Should European housing politics be Americanized?
5 hours ago
- #Zoning
- #YIMBYism
- #Housing Shortage
- Europe's housing shortages are more severe than America's, yet zoning is rarely discussed as a primary cause.
- YIMBYism, a prominent movement in the U.S. advocating for housing development, is virtually nonexistent in continental Europe.
- European housing prices have risen steadily since WWII, largely due to regulatory restrictions on building, including zoning.
- European cities often restrict both outward expansion and densification, with suburbs protected by zoning similar to the U.S.
- NIMBYism likely underpins European zoning but remains latent due to lack of political pressure for densification.
- European indifference to zoning may stem from suburbs' lower cultural significance and zoning's non-politicized origins compared to the U.S.
- Solving Europe's worsening housing shortages may require zoning reforms, akin to American discussions.