Nathan Lauster
@lausterna.bsky.social
UBC sociologist, demographer, housing & urban regulation scholar, author, immigrant, blogs at https://homefreesociology.com/
[whispers] preservation of luxury estates has always been a primary purpose of zoning...
Vancouver Archives Link to historical Westmount Park sales pamphlet: searcharchives.vancouver.ca/westmount-pa...
Vancouver Archives Link to historical Westmount Park sales pamphlet: searcharchives.vancouver.ca/westmount-pa...
December 1, 2025 at 11:30 PM
[whispers] preservation of luxury estates has always been a primary purpose of zoning...
Vancouver Archives Link to historical Westmount Park sales pamphlet: searcharchives.vancouver.ca/westmount-pa...
Vancouver Archives Link to historical Westmount Park sales pamphlet: searcharchives.vancouver.ca/westmount-pa...
November sunrise before the rain
November 24, 2025 at 9:54 PM
November sunrise before the rain
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
Looks like the latest working paper was just out in September 2025, actually! Findings still holding. www.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Looks like the latest working paper was just out in September 2025, actually! Findings still holding. www.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
I think Greenaway-McGrevy's work on Auckland's upzone tends to show both more housing overall and more urban infill, e.g.
cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
November 19, 2025 at 2:01 AM
I think Greenaway-McGrevy's work on Auckland's upzone tends to show both more housing overall and more urban infill, e.g.
cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/busin...
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
November 16, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
Loved this simple image from @tomflood.bsky.social set behind the panel at the Life After Cars event hosted by @visionzerovancouver.ca.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
November 9, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Loved this simple image from @tomflood.bsky.social set behind the panel at the Life After Cars event hosted by @visionzerovancouver.ca.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Pretty consistent pattern where Yaletown and Coal Harbour run much more Conservative than the rest of Downtown Vancouver, but still a good year for Hedy Fry.
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
November 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Pretty consistent pattern where Yaletown and Coal Harbour run much more Conservative than the rest of Downtown Vancouver, but still a good year for Hedy Fry.
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
Fascinating how the "median single-family home" gets picked up as the easy basis for tax comparison here, despite lack of representativeness overall.
e.g. note that's a distribution reflecting only ~15% households in Vancouver - skewed toward wealthiest - compared to closer to ~40% in PoCo.
e.g. note that's a distribution reflecting only ~15% households in Vancouver - skewed toward wealthiest - compared to closer to ~40% in PoCo.
November 5, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Fascinating how the "median single-family home" gets picked up as the easy basis for tax comparison here, despite lack of representativeness overall.
e.g. note that's a distribution reflecting only ~15% households in Vancouver - skewed toward wealthiest - compared to closer to ~40% in PoCo.
e.g. note that's a distribution reflecting only ~15% households in Vancouver - skewed toward wealthiest - compared to closer to ~40% in PoCo.
No luck capturing the Super Moon before the clouds rolled in, but I did witness a murder!
So have some crows enjoying the sights of the City prior to the evening commute.
So have some crows enjoying the sights of the City prior to the evening commute.
November 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM
No luck capturing the Super Moon before the clouds rolled in, but I did witness a murder!
So have some crows enjoying the sights of the City prior to the evening commute.
So have some crows enjoying the sights of the City prior to the evening commute.
You're in the queue now. We will have that all cleared out by Wednesday, sir. No problem.
November 4, 2025 at 5:12 AM
You're in the queue now. We will have that all cleared out by Wednesday, sir. No problem.
Pumpkin testing... 1... 2... 3... pumpkin testing...
October 31, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Pumpkin testing... 1... 2... 3... pumpkin testing...
An example of Small-Scale Neighbour Opposition more easily overcome with help from the province's Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) requirements.
Chuckling at the staffer's "YES, this developer will put in sidewalks for THEIR lot, but you misers still need to pay for the REST of the sidewalk!"
Chuckling at the staffer's "YES, this developer will put in sidewalks for THEIR lot, but you misers still need to pay for the REST of the sidewalk!"
October 30, 2025 at 4:55 PM
An example of Small-Scale Neighbour Opposition more easily overcome with help from the province's Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) requirements.
Chuckling at the staffer's "YES, this developer will put in sidewalks for THEIR lot, but you misers still need to pay for the REST of the sidewalk!"
Chuckling at the staffer's "YES, this developer will put in sidewalks for THEIR lot, but you misers still need to pay for the REST of the sidewalk!"
Crow surveys the morning
October 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Crow surveys the morning
Surprisingly strong connection between the Open-Ordered Index (authoritarian parenting beliefs) and voting behaviour - here measured by pollsters in Canada for 2019 (CPC = Conservative).
est. of "Ordered" outlook in Canada ~34% always there to build on.
www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/20...
est. of "Ordered" outlook in Canada ~34% always there to build on.
www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/20...
