Can we get back to making things better? Pro: science, immigration, urbanism, housing abundance, walkable/bikeable cities, public transit, travel. CHI-ATL-SFBA
Chicago
Joined October 2009
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Another reminder that what you see in social media or on the news is far, far, far from representative.
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Danny White retweeted
Pass BAAJA now.
Important piece from @greg_ip on how broken our permitting system is and why Congress needs to pass BAAJA now.
Key stats:
1. "Just two nuclear reactors started operations in the U.S. in the last decade and they were seven years late and more than 100% over budget."
2. "[After BAAJA] if a state is delaying a power line, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can take over. This could shrink the approval process from 10 years to three."
3. "The U.S. builds less long-distance transmission than almost all of its peer countries, and spends more to build a mile of light transit or subway."
4. "28% of major transportation and energy-infrastructure projects requiring an EIS triggered litigation and 89% of those lawsuits claimed a NEPA violation."
5. "A project can require up to 60 federal permits, including Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act permits; U.S. Coast Guard bridge permits; migratory-bird permits; and Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act permits."
6. "Permitting takes 2 to 3 years for manufacturing projects, 8 to 9 for mining projects."
7. "Japan built a semiconductor fabrication plant for TSMC in two years, a fraction of how long the U.S. has taken."
8. "Permitting delays add 24% to 30% to the cost of a project through inflation and delays of materials."
9. "Eliminating such delays would be a textbook free lunch, boosting the volume and lowering the price of infrastructure, power plants, buildings and factories at no cost to the taxpayer."
10. "A 1947 legal change gave federally approved gas pipelines, but not oil pipelines, the power to acquire rights of way via eminent domain. Growth in gas pipeline mileage then rose sixfold while new oil pipeline mileage held steady, suggesting the Senate bill could have a similar effect on interstate transmission."
Danny White retweeted
NEW CU proposal for 9 acres in Miami.
Overtown, once the "Harlem of the South," was devastated by 1960s highways and urban renewal.
Now, 9 acres have been assembled for a car-oriented, garage & tower program. The plan has more parking spaces than apartments. And at $30-$40k per space, it's a high-cost plan that fails to create the fine-grained, walkable, naturally affordable neighborhood that everyone wants but no one is building.
So I've put together a counter-proposal for a courtyard urbanist neighborhood. About 1,000 homes in small-parcel buildings arranged around private gardens and fantastic public streets and civic squares. Modest parking.
Read about the proposal in the Substack and explore it on the workbook site (below). And Miami residents can share the article with Miami Commissioner, the Planning department, and the development team.
Danny White retweeted
Did people actually have it better in the 1950s?
In my latest for @WSJFreeEx, I debunk some common nostalgic myths.
Danny White retweeted
Very glad to see the NYT editorial board endorse BAAJA, the bipartisan permitting reform bill.
Key points from the article:
1. "Democrats who call climate change an emergency should not defend a permitting system too slow to build the clean energy that would address it."
2. "[BAAJA] would make it easier to build solar energy farms, battery storage, power lines and more. As a result, it would reduce energy prices. The status quo is expensive, dirty and unstable. The country needs to build a lot of big, new things to make its future cheaper and cleaner."
3. "The bill’s Democratic skeptics are making a mistake. President Trump would almost certainly veto a follow-up bill next year. And time matters, especially for the climate. Congress should pass this bill now. It can then return next year and pass other bills that would do even more good."
4. "Today, it typically takes between 5 and 13 years to build a long-distance power line, like the one that transports clean hydropower from Quebec to New England. That line took about a decade to finish, and opened in January. It has enough capacity to meet about one-fifth of Massachusetts’s electricity demand, and it’s projected to save consumers $50 million a year."
5. "A more robust, cleaner grid would make American energy more reliable and less dependent on hostile foreign nations. No country can embargo the wind."
6. "[BAAJA] would force data center operators to pay the full costs of the electricity they use, protecting the average electricity consumer."
7. "On net, the bill would cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by as much as 18 percent by 2040. It would do so in part by nearly tripling the construction of high-voltage transmission lines."
8. "Anyone who cares about climate change should cheer this bill. And a party that just won an election on affordability should not pass up a chance to start delivering immediately."
Danny White retweeted
Stopping climate change requires massive increases in clean energy by the 2040s.
That will take electrical transmission lines connecting places with the best sun, wind, and geothermal to population centers.
But under our status quo laws, a transmission line that started permitting in 2006 to connect wind power in New Mexico to customers in California was finally completed *in 2026.*
17 years of permitting and lawsuits, 3 more years to build. And that was under the federal government's "fast-track" process.
