing feedback loops
- User Fees - direct market feedback
- Tax Increment Financing (TIF) - tax on incremental value of a specific amenity
- What about people who can't afford fees?
- Guaranteed minimum income
- Voucher model - rather than funding an MTA, give people transit vouchers and let the market determine transit modalities
- Let wealth redistribution be a separate, more efficient system
- Neoliberalism - "Fund People, not Beauraucracy"
- Obstacles are political - vested interests, patronage mills
- What impact is Market Urbanism having?
- It's more in the "ideas" stage
- YIMBY movement pushing similar message
- Strong Towns movement
- Congress for New Urbanism (CNU)
- Anarchitecture
- State level bills to make housing legal by-right
- We've seen a good response among libertarians
Links/Resources
- Market Urbanism Report
- MarketUrbanism.com
- Free Private Cities Architecture Symposium 2020 featuring Scott Beyer, Patrik Schumacher, and Titus Gebel
- Euclid v. Amber (Wikipedia)
- The Fifth Column Podcast Episode 188 "On Anti-Racism (Part II)
- Coleman Hughes discusses gentrification starting at 1:22:50
- Coleman Hughes: Why do Progressives Hate Gentrification? (Quillette)
- The Effects of Gentrification on the Well-Being and Opportunity of Original Resident Adults and Children (PDF) working paper by Quentin Brummet and Davin Reed
- Coase Theorem (Wikipedia)
- Alain Bertaud - Order Without Design (Amazon)
- Congress for a New Urbanism
- Strong Towns
- The YIMBY movement (Wikipedia)
Episodes Mentioned
- ana018: Startup Cities with Adam Hengels and Patrik Schumacher
- Public Space Series
- ana023: Strong Towns for Libertarians | Chuck Marohn Interview
- Patrik Schumacher Series
- ana025: Free Private Cities | Titus Gebel Interview
Saturday May 16, 2020
Saturday May 16, 2020
How does a quarantine affect public space?
Why aren’t there enough ICU beds?
Tim reflects on his experience designing hospitals to explain why the US healthcare infrastructure may be ill-equipped to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spoiler alert: It’s far from anything resembling a free market.
This stress on the healthcare system has been used to justify unprecedented restrictions on the use of government-owned public space. How would private owners of public space manage infection risk in a stateless society?
Use hashtag #ana029 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at https://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana029.
Read the rest of this entry »Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
John Ellis is a student in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
He is also, arguably more auspiciously, a long-time Anarchitecture Podcast listener.
Tim has been working with John over the past few months as an advisor for his thesis project. John was recently given an assignment to record a podcast for one of his classes, and interviewed Tim in a wide-ranging discussion which John's class will be forced to listen to.
Use hashtag #ana028 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at http://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana028.
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Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Tim rents his home as a short-term rental on summer weekends.
Why is this so scary to everyone else?
We discuss eleven fears about short-term rentals, one of which is legitimate. Fear not, we have a non-governmental solution for that one. All others will be #ASSUAGED!!!
11 Fears About Short Term Home Rentals
- Fear #1 - Home rentals hurt a town's "character"
- Fear #2 - Home rentals make housing less affordable
- Fear #3 - Home rentals are unsafe
- Fear #4 - Home rentals are not in compliance with building codes
- Fear #5 - Home rentals are not licensed and inspected as lodging places
- Fear #6 - Home rentals are preparing and serving food without a license
- Fear #7 - Home rentals are not ADA / FHA compliant for accessibility for people with disabilities
- Fear #8 - Home rentals do not have adequate insurance
- Fear #9 - Home rentals are not paying taxes
- Fear #10 - Home rentals are unfair competition to hotels
- Fear #11 - Home rentals are creating nuisances
Use hashtag #ana027 to reference this episode in a tweet, post, or comment
View full show notes at http://anarchitecturepodcast.com/ana027.
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