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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

NYC also owns the land, so they are subsidizing via a depressed land sale price. Finally, size: In sheer size, 100 Gold St will be much larger than any single contiguous Namdar block—the Van Reipen/Pavonia block of Homestead Pl will be 2680 apartments.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Another interesting point of comparison is the below market rate component. The set aside is 25%, but the rents they can charge for the BMR units are higher (60% AMI vs 53% AMI) and the BMR units are allowed to be mostly 1BRs rather than 3BRs like in JC (700sqft avg size).

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Namdar's towers top out at 47-51 floors despite the higher FAR, while 100 Gold will top out at 115 floors, because Journal Sq towers are governed by a height limit, while NYC towers are governed by the FAR limit.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The FAR density of 100 Gold St will be 30, which comparable to some of Namdar's Journal Sq towers (the one at Newark and Central will have a residential FAR of 38.6). By far the highest residential FAR of any Manhattan apartment building (NYC a FAR cap of 12 from 1961-2024)

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Great context. Makes OP's misleading claim that data centers are crowding out all other construction even weaker.

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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 25/09/2026

I didn’t attend climate week but: 1—US is falling way behind on electrification 2—even if US electrified, electricity generation isn’t decarbonizing fast enough 3—public incentives & land use policy are still vastly weighted toward inefficient cars & trucks 4—transit ridership remains in crisis

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🚲Bike JC🗽 @bikejc.org · 22/09/2026

Big meeting Wednesday evening on bus rapid transit on JFK Blvd!! Come out and support!

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Better Blocks NJ @betterblocksnj.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

We heard you want your buses fast, free from traffic, and on-time. Attend the Hudson County Bus Rapid Transit meeting this Wednesday to help make that a reality. betterblocksnj.org/2026/09/21/w...

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I thought they were all-in on this for the revenue, if no other reason?

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Bus-priority 🚌🚍 @bus-priority.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

All day

Bus riders walking in between cars to get on the bus.

Bus riders walking in between cars to board the bus because the cars are illegally parked

Bus has to stop in the left lane because drivers are illegally parked

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Interacting with you is liable to cause even more brain damage lamentably

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Yeah that sucks and I dont defend it bit weird of you guys to claim moral superiority since you lionize tyrants who did even worse than executing convicted murderers—executing political dissidents

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I know, I know, off to the guillotines for me

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Hot reqctionary take here, but I believe the death penalty is wrong in all circumstances and I dont believe a tyrant should be absolved from the act of executing people for their opinions just because they Put People Before Profit and did a free healthcare.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Symbols matter. White House isn't a palace. Kennedy Center is for the general public to enjoy. We don't have a triumphal arch in DC because that's imperial. We don't put the president's face on money because it's monarchical. It's about tearing down everything that says we're a democratic republic.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Call me crazy but I believe the death penalty is wrong, and double wrong when it's for political expression, and putting people before profit doesnt absolve that.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I cant seem to come on BlueSky these days without having a DSA person argue that some tyrant who executed political dissidents and starved the population is Good Actually. Call me crazy but I find this negatively polarizing.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Glad to see the DSA believes executing political dissidents is nbd. Psychopaths.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

DSA's main Twitter account put out a statement celebrating Fisel Castro last month. These are not fringe tankies who are ignored. Not even some secondary DSA caucus. The main exec committee.

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Boaz Nash @boazhsan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Seeing a book by Mao being handed out at a local DSA meeting was a bit disturbing.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Thr courts in NJ seem to treat only the height in feet as binding. At least that is what zoning lawyers have said here at meetings.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The purpose statements thing helps resolve legal disputes. If you look at any federal or state bill, nearly all have a purpose and intent section. Courts often refer to these in disputes over the interpretations of laws. It is smart to have such a statement in a law, such as a zoning code is.

