Darrell Owens
@idothethinking.bsky.social
Housing and transit data guy. Against fascism. My "bluesky posts" represent myself and do not represent my employer or any affiliated groups and organizations.
Reposted by Darrell Owens
Working 36 hours straight on Thanksgiving so Grok says Elon is in better shape than LeBron
November 28, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Working 36 hours straight on Thanksgiving so Grok says Elon is in better shape than LeBron
Reposted by Darrell Owens
The death toll has exceeded that of Grenfell
(November 28 06:45)
• Death toll is at least 94, with 78 injuries (12 critical, 16 serious, 22 discharged)
• Search-and-rescue operations for all 7 buildings of Wang Fuk Court expected to be completed by 9am
news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/comp...
• Death toll is at least 94, with 78 injuries (12 critical, 16 serious, 22 discharged)
• Search-and-rescue operations for all 7 buildings of Wang Fuk Court expected to be completed by 9am
news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/comp...
大埔宏福苑五級火死亡人數增至94人 - RTHK
大埔宏福苑五級火造成的死亡人數增至94人，包括一名殉職消防員。截至早上5時，在78名傷者中，有12人危殆、28人嚴重、16人穩定、22人已出院。 消防滅火工作仍然持續，7座大廈火勢已大致救熄，有個別單位仍然冒出火光。 消防處表示，會繼續處理...
news.rthk.hk
November 27, 2025 at 11:49 PM
The death toll has exceeded that of Grenfell
I noticed in the 2010-2020 Census comparison that the Asian population in Westside SF dropped about 10%. But the number of Asian households insignificantly changed. Any theories as to what this is about? Are traditionally multi-generational households becoming nuclear family households?
November 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I noticed in the 2010-2020 Census comparison that the Asian population in Westside SF dropped about 10%. But the number of Asian households insignificantly changed. Any theories as to what this is about? Are traditionally multi-generational households becoming nuclear family households?
I watched Wicked 2 and was extremely confused but it was entertaining.
November 27, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I watched Wicked 2 and was extremely confused but it was entertaining.
I would like to see more historical spatial research on the racial and economic impacts of downzoning. The downzoning period is the foundation of most of California's landuse today but its largely ignored due to status-quoism. (Its always been here so why question it?)
What happens when you downzone?
Our new open-access research paper in @findingspress.org investigates effects of decades of downzoning in Chicago.
Findings:
—Downzoned areas added 1/7th of the new units as comparable non-downzoned areas;
—Downzoned areas became more white & were more expensive.
Our new open-access research paper in @findingspress.org investigates effects of decades of downzoning in Chicago.
Findings:
—Downzoned areas added 1/7th of the new units as comparable non-downzoned areas;
—Downzoned areas became more white & were more expensive.
Downzoning Chicago: How Local Land Use Policy Has Reduced Housing Construction and Reinforced Segregation | Published in Findings
By Yonah Freemark, George Kisiel. Downzonings were used by US cities in the postwar period to preserve neighborhood character. These land-use policies were associated with lower housing supply, higher...
findingspress.org
November 27, 2025 at 7:31 AM
I would like to see more historical spatial research on the racial and economic impacts of downzoning. The downzoning period is the foundation of most of California's landuse today but its largely ignored due to status-quoism. (Its always been here so why question it?)
Reposted by Darrell Owens
very odd that the Post would write up someone’s speciation as if it’s news. What are we doing here
November 26, 2025 at 11:34 PM
very odd that the Post would write up someone’s speciation as if it’s news. What are we doing here
Obnoxious that Emeryville gets all the good stuff. but I bet Tokyo Central will eventually make its way to Berkeley, near Campus.
A much-anticipated, 40,000-square-foot Japanese grocery store is finally arriving at a Bay Area mall. The store will also feature an “upscale” Japanese restaurant.
Japanese grocery store sets opening date for giant new Bay Area location
A much-anticipated, 40,000-square-foot Japanese grocery store is finally arriving at a Bay Area mall. The store will also feature an “upscale” Japanese restaurant.
bit.ly
November 27, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Obnoxious that Emeryville gets all the good stuff. but I bet Tokyo Central will eventually make its way to Berkeley, near Campus.
People are talking about ultras on twitter having backlash towards Zohran's "pivots" (positions he had on day 1 of his campaign) but in truth there is no backlash. Before the election, Musk changed the algo so attacks against Zohran from all sides would float to the top and be liked by bots.
November 27, 2025 at 1:54 AM
People are talking about ultras on twitter having backlash towards Zohran's "pivots" (positions he had on day 1 of his campaign) but in truth there is no backlash. Before the election, Musk changed the algo so attacks against Zohran from all sides would float to the top and be liked by bots.
Reposted by Darrell Owens
you should support liberal currents!
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
you should support liberal currents!
They wouldn't be doing this if Prop 50 hadnt passed.
California Republican suddenly supporting a national partisan gerrymandering ban. IT’S GAME THEORY BABY THINK OF THE STRATEGERY, WE PLAYING DEFECT-DEFECT NOT DEFECT-COOPERATE, IT’S TIT FOR TAT, CONSIDER THE INCENTIVES
November 26, 2025 at 6:02 PM
They wouldn't be doing this if Prop 50 hadnt passed.
Reposted by Darrell Owens
Man, San Francisco city rents are going crazy. Listed rents for new apartments* are up 16% YOY for 1 BR.
* Based on a survey of listings. I don't know how well this takes into account things like concessions. And this doesn't hit existing rent controlled units.
www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...
* Based on a survey of listings. I don't know how well this takes into account things like concessions. And this doesn't hit existing rent controlled units.
www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...
