The Cost of Geographic Ignorance

Randal O'ToolePaul Krugman needs to learn some geography. Last week, hewrote, “there’s no more room for housing” in California unless they build up. After all, he notes, “San Francisco is on a peninsula, Los Angeles is ringed by mountains.”This is not the kind of housing Californians want, but it is the kind of housing they are going to get under restrictive policies advocated by Krugman and others who believe in “building up,” not out.Photo by Junkyardsparkle.Yes, San Francisco is on a  peninsula. But, immediately to the south of the city is San Mateo County, which — according tocensus data— is 68 percent rural open space. South of San Mateo is Santa Clara County, home of San Jose, which is 74 percent rural.Krugman may have heard that there is bridge called the Golden Gate that connects San Francisco to Marin County, which is 84 percent rural open space. Another bridge called the Bay Bridge connects San Francisco to Alameda and Contra Costa counties, which are 63 and 57 percent rural open space. Between all of these counties together, more than two ‐​thirds of the San Francisco Bay Area is rural open space.In Los Angeles, a  study funded by the state of California found that more than 800,000  acres of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties are potentially developable. Over the hill, but a short drive away from Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have millions of acres of developable land.Krugman also needs to learn some cons...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs