Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation

Why are housing prices in America so high? “Supply and demand” is true but misleading, because draconian regulation drastically constricts housing supply. In this exciting new nonfiction graphic novel, economist Bryan Caplan makes the economic and philosophical case for radical deregulation of the housing industry. Deregulation turns out to be a bona fide panacea: a large rise in housing supply would raise living standards, reduce inequality, increase social mobility, promote economic growth, reduce homelessness, increase birth rates, help the environment, and more. Combining stunning visuals and careful interdisciplinary research, Build, Baby, Build takes readers to a world where people are free to build―and shows us how to get there.

[@joebruno2675]

In the current US system, a huge amount of land is owned by corporations and banks. This can create a monopoly, unfair laws, and regulations which artificially raise land prices. Land is always seen as going up in value. Loans are taken out on the artificially raised prices which gives incentives to keep the artificially raised prices. Once the house of cards collapses, corporations and banks start to default. The government says they are too big to fail and bail them out. This once again reinforces the artificially high prices but at the cost of higher inflation.

[@aliadeeb6859]

Brian Kaplan said that there was no place that was super dense but really cheap. He should look into Tokyo. Cost about as much as living in Indiana yet it's a density of 38 million people

[@drwalka10]

I think it's fair to assume he's talking about the united states of america ... this obviously isn't a global dilemma. Also, solutions that work in Tokyo won't necessarily work somewhere else for various reasons. Different laws, different country, different geographical landscape, different demographic plus they got the rare chance to rebuild their cities after ww2

[@aliadeeb6859]

@@drwalka10 Economic principles are global and the supply restrictions that increase housing costs, reach from San Francisco to New York, but also from Vancouver to London. Tokyo is not immune to these facts. They allow more housing to be built so it remains affordable just like in Minneapolis where more density is tolerated. Demographics, landscape, WW2 and country don't matter. It's all about the different laws.

[@teddybruscie]

Im a Progressive, but since reading Strong Towns I have to admit that the Free Market advocates are right on this issue. Don't get your hopes up. Im gonna co-opt the Strong Towns lense but with a Progressive MMT lense. It's hard to get my fellow progressives to admit when you guys are right but there's enough that don't care about sides, like me. I just want what works and the Strong Towns lense clearly works.

[@wade2bosh]

Mmt is bs Forbes has articles debunking it

[@aliadeeb6859]

These long form speeches and discussions should be available in podcast form.

[@salvador.garcia]

It's called KZbin Premium.

[@aliadeeb6859]

@@salvador.garcia yeah I'm waiting for that price to fall down to about $4 a month which is what that service is worth. I prefer seduction into any subscription as opposed to annoyance which is KZbin's model to inflate their subscriptions. However this comment was actually for the Cato institute which does have short podcasts and they'd get a lot more play of this discussion that way.