If we don't pass BAAJA, the clean power infrastructure we start today won't get done until it's too late. If we pass BAAJA now, it'll be done during the next administration.
If we can't stop climate change because we have to preserve every lawsuit, paperwork and procedure, we've lost the plot.
Danny White retweeted
Imagine a historian in 2035 writing a political history of the 2020s, and he points out that every election, the out-of-power party won a cost-of-living election and then used their mandate to ignore or exacerbate affordability only to be destroyed in the next election, where voters again said “to be clear, I don’t want whatever bullshit you’re up to, I just want life to feel more affordable,” and then, once again, the winning politicians prioritized everything except affordability, and this story repeated itself over and over again.
One of my strongest held political opinions right now is: Democrats should do everything they can to avoid that history being written.
Danny White retweeted
Today, I voted yes to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. The Senate has just returned to D.C. and there are significant priorities to address. Voting yes for this legislation to advance today allows for those discussions to continue.
Danny White retweeted
This is the best argument for why Dems should take the deal now on BAAJA rather punting for another two years (at minimum):
In retrospect, I think it’s clear that the Democratic tsunami strengthened the politics of permitting reform. I wrote about why: heatmap.news/daily/how-the-b…
Danny White retweeted
Parking is stupidly expensive, it eats up SO MUCH space, and it is hideously ugly.
For structured parking, the underground average is $73k *per spot* and the aboveground average is $52k.
Structured parking is a major reason why new urban multistory buildings have such high per unit costs. If your unit comes with 2 parking spots, that's $100k+ just in car storage.
The old courtyard apartments in Chicago were naturally affordable to build in large part because they didn't build structured parking. Today, residents park on the street and many don't have cars.
For courtyard urbanism, i think the ideal situation is having a couple ground floor garage spots for households who want to pay for the convenience and let the rest use street parking. Another OK option is a shared parking facility per block (owned and operated by city).
Basically, you want to decouple as much as possible the cost of parking from the cost of housing, so that people can actually choose if they want to pay for parking or if they want to use transit or ride share.
Danny White retweeted
The alternative to passing BAAJA and reducing emissions by 4% is doing nothing for another two years, which would reduce emissions by… 0%.
Anyone who tells you there is a more climate-friendly bill on the table is lying to you.
Some of us believe there is a climate emergency. I have to wonder if BAAJA proponents really do. Best case modeling, BAAJA drives down emissions 4% by 2040. If that's what we actually end up doing, we're cooked. This is not a climate bill.
billmckibben.substack.com/p/…
Danny White retweeted
The People Over Parking Act (removing parking minimums half mile from transit) will be the most significant pro-housing legislation in modern Chicago history imo
Parking is ridiculously expensive and takes up a ton of space. It should be minimized in cities
Danny White retweeted
If Democrats are going to be serious at all about addressing affordability, it starts with helping to pass BAAJA. This is a very good pro-environment and pro-affordability bill.
Danny White retweeted
Democrats have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build out passenger rail service and transform the economy and lifestyle of the Midwest forever. Omaha, Nebraska should be connected to Chicago by High Speed Rail AND multiple intercity trains on different routes across Iowa!
Danny White retweeted
NYC is putting the design of their streets back into the hands of actual engineers to build safer, better streets - instead of the city being designed around the personal preferences of firefighters.
More cities need to do this.
Danny White retweeted
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build Midwest High Speed Rail.
In one possible right of way, Democrats will hold:
32 of 47 Congressional Districts
8 of 14 US Senators
4 of 7 State Trifectas
5 of 7 Governors
195ish of 301 State Legislative Districts
claude.ai/artifact/7375qGk6r…
Danny White retweeted
The best way to celebrate is by governing well, and that starts with making energy cheaper. Pass BAAJA now!
Danny White retweeted
The stars have aligned for midwest high speed rail.
Once in a generation opportunity at our doorstep! Get plugged in with the High Speed Rail Alliance @HSRail.
Become a member!
Danny White retweeted
Need some guidance voting in tomorrow’s midterm elections? Check out our voter guide, and make sure you have a plan to vote!
citythatworks.substack.com/p…
Danny White retweeted
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are still pizza places that manage their own delivery and if you find them and call them direct you’re saving them some money and usually going to get better service.
Yes, call them. On a phone. You’ll live.
Dear @DoorDash seriously. go fuck yourself. I went to an event last night so I can give out candy at a friends house and my mate gave out candy at the house. So he orders a pizza early like around 3 or 4 and gets updates its been pushed back and pushed back. And then eventually