As California's current high-speed rail fiasco attests, big and ambitious public projects are hard. California's biggest project of all is housing development. Will it suffer the same fate? In this final episode, Brian explores the impediments to success, including the increasingly caustic "backyard brawl" between NIMBYS and YIMBYS, and asks his guests to pitch their versions of a successful housing future.

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/business/high-speed-rail-2/

https://smdp.com/news/fresh-batch-of-yimby-housing-bills-clash-with-coastal-protections-again/

https://smdp.com/government-politics-2/abundance-meets-resistance-are-democrats-finally-ready-to-go-all-in-on-building-housing/

In this episode, Brian examines three housing development projects in Santa Monica – all of which have courted controversy. One is a large development that could replace a beloved grocery store, another is a supportive housing project a block from the city's shopping promenade, and the third is a project that was killed by community activism, with unintended consequences.

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/news/public-stir-persists-for-gelsons-replacement-project/

https://smdp.com/business/development/plans-updated-for-122-unit-affordable-housing-development-at-1318-4th-street/

https://smdp.com/business/residents-want-a-reduced-bergamot-transit-village/

Building affordable housing is a big priority in Santa Monica. This episode investigates how affordable housing is built, and what "affordability" even means as the nationwide cost of living rises. Many fear that the push to build more affordable housing is leading to gentrification instead.  

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/business/development/race-is-on-to-shape-affordable-housing-near-17th-street-smc-metro-station/

https://smdp.com/business/development/santa-monica-puts-three-city-owned-sites-up-for-lease-as-part-of-affordable-housing-push/

https://smdp.com/business/development/community-corporation-celebrates-santa-monicas-first-modular-affordable-housing-development/

Santa Monica, like much of Los Angeles County, is a city dominated by neighborhoods of low-density, single-family homes. But low density has played a role in California's housing crisis. The state is responding with "Density Bonuses" for developers, which encourage more building, but at what cost? This episode crunches the numbers, explains the density bonus "matrix," and spotlights a planned density bonus building.

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/news/density-bonus-rules-allow-developers-to-double-the-size-of-some-projects/

https://smdp.com/uncategorized/santa-monica-board-continues-review-of-132-unit-housing-project-over-design-concerns/

https://smdp.com/business/development/santa-monica-housing-pilot-program-reaches-capacity-within-days-planning-commission-seeks-extension/

Delays in the approval of Santa Monica's housing element lead to a historic punishment for the city: activation of a loophole called "The Builder's Remedy." Developers are now able to flood Santa Monica with construction – and the city is powerless to stop it.

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/news/builders-remedy/

https://smdp.com/business/godzilla-next-door-how-california-developers-gained-new-leverage-to-build-more-homes/

https://smdp.com/news/development/

https://smdp.com/business/development/planning-commission-approves-18-story-housing-project-despite-environmental-appeal/

In the first episode of A Developing Story, host Brian Peter Falk introduces the idyllic beach city of Santa Monica, California and explores how a controversial state wide development mandate called "The Housing Element" is forcing the city to allow the construction of nearly 9,000 new apartments.

Santa Monica Daily Press Links:

https://smdp.com/news/hcd-rejects-citys-housing-element-demands-revisions/

https://smdp.com/news/after-housing-element-debacle-implementation-work-begins/

https://smdp.com/news/housing-element-becomes-hot-topic-at-local-leader-gathering/

https://smdp.com/news/environment/wildfire-debris-build-up-on-our-beaches-could-equate-to-an-ecological-disaster/