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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

Emily Hamilton @ebwhamilton.bsky.social · 14h

If you want to really feel the housing crisis, browse the Census microdata for LA households with lots of people in them. About 16,000 houses in LA County have three bedrooms and 8+ people.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 10h

It would be funny to describe progressive nonprofits that receive money from the Rockefeller or Ford foundations this way.

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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 10h

"By reducing minimum lot sizes, builders can construct more homes on less land and increase supply and affordability for everyone. Reducing minimum lot sizes helps families achieve the American dream of homeownership."
www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e...

Florida is facing a shortfall of 486,000 of homes. So let’s reduce lot sizes | Opinion

Families should be able to purchase homes that fit their individual budget and lifestyle | Opinion

www.miamiherald.com

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 10h

lol @ the author’s affiliation at the bottom: “a conservative grassroots organization founded by billionaire industrialists”

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 10h

If there is the concept of grandfathering and degrees of nonconformance, at least. Often with codes, if something is preexisting, there is some leeway given to it (either formally or informally), but increasing the degree of noncomformance – as they’ve done here – is a huge no-no.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 10h

Yes it is…it’s shrinking the pinch point even further.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 12h

Netting outboard of the scaffolding, PLUS a setback between a Jackson Heights apartment building and the sidewalk. There is zero safety need for that shed (which also may be an ADA violation, since that space looks tighter than 36 in.).

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 15h

The economics of prefab don’t work as well for lower-wage countries in North America

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 15h

And I guess him staying on X after all the good transit knowers decamped to BlueSky is proof of that

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 15h

Was never a fan of him. There’s such a vibrant transit community on social media, and he never seemed to engage with it…like he was too good to talk to anybody else.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 15h

This disparity does not seem surmountable: “American ships can cost up to five times the amount of those built in Asia. So far this year, China has made 717 large commercial vessels; the United States just one, according to BRS.”

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 16h

“U.S. Starts Charging Chinese Ships to Dock at Its Ports:
The measure is aimed at countering China’s dominance of commercial shipbuilding and helping to revitalize the American industry.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/b...

U.S. Starts Charging Chinese Ships to Dock at Its Ports

www.nytimes.com

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 17h

I guess then they start infringing on rush hours, and they I guess can only run 8-min headways without full access to the Canarsie terminal. Feel like we’re getting into “just shut the whole line down for a week” territory.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 17h

Presumably four four-hour shutdowns have the same productivity as one 12-hour shutdown (or worse…), so I’m struggling to see why they don’t just keep the whole segment shut down for one slightly longer stretch (a week if necessary!) to finish the work in one fell swoop.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 17h

Why would the MTA choose to do track replacement in four, four-hour midday windows – screwing up frequencies along the whole line – rather than just do one overnight or weekend day closure? This seems so inefficient, and way worse for riders (24-mins headways are so much worse than bustituting!)

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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

Jaap Burger @jaapburger.eu · 18h

It seems that EU tariffs on Chinese EVs have not changed the value of car imports; rather, they have led to fewer electric cars and more hybrids (a segment in which European car manufacturers were betting on for this decade). Same blow for European car manufacturers, worse air and climate outcome.

Felix Hamer • electricfelix @electricfelix.bsky.social · 20h

rafajbuendia:

"Tariffs Beat Consumer Preferences. Read full analysis at SOAPBOX" substack.com/@soapboxtrad...
(free subscription)

#alwaysbecharging

aka: Thanks for nothing EU_Commission, the kids will be forever grateful!

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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

Ryan Radia @ryanradia.com · 20h

Homeownership rate by decade of birth by current age (United States)
www.datawrapper.de/_/27AUY/

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 20h

"Manhattan office space is leasing at a rate not seen since 2006, while office markets in other cities are plodding along" www.wsj.com/real-estate/... (gift link)

The New York City Office Market Is Roaring Back, and It’s Pricier Than Ever

Manhattan office space is leasing at a rate not seen since 2006, while office markets in other cities are plodding along.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

Jared Brey @jaredbrey.bsky.social · 20h

Why “overdevelopment” is a theme in the New Jersey governor’s race www.governing.com/urban/why-ho...

Why Housing Density Has Become a Key Issue in the New Jersey Governor's Race

A new law in New Jersey requires cities to plan for a share of the state’s housing needs. The Republican candidate for governor is tapping into local frustration about it.

www.governing.com

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

I wonder if their hand was forced by that court decision. Legally, any standard referenced into law becomes public domain.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

There’s a lot to like about European standards IMO, but they are even stingier than the American SDOs when it comes to their IP in my experience.

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

Interesting (cc: @pipedreaming.bsky.social). Who at ASHRAE makes that determination?

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

By the measure of learn to recognize a joke please

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Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith

Supaluminal @supaluminal.bsky.social · 1d

Estonia is also good for way cheaper standards - I believe as a result of government policy that standards shouldn't be stupidly expensive.

I hate when what is effectively law is locked behind a pay wall, at least this wall is a little lower evs.ee

evs.ee

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

Oh nice, this is even cheaper than Romania’s

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 1d

Who’s “we”? It was a multi-month rigmarole to get them to even give the ICC committee reviewing my European elevator standard proposal a copy, and I am not a standards committee.

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