November 26, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Man, San Francisco city rents are going crazy. Listed rents for new apartments* are up 16% YOY for 1 BR.
* Based on a survey of listings. I don't know how well this takes into account things like concessions. And this doesn't hit existing rent controlled units.
www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...
* Based on a survey of listings. I don't know how well this takes into account things like concessions. And this doesn't hit existing rent controlled units.
www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...
The methodology is a bit complicated to extract into the general public but I find the general conclusions of this paper to be true.
osf.io/preprints/so...
osf.io/preprints/so...
November 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The methodology is a bit complicated to extract into the general public but I find the general conclusions of this paper to be true.
osf.io/preprints/so...
osf.io/preprints/so...
Just imagining the old people frying their brains on this content 24/7
this extremely fashy Trump cult of personality ad featuring Kristi Noem ran this morning on Fox & Friends
November 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Just imagining the old people frying their brains on this content 24/7
The CBIA's position makes since. Before YIMBY there wasn't any well organized infill housing advocacy in Sac. The status-quo of making it impossible to build infill in cities gives greenfield developers opportunities to buy up open land for sprawl. Family condos in cities makes that harder.
I can only surmise that CBIA prefers the status quo where only 3% of for-sale housing in California is designed as multi-family, which is more likely to be in urban or 1/2nd ring suburban locations, and 90% is detached homes on the metropolitan periphery or new exurbs.
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The CBIA's position makes since. Before YIMBY there wasn't any well organized infill housing advocacy in Sac. The status-quo of making it impossible to build infill in cities gives greenfield developers opportunities to buy up open land for sprawl. Family condos in cities makes that harder.
Reposted by Darrell Owens
Untrue statements from the CBIA president regarding the 2024 failed effort to reform condo defect law in California.
www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
November 26, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Untrue statements from the CBIA president regarding the 2024 failed effort to reform condo defect law in California.
www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
Insane that the best tacos in the Bay Area are at a North Berkeley BART bus stop. El Chacho Taqueria.
November 26, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Insane that the best tacos in the Bay Area are at a North Berkeley BART bus stop. El Chacho Taqueria.
VTA's Light Rail (O, G and B lines in Pink) system has 16,500 riders today. In Subway Builder, I improved VTA LRV to 136,000 riders with 4 improvements. The first was to cut stops too close together and grade sep. to get up to 50 MPH on routes.
1/5
1/5
November 25, 2025 at 10:56 PM
VTA's Light Rail (O, G and B lines in Pink) system has 16,500 riders today. In Subway Builder, I improved VTA LRV to 136,000 riders with 4 improvements. The first was to cut stops too close together and grade sep. to get up to 50 MPH on routes.
1/5
1/5
Reposted by Darrell Owens
Got some new reading in the mail today. Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts, @carterlavin.bsky.social!
November 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Got some new reading in the mail today. Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts, @carterlavin.bsky.social!
Reposted by Darrell Owens
R.I.P. TrumpCare (2:12 pm, November 24, 2025 - 2:14 pm, November 24, 2025)
You will not be mourned.
You will not be mourned.
absolutely incredible -- CNN host introduces a segment about Trump's "new healthcare proposal," but less than two minutes later breaks into her script to announce "breaking news" that Trump's healthcare proposal is being postponed
November 24, 2025 at 8:59 PM
R.I.P. TrumpCare (2:12 pm, November 24, 2025 - 2:14 pm, November 24, 2025)
You will not be mourned.
You will not be mourned.
Wow, Annemarie Gray AND Paul Williams on Zohran's transition team for housing! Nice!!! Very pro-housing picks. Big indicator that Zohran & the NYC DSA genuinely favor zoning and permitting reform, despite the defamatory, toxic and apparently ineffective, slander online.
November 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Wow, Annemarie Gray AND Paul Williams on Zohran's transition team for housing! Nice!!! Very pro-housing picks. Big indicator that Zohran & the NYC DSA genuinely favor zoning and permitting reform, despite the defamatory, toxic and apparently ineffective, slander online.
Doesnt matter.
Parts of the two busy arterial streets in Oakland currently have speed limits of 25 and 30 miles per hour.
Broadway and International Blvd. to see consistent 20 mph speed limits
Parts of the two busy arterial streets in Oakland currently have speed limits of 25 and 30 miles per hour.
oaklandside.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Doesnt matter.
Reposted by Darrell Owens
Reposted by Darrell Owens
So Subway Builder backs it up. As much as we romanticize the Key System and the unique streets of Oakland and Berkeley laid out by old rail lines, reviving the Key System or an alternate universe where they're preserved would probably have less ridership than BART has today.
November 25, 2025 at 7:22 AM
So Subway Builder backs it up. As much as we romanticize the Key System and the unique streets of Oakland and Berkeley laid out by old rail lines, reviving the Key System or an alternate universe where they're preserved would probably have less ridership than BART has today.
People always say that the East Bay had a great train system before BART that we should restore. So I re-created the Key System and Southern Pacific "Red trains" in SubwayBuilder to test this! The stops and routing are accurate and based on year 1940, when Bay Bridge rail service was at its peak
November 25, 2025 at 6:58 AM
People always say that the East Bay had a great train system before BART that we should restore. So I re-created the Key System and Southern Pacific "Red trains" in SubwayBuilder to test this! The stops and routing are accurate and based on year 1940, when Bay Bridge rail service was at its peak
Love Zohran. Hanging out with people involved in his campaign was part of the reason I wanted to move to NYC to begin with.
November 24, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Love Zohran. Hanging out with people involved in his campaign was part of the reason I wanted to move to NYC to begin with.