It’s astonishing that in 2023 we have city governments in the United States that claim the mantle of “climate leadership” but have 6 pages in their building codes explaining why you have to keep your leaky, barely-operable, single-pane windows.
Conversation
![David Watson 🥑](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="96" height="96"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Reply
The correct answer to “would you like to know what kind of windows you are permitted to use in our historic village” is “go fuck yourself, give me a HERS rating target”
When I bought my house in Berkeley I had to put up a bond of $2500 to city to ensure I insulated the attic, which is required at purchase.
I did a blower door test & full energy audit, which showed I lost most of my energy through the walls and windows. I gave it to the city.
I asked them if I could instead spend my $2500 insulating my walls and replacing a couple windows (windows are expensive).
They didn’t even respond. “When the city inspector verifies that your attic is insulated to the standard you can apply for the return of your bond.”
We talk a lot about climate tech and buildings etc. but my friends, US cities are filled with ancient buildings and codes/regulations that are custom-tailored to prevent upgrades of any kind.
The average climate activist has no idea how hard it is to retrofit an old building …
without a NIMBY-ass city government literally preventing upgrades. Wiring is hard! Windows are hard! Drill/fill insulation is a PITA — and all of it is $$$$$.
We need a more robust discourse on demolition, IMO, historic preservers are increasingly the enemies of climate action.
Show more replies
More Tweets
On the heels of LA's homeless count reaching an all-time high, has revised her signature ED1 policy which was designed to expedite permits for 100% affordable housing projects.
Her revision? Exclude single-family neighborhoods ...
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="900" height="751"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
I hold radical belief that baristas should be able to live in the same city where they work.
Quote Tweet
O.G. Beckers
@dr_beckers
“Let’s tear down the city and destroy people’s way of life so my barista friends and I can live wherever we want!” twitter.com/maxdubler/stat…
just thinking about how aligned with the Koch brothers to oppose this public transit initiative in Nashville
we need progressives who actually care about progress instead of just problematizing everything
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1020" height="1200"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Quote Tweet
Max
@maxtmcc
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="240" height="360"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Replying to @maxtmcc
Nashville voters are not seeing heaven after shooting this down
I'm often asked why I care so much about housing policy.
My answer is simply because never have so many suffered so much for something so stupid
Every year, North American communities spend, on average, per person:
$50 on sidewalks and crosswalks
$180 on public transit subsidies
$1,000 on public roads and traffic services
More than $2,000 per capita on government-mandated parking facilities
Quote Tweet
Planetizen
@planetizen
A Fair Share for Walking dlvr.it/SrcLjX
The “don’t move here, we’re full” guy has to be a top 5 worst type of guy.
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="510" height="680"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="544" height="680"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="900" height="675"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
You’re unable to view this Tweet because this account owner limits who can view their Tweets. Learn more
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="50" height="50"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Taking the train to Long Island (to see a doctor, so I don’t ever wanna hear medical-related complaints about congestion pricing…this is SO much more expensive), so I’m using East Side Access/Grand Central Madison for the first time. Some thoughts:
So, for the cost of $49.5 million annually, Minnesota will make higher education tuition-free for upwards of 20,000 people trying to enter the workforce whose households make less than $80,000. All with a single-vote majority.
Quote Tweet
![Square profile picture](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="48" height="48"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
The Associated Press
@AP
North Dakota higher education officials are worried about losing students and revenue in 2024 when neighboring Minnesota makes tuition free for thousands of its residents at public colleges and universities. apnews.com/article/minnes
Literally my brain is ruined:
"I'm going for a walk!"
"...wow why is this road so wide? The traffic is so loud. There should be more trees here. Look at that empty parking lot, it could be room for some apartments. This intersection doesn't even have a pedestrian signal??!"
Quote Tweet
American Fietser
@AmericanFietser
Me: "I am going to enjoy my day!"
*Steps outside...
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="900" height="835"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
The era of “tier 1 city has falling population & you can live in Manhattan on a part time salary” is over
A bunch of ppl mistook an anomalous period of urban life that lasted abt 40 yrs for the norm. A lot of NIMBYism is about arguing it’s unfair cities aren’t like that anymore
Quote Tweet
Max Dubler 
@maxdubler
Replying to @knickknackfiend
It is very unlikely that any American city will ever be affordable like it was in the 70s-90s ever again because that era of urban housing affordability without development was a consequence of white flight and suburban sprawl.
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="900" height="663"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
keeping our elevated train lines that run through downtown and not demolishing them for subways is one of the best decisions the City of Chicago ever made
read image description
ALT
Seeing apartments in Chinatown right now
Me: “Broker’s fee is 15% right?”
Landlord: “10% for you because you’re Asian. Also there are four applications ahead of you but it’s yours if you want it because you remind me of my oldest son.”
God I love racism
I really need San Franciscans to understand that LA has exactly the same quality of public transit that SF has.
That quality is mediocrity; you can generally get to major destinations near you slowly, and if you’re traveling more than 5 miles, set aside 1.5 hours
Quote Tweet
djreed
@djreed
Replying to @NicoleBehnam and @nikitabier
really? LA feels shallow and immature compared to SF. no public transit and endless gridlock, impossible to get to your friends on any given night. don’t get it at all.
A big reason why people love college campuses is because there is a great and deliberate effort to be attractive.
Shockingly, people are attracted to the sorts of places that put their best foot forward!
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="800" height="533"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
A city is not worth having if people cannot live there comfortably or securely.
Quote Tweet
O.G. Beckers
@dr_beckers
“Let’s tear down the city and destroy people’s way of life so my barista friends and I can live wherever we want!” twitter.com/maxdubler/stat…
We shouldn’t build transit because trains are loud is really something, like have you ever stood next to a road?
Two forms of transit that carry the same amount of people.
Except One of them is solely powered by electricity, takes up 6 times less space and doesn't have routine crashes everyday.
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="900" height="678"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
A bunch of reactionaries with agrarian aesthetic preferences moved into hollowed-out urban areas in the 1970s and seized control of the local organs of political control and now we all pay half our income in rent
The “station in the middle of nowhere” ten years apart is an absolutely wild comparison
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="828" height="451"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
![Image](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="680" height="500"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Walked home drunk. I'm wondering, why are people afraid of this? It's nice to live somewhere where my friends are close, and I can walk home drunk and not worry about endangering myself or others in a car
Then I remember a lot of drivers just don't care about driving drunk
It's glaringly evident that the reason Los Angeles is one of North America's unsheltered homelessness capitols is because Karen Bass and the Democrats on the city council care as little about poverty and homelessness reduction as any Red State chud Republican you can think of.
Quote Tweet
Aaron Green
@AaronGuhreen
On the heels of LA's homeless count reaching an all-time high, @KarenBassLA has revised her signature ED1 policy which was designed to expedite permits for 100% affordable housing projects.
Her revision? Exclude single-family neighborhoods ...