Weekend Update, April 17

A quick jab of hot takes

Driving to Baltimore this morning to get my second dose and be a full-fledged member of the Pfizer Pfam.

Build baby, build

New housing starts are on fire, and while the high cost of timber will likely slow that soon, it’s a reminder that there is strong demand for housing. Meanwhile, many big cities are facing anxiety about a possible structural decline in the demand for office space with attendant consequences for their tax base.

The solution? Rezone for more housing. Heck, the kinds of tall structures that market forces would support in cities like San Francisco, New York, D.C., Seattle, and Los Angeles don’t even rely on timber. And it’s not just zoning per se. If Buffalo can get results from reducing mandatory parking minimums, then so can your city. After all, it’s not like Buffalo is America’s greatest mass transit paradise or suffers from the most severe cases of land scarcity and high prices. Change the rules! Save yourselves! Build a better tomorrow!

Johnson & Johnson and the E…