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Better Blocks NJ @betterblocksnj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A judge voided Jersey City's demolition ban on Aug. 26. Since 2018, the city could deny demolition of any building, landmarked or not, with no public list of what was protected. The court held state law only lets historic commissions review designated sites. betterblocksnj.org/2026/09/17/c...

betterblocksnj.org

NJ Court Strikes Down Jersey City's Demolition Ban Ordinance

Jersey City's demolition ban overturned by court, clarifying rules on historic buildings and demolition.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

They also exist in lower Mamhattan (especially thr LES and Greenwich Village) which were developed around the same time as Paulus Hook and Harsimus Cove. A small handful up the hill south of Journal Sq and in JC Heights too.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Absolutely cannot be rebuilt. Jc allows ADUs but not, ironically, in the downtown historic districts where they are most common, and they cannot be multifamily or taller than 2 stories. And there needs to be an exterior passage to them (these are accessed through the front buildings)

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

From the front there is no indication these accessory apartment buildings exist:

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Fire hit two 3-story rear (accessory) tenements in Jersey City' Paulus Hook neighborhood today. In the 19th century these were built in the backs of lots, with larger tenement buildings in front. This block has 3 altogether, with these 2 attached and the other a few lots away. Photo from reddit.

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Sam @samd.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

inclusionary zoning is such a deceptive name because it sounds like the opposite of exclusionary zoning when in reality it often just ends up being a whitewashed form of exclusionary zoning I wrote about it here for anyone who wants to learn more:

bettercities.substack.com

Everything You Need to Know About Inclusionary Zoning

An analysis of the pros and cons of an often-misunderstood housing policy

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

How about the recent DSA communication celebrating Fidel Castro? It was tweeted from the mai n DSA account, it was written in the DSA's voice, international committee was not mentioned. Still an international committee comm?

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

An IZ mandate is an apartment ban. It says, "if your development cant afford to cross-subsudize a portion of the units, we prefer it not be built at all." What's interesting is, evidence suggests voluntary inclusioanry incentives can produce a similar amt of aff unitd without the harms to supply.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

"Calibrate it" 1) if it doesnt cause harm, what is there to calibrate? 2) it is hubris to believe you can calibrate and find a "sweet spot"—there's no simple formula to find this. And to the extent formulas exist predicting the effects of IZ, they predict any IZ at all raises rents & reduces supply

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I wont deny that there is some sorting, especially in the ahorter run. My point though is these wealthy suburbs are far far far from having pulled out all the stops. What we see now is artificial and policy driven. Directionally there is a lot being left on the table.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Pre-zoning was also pre-car, and the working class servants and laborers had to live relatively nearby to out of necessity. In many cases, in the same home as the wealthy.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

MoCo has 7500 IZ units, which is a pittance of the total housing stock, ~1.8%. That is not xiversity, that is tokenism. And it has come at the cost of making middle class housing financially inviable to build so you need subsidized social housing even for 120% AMI. Total mess.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

In the pre-zoning world it was common for rich neighborhoods to "decline" and for exclusive enclaves to be "invaded" by apartment "parasites," somethung noted in the 1920s zoning enavling studies. In Manhattan exclusive neighborhood after exclusive neighborhood succumbed to downmarket pressures.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

And that is with IZ and generally exclusionary zoning both driving up these rents.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

You sound very confident without having tried it. I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss the fact that the surroundings are all 1-family. Again, the paper finds that few of these wealthy places with turbo IZ even *try* to not be exclusionary via zoning.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Sorry to be pedantic, but market rent is not exogenous here. I am open to the idea that there could be some extreme cases where middle-class new homes are impossible, but I still in the vast majority of the country it should be possible if only it is allowed.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

If land is expensive, cheaper apartments can compete for the land by using less of it per unit—i.e., buildong dense. And density is exactly what these exclusionary places prohibit.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

If unfunded IZ doesnt cause harms to supply and rents, as you claim, then why wouldnt unfunded IZ fit all localities?

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

100% AMI market rate new builds are viable without IZ. Even lower levels than that. Something wrong in MoCo (its the zoning and other red tape)

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Wait you're claiming IZ has caused racial but not economic diversity in MontCo?

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Here is the thing: the paper finds that these places with stringent IZ self-impose exclusivity via restrictive zoning. It should be possible for the middle class to gain a foothold in many of these places if that were not the case.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Tbf she is right that almost half of studies have failed to find significant effects. But given the methodological challenges she mentions, I think it is remarkable the rest do in fact find an effect.

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3underscores.bsky.social @3underscores.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I recently saw a 1,000-unit IZ project here die because the neighborhood groups demanded other expensive givebacks. It would need a tax abatement to pencil with the IZ + the givebacks. But few of the IZ advocates thought the affordable housing was worth a dime in taxpayer subsidy so it wont happen.

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