Nathan Lindquist

@CSElmendorf @mattyglesias @milansingh03 I’m on your side of this one…. Maybe if the Iran oil shock leads to a recession, then the jobs argument could work.

Great posts this week on housing supply skepticism from @mattyglesias and @milansingh03. Matt argues for a YIMBY pivot from "affordability" to "jobs and growth." I'm not persuaded, yet. 🧵/8

@RossBarkan You could say that Mamdani is one of the most talented politicians of his generation and being in the DSA limited him to 51%.

You once posted something along the lines that it wasn't a good idea for someone's political career to join DSA, and the candidate you supported got 1% in the Democratic primary. Be a little humble.

@smod4real New Mexico has got some fun stuff

Local/regional accent variation is one of the joys of the eastern U.S. You get these amazing characters, all the way from New England, New York, Chicago, Minnesota, Texas and basically the entire south. But west of the Rockies? Basically all one homogeneous accent. So boring.

@cmonjonser @mattyglesias @conorsen A good question is what should we be doing now that in ten years will seem obvious? I think it’s deficit reduction. Which, ironically, is what they were obsessed with in the 2010s. Life is all about timing…

@cmonjonser @mattyglesias @conorsen Yep. A historical mistake not to deficit spend to build infrastructure and zone for housing during the 2010s. Matt Y was early to the game, but we needed the “Abundance” shift ten years earlier. Ah well, get em next time :)

@CSElmendorf Um no it means it only applies to sprawl not infill. Come on let’s not be naive

Of special interest: small-lot subdivisions are authorized only on plots >= 4 acres. In effect, if you develop an entire block, you can do it as townhomes regardless of local zoning. This is an elegant solution the aesthetic-fit problem. link: sightline.org/2026/04/29/ida… 2/2

Excellent @Sightline post on Idaho's new prohousing laws. ⤵️ - small-lot subdivisions - shot clock + 3rd party fallback permitting - single stair - ADUs - factory-built housing Western Republicans continue carving a very different path than their Northeastern cousins. 1/2

@MattZeitlin They can do immigration too, which is big for them, but agree with your general point

europe has a clear glass cliff issue for the far right, yes you're allowed to win elections and take power now but also your monetary, fiscal, and defense policy is almost entirely determined elsewhere, so congratulations on your ability to program the public tv station

@MattZeitlin I think we felt a mix of “eh it’s weird” as well as “unsurprised if something darker is going on”

old people: what was michael jackson's public image in the 90s before the child abuse allegations. was he considered werid but in a kind of harmless eccentric way?

@katrosenfield @ChrisMurphyCT Pretty sure he is being sarcastic. Your radar for this seems to come and go.

@ChrisMurphyCT As one of your constituents, I find this utterly repulsive and embarrassing

awesome

@SeanTrende And if you also think about all the great musicians in those years…Beatles etc

It’s pretty amazing that with four exceptions every presidential candidate and nominee since 1996 has been born within a 5year range (11/42-10-46)

@SteamboatLion @mattyglesias I refer to inform you that a huge amount of housing demand is for low density single family homes on greenfield exurban land, because many people would rather not live in dense infill housing. But if we care about reducing carbon emissions we can’t keep doing that.

@NathanLindqui11 @mattyglesias It's because there's so little demand for dense housing that most local governments make it illegal in 99% of their city. Right.

@mattyglesias “I’m skeptical your family doesn’t have enough money to let you retire at 30.” “It’s my sisters and parents money!” “These are just details to be worked out”

@mattyglesias The eastern mind can’t comprehend western water rights.

@CSElmendorf 100 percent have had the same thought. For example Denver built a ton of market rate and now it’s going at 80% AMI. But that’s not captured on a tupical HNA chart

Excellent post

Lately, there has been a lot of frank discourse about what YIMBYism has accomplished in California. I think this impatience, even after big wins, is good and healthy—but it misses the early signs of success in front of us. In a new post, I offer a YIMBY hopepill.

@Chris_arnade @clmarohn If we got rid of securitization tomorrow, are we really believing we would build this Paris street instead?

@Chris_arnade @clmarohn Nah it’s not that. Compare with this street. Double loaded corridors lead to long buildings. The flat facades are cheaper.

Why does all of new development in America cities look exactly like this? Not complaining as much as must be something regulatory— as if it is lowest cost blueprint to threading bureaucratic regulatory maze

@Afinetheorem @Toddinsm @oliverc85 Do you have the same opinion if the result was low density sprawl. Cuz dollars to donuts, that’s what it would be. Not gonna get the “Turin of the Central Coast”

@Toddinsm @oliverc85 100% of it is the answer.

Urbanism Twitter is talking about SLO right now. In my view, the most wasted land in America. The two counties have perfect weather, beautiful coastal scenery...and the population density of Belarus or Missouri, growing 1/3 slower than US as a whole since 2000. Madness. 1/2