October 28, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Surprisingly strong connection between the Open-Ordered Index (authoritarian parenting beliefs) and voting behaviour - here measured by pollsters in Canada for 2019 (CPC = Conservative).
est. of "Ordered" outlook in Canada ~34% always there to build on.
www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/20...
est. of "Ordered" outlook in Canada ~34% always there to build on.
www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/20...
Late evening sun on the tulip trees of W. 10th, decked out in their finest Fall regalia
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Late evening sun on the tulip trees of W. 10th, decked out in their finest Fall regalia
Setting aside some of the complexities of the metric, Shelter Cost per Room varies markedly by age of householder, with the young paying the most.
These disparities are strongest for owners, though they've also grown for renters, esp. in YYZ & YVR!
3/ homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
These disparities are strongest for owners, though they've also grown for renters, esp. in YYZ & YVR!
3/ homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
October 27, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Setting aside some of the complexities of the metric, Shelter Cost per Room varies markedly by age of householder, with the young paying the most.
These disparities are strongest for owners, though they've also grown for renters, esp. in YYZ & YVR!
3/ homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
These disparities are strongest for owners, though they've also grown for renters, esp. in YYZ & YVR!
3/ homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
One of the tricky things about Shelter Cost per Room as a metric is the economy of scale with number of rooms overall.
Rooms are cheaper the more of them you can afford!
In post, we talk through some of the reasons for this & also consider the complexity 2/
homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
Rooms are cheaper the more of them you can afford!
In post, we talk through some of the reasons for this & also consider the complexity 2/
homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
October 27, 2025 at 6:37 PM
One of the tricky things about Shelter Cost per Room as a metric is the economy of scale with number of rooms overall.
Rooms are cheaper the more of them you can afford!
In post, we talk through some of the reasons for this & also consider the complexity 2/
homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
Rooms are cheaper the more of them you can afford!
In post, we talk through some of the reasons for this & also consider the complexity 2/
homefreesociology.com/2025/10/25/a...
'Tis the Season for Amanita Muscaria!
Also the name of a great @csecooney.bsky.social character from Saint Death's Daughter. Both perfectly capable of providing nightmares before christmas.
Also the name of a great @csecooney.bsky.social character from Saint Death's Daughter. Both perfectly capable of providing nightmares before christmas.
October 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
'Tis the Season for Amanita Muscaria!
Also the name of a great @csecooney.bsky.social character from Saint Death's Daughter. Both perfectly capable of providing nightmares before christmas.
Also the name of a great @csecooney.bsky.social character from Saint Death's Daughter. Both perfectly capable of providing nightmares before christmas.
Woolly worm!
Forecasting, let's see, a kinda long-ish Winter, maybe? After a short Fall, or something?
And also 38 more hours until the next BC Conservative Party defections.
Forecasting, let's see, a kinda long-ish Winter, maybe? After a short Fall, or something?
And also 38 more hours until the next BC Conservative Party defections.
October 24, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Woolly worm!
Forecasting, let's see, a kinda long-ish Winter, maybe? After a short Fall, or something?
And also 38 more hours until the next BC Conservative Party defections.
Forecasting, let's see, a kinda long-ish Winter, maybe? After a short Fall, or something?
And also 38 more hours until the next BC Conservative Party defections.
Sunrise over Vancouver giving us a lovely send off this morning, like "see you in a few days, good luck with your little atmospheric river thing!"
October 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Sunrise over Vancouver giving us a lovely send off this morning, like "see you in a few days, good luck with your little atmospheric river thing!"
Kissing canopy of Norway Maples at 13th & Wallace
October 22, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Kissing canopy of Norway Maples at 13th & Wallace
TFW you think you've stumbled on spicy political commentary about a "puppet party" in researching historical Heritage Designation processes through digital archives...
...only to find your old newspaper column is just located adjacent to column on crafts for children.
...only to find your old newspaper column is just located adjacent to column on crafts for children.
October 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
TFW you think you've stumbled on spicy political commentary about a "puppet party" in researching historical Heritage Designation processes through digital archives...
...only to find your old newspaper column is just located adjacent to column on crafts for children.
...only to find your old newspaper column is just located adjacent to column on crafts for children.
This seems promising (if perhaps overdue)... looks like BC is putting together stronger minimum standards and enforcement mechanisms for municipal implementation of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing requirements. news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
October 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This seems promising (if perhaps overdue)... looks like BC is putting together stronger minimum standards and enforcement mechanisms for municipal implementation of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing requirements. news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...
Rainbow alert Vancouver!
September 30, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Rainbow alert Vancouver!