Post

D Fletcher Dunham
@dfdunham.bsky.social

Sorry to all the people I’ve been grousing to about this for fifteen years but -

M. Nolan Gray 🥑@mnolangray.bsky.social

The more I've learned about how US building codes work, the more scandalized I've become. It almost makes zoning look good! Our codes, which are owned by a private entity, are updated constantly, with almost no research or cost-benefit analysis... www.housingwire.com/articles/mod...

housingwire.comBuilding Code Reform Needs Longer Cycles and More ScrutinyThe author urges evidence and cost analysis for model code changes, plus longer timelines so cities can evaluate how provisions work in practice.
D Fletcher Dunham
@dfdunham.bsky.social

It didn’t get traction on YIMBY twitter because bldg code is much harder to understand than zoning code to the Bay Area spreadsheet bros

0 reposts2 likes

Patrick Siegman
@siegman.biz

When you say zoning wasn't really the issue, were you exaggerating for effect, or do you really think it wasn't a real impediment in California? As somebody who's worked on fire code reforms for decades, I'd argue we need both zoning and building code reform, both are crucial, and both need work.

Patrick Siegman
@siegman.biz

For example, many housing types (townhomes, etc.) have been market-feasible in wealthy CA cities for decades, even without building code reform, but have been blocked by zoning rules (minimum lot sizes, etc.). This project is likely underway only due to state mandates for zoning reform:

news.theregistrysf.comLos Gatos Lodge Makes Way for SummerHill’s $150MM Solana Housing Development - The Registry Northern California Real EstateSummerHill Homes breaks ground on $78M Solana development, replacing Los Gatos Lodge with 155 townhomes amid traffic concerns and housing mandates.