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1. Land-use regulation in “superstar” U.S. cities—same old sad story

   The key to understanding housing affordability woes in our most expensive cities is understanding the extent that local regulatory environments hamper the construction of new homes. To do this, however, one must first measure local ...

2. The most tangible threats to cities are manmade

   Although best known to Canadians as Halloween, October 31 is also World Cities Day —a time to think a bit, between the candy and costumes, about why cities are important and some key challenges they face. Canada is an urban country, with ...

3. Amazon HQ2—you can grow Vancouver’s economy without making housing less affordable

   The City of Vancouver is keen to land Amazon’s “HQ2”—a second North American headquarters, which the company claims will house tens of thousands of new jobs and add billions of dollars to the local economy. Indeed, HQ2 aligns with the ...

4. There’s a right way and a wrong way to attract businesses to your city

   Vancouver, along with dozens of other cities, is trying to attract Amazon’s second North American headquarters. ...

5. Vancouver plan to boost housing supply ignores city hall red tape

   The City of Vancouver recently announced a plan to enable the construction of 72,000 new housing units in over the next 10 years. It’s encouraging to hear city hall pivot away from measures targeting housing demand—such as its tax on ...

6. By targeting foreign buyers, Queen’s Park misses the point

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, July 30, 2017 According to a recent announcement from Queen’s Park, 4.7 per cent of properties purchased in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (between April 24 and May 26) were acquired by foreign individuals or corporations. ...

7. How an NDP-Green government can free up B.C.’s housing supply

   Appeared in the Vancouver Sun, June 12, 2017 In the wake of last month’s election, the NDP and Green Party appear poised to form the next government in Victoria. And yet, in their 10-page agreement, (which has sweeping implications for the future of ...

8. Ontario’s double-squeeze on new homes

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 12, 2017 As public concern over skyrocketing home prices in Toronto reaches a fever pitch, governments are quick to point to external factors—foreign buyers, real estate speculators, supposed greedy landlords—but rarely ...

9. Housing in Vancouver—the city can’t be both low-density and affordable

   Appeared in the Vancouver Province, May 4, 2017 Housing prices in B.C. have caused a media frenzy, as analysts, pundits and activists wrestle with how to improve affordability in Vancouver. So far, the discussion has fixated on foreign buyers, speculators ...

10. New Homes and Red Tape in British Columbia: Residential Land-Use Regulation in the Lower Mainland

    As an increasing number of people move to Canada’s major cities, high housing prices persist in its most desirable markets. With growing concerns about housing affordability and prices, understanding how public policy affects the supply of new homes is ...