Author | Lightnews

Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · 27d

Update: Governor Newsom has signed SB79, which requires California municipalities in urban transit counties to allow housing of between 5 and 9 stories near heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit stations. #a2council, it's our turn now. www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco...

Newsom signs bill allowing for more homes near transit to help address California housing costs

Gov. Gavin Newsom is signing a bill that would allow for more homes to be built near transit stations, in an effort to address California's high housing costs.

www.cbsnews.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Oct 1

Stay strong and sign the bill, Governor Newsom. Stay strong for our Comprehensive Land Use Plan and associated rezoning, Ann Arbor City Council. #a2council

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Sep 3

Strongly recommended for pro-housing people (and even more for people who aren't yet on board): Appelbaum, Yoni. Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. Random House, 2025. Moving exerpt attached. #a2council

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Aug 6

Important video: Israeli security chiefs through the ages demand: "End the War!" #jstreet x.com/i/status/195...

UnXeptable on X: "💥Israeli Security Chiefs Through the Decades “End the war and bring the hostages home!” 🇮🇱🇮🇱 This is an extraordinary call, unlike anything we've seen in Israel. Almost everyone who was once at the wheel of a major security organization: Nadav Argaman, Shin Bet Director Tamir https://t.co/JCCgMD6XHj" / X

💥Israeli Security Chiefs Through the Decades “End the war and bring the hostages home!” 🇮🇱🇮🇱 This is an extraordinary call, unlike anything we've seen in Israel. Almost everyone who was once at the wheel of a major security organization: Nadav Argaman, Shin Bet Director Tamir https://t.co/JCCgMD6XHj

x.com

Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Jul 30

The Helsinki Central Library--so much more than a library!--is an inspiration. #a2council oodihelsinki.fi/en/facilities/

Facilities - Oodi

oodihelsinki.fi

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Jun 27

#a2council

Darrell Owens @idothethinking.bsky.social · Jun 27

The era of downzoning officially ends in Berkeley. The Middle Housing era begins!!!

Everyone who came out to speak made this happen. Had the speakers been mostly negative, the weak upzoning would've passed. Good job!

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Jun 7

...with minimal impact on speeds.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Jun 7

And that's on "traditional" road-diet corridors. Similar effects are found on high-volume (>20,000 cars per day) corridors... journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Jun 7

How much safer, #a2council? Check out this table, from rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/286...

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 25

A letter to "Pause the Plan" friends regarding the #a2council comprehensive planning process. drive.google.com/file/d/1AlGH...

letter to xxxx and xxxx.pdf

drive.google.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 20

#a2council Nice NBC News segment on middle housing and affordability: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3LT...

How Portland, OR made housing more affordable

YouTube video by NBC News

www.youtube.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 18

I wrote it, and it doesn't come from a longer piece. The NBER article and critique are both linked in Noah's letter.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 17

#a2council

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 9

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 9

#a2council

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 8

Written before the new memo, but a summary of the importance of #a2council zoning reform. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

importance of policies to allow greater compactness

The Importance of Policies Allowing for Greater Compactness Thanks to the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission for its direction in reforming Ann Arbor land use policies to allow for greater compactness...

docs.google.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 1

And guess what, #a2council: www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/o...

Opinion | The Big City Where Housing Is Still Affordable (Gift Article)

Tokyo has succeeded in maintaining an abundance of affordable housing because it has no downtown, many railroads and laws that make it easy to build.

www.nytimes.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 1

HANDS OFF! Washtenaw County Democratic Party has produced a sign suitable for demonstrations or yards. $10 to cover production costs. Customize "billionaires" and "America" according to the context. Want one? jnthnlvn (at) gmail.com #a2council

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · May 1

With #a2council lo-rise heights limited to 3 floors, fewer residential projects will pencil out. It's now doubly important to realize housing potential of other areas: 1) eliminate flex zone; 2) uncap transition far from residential; 3) don't require active first-floor commercial on arterials.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Apr 7

The #a2council resolution should focus on ends rather than means,eg: protect residents' ability to enjoy privacy,sunlight, and quiet surroundings; encourage housing construction that respects these priorities; avoid hindering housing construction without providing clear benefits to nearby residents.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Apr 2

Awesome comment last night Sara Ellen: Calling #a2council Comp Plan "Project 2025" makes no sense, and even less so when you actually check what Project 2025 has to say about single-family zoning.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Apr 2

Dozens of speakers@Tuesday’s #a2council Pln Cmsn, ~50/50 split between pro- and anti-density. Demographics are clear: younger renters vs. older homeowners. There are a few older homeowning YIMBYs, but not a single young renter echoes bogus claims that new construction somehow harms affordability.

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Mar 31

It would be much more modest than the recent anti-exclusionary-zoning reform of Cambridge, MA. www.boston.com/news/politic...

Cambridge eliminates single-family zoning in historic move

The reform, championed by Councilors Burhan Azeem and Sumbul Siddiqui, is one of the most ambitious changes to any city’s zoning in decades.

www.boston.com

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Mar 20

Please do!

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Jonathan Levine @jnthnlvn.bsky.social · Mar 20

A colleague expressed concern about current efforts to reduce exclusionary zoning as part of the Ann Arbor Comprehensive Plan process. My response is contained in the attached. #a2council docs.google.com/document/d/1...

comprehensive planning

Here's how I tend to think about policy reform to allow greater compactness in high-accessibility areas. 1. It's a necessary (though not sufficient) condition to meet goals that we've already set for...

docs.google.com

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