Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 01/08/2026SB 827 had a maximum FAR of 3.25 for projects that were 55 feet tall and 2.5 for projects that were 45 feet tall. 020
Reposted by Brian HanlonCalifornia YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · 10/06/2026RAND: Measure ULA blocked 9,000+ new homes and cost LA $452M in forgone revenue. Fewer homes mean higher rents for everyone. Targeted reform could produce 19,000 more homes while preserving 72% of revenue. www.rand.org/pubs/researc... 03314
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 06/06/2026"a mix of tendentious, biased research, feeble academic agitprop and jargon-laden nonsense" is my new go-to description for the anti-YIMBY slop coming out of geography departments. www.vanderbilt.edu/principles/s...vanderbilt.eduState of Scholarship ReportIntroduction We presume that our readers recognize the value of the humanistic disciplines and their central place in the modern research university. The humanities and the social sciences take as the... 160
Reposted by Brian HanlonBrad Ewing @bradleyewing.bsky.social · 25/05/2026California if the legislature didn’t water down every Wiener housing bill 1914
Reposted by Brian HanlonJulian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 20/05/2026I’m not sure why this isn’t being mentioned more, but: IRS policy for 50 years has been that the sitting president & VP get audited every year, in an effort to reassure the public they’re not corruptly abusing the office to enrich themselves. 3599513904
Reposted by Brian HanlonSaad Asad @realsaadasad.bsky.social · 20/05/2026San Diego fell from 5th to 12th most expensive rental market by building more multifamily housing per capita than any other California city. This is what happens when you actually build. The lesson isn't complicated. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/05/13/s... 151564329
Reposted by Brian HanlonSenator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 20/05/2026The corruption surrounding Trump’s “settlement” with the IRS is breathtaking: Nearly $2B to be disbursed to Trump’s allies, releasing Trump, his families & businesses from all tax liability & immunizing them from audits. There must be severe accountability for this strip-mining of the U.S. Treasury 510819
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 19/05/2026As someone who also grew up in metro DC, I continue to find it baffling that I can *walk* to different weather in SF. 071
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Funny thing is that a significant part of Sam Altman’s fortune is invested in Helion, which is exactly the kind of insane bet I want rich nerds to make. 130
Reposted by Brian HanlonCalifornia YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · 12/05/2026We have four great pro-housing candidates running for governor. Here's what we like, what concerns us, and questions we still have about Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, and Matt Mahan. By our co-founder and CEO, @hanlon.bsky.social:cayimby.orgOn the Race for California Governor: An Abundance of Pro-Housing CandidatesBallots have already dropped. The primary is June 2. What follows is what we like, what concerns us, and the specific questions we still want answered by each candidate. We've tried to be honest and t... 0173
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Ballots have already dropped. The primary is June 2. Take a moment to celebrate hard-won progress - then fill out your ballot and get back to work! Full assessment of each candidate here: cayimby.org/blog/on-the-...cayimby.orgOn the Race for California Governor: An Abundance of Pro-Housing CandidatesBallots have already dropped. The primary is June 2. What follows is what we like, what concerns us, and the specific questions we still want answered by each candidate. We've tried to be honest and t... 030
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/20263) Appoint housing leaders to every post. Personnel is policy. Whether SB 79 gets implemented aggressively or watered down, whether the Coastal Commission becomes a partner or stays an obstacle, whether HCD enforces housing element law - it all depends on appointees. 11/ 150
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/20262) Refuse "everything bagel" policymaking. It's tempting to load every housing bill with worthwhile goals - labor standards, affordability mandates, extra review, community benefits. Each has its own logic. The cumulative effect makes housing impossibly expensive to build. 10/ 140
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Three asks for whoever wins: 1) Lead, don't just preside. Bills don't pass themselves. Coalitions don't hold themselves together. Interest groups will pressure the Legislature to dilute reforms that actually work. The answer is to lead, not compromise on what matters. 9/ 140
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026I law out my concerns with each candidate in the post. The bigger story is the alignment. That didn’t happen by accident. It's the product of years of YIMBY organizing, door-knocking, planning commission fights, and tough legislative wins like SB 79. (Posting helped too.) 8/ 130
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Matt Mahan: The strongest track record of unlocking housing in this race. After a year of zero market-rate starts in San Jose, his fee reform produced 2,000 homes. His 15-point statewide plan is the most detailed and focuses on the binding constraint: high costs. 7/ 120
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Katie Porter: Early SB 79 supporter who's shown a rare combo of policy expertise and political courage. She's also been willing to push back on labor allies when "skilled and trained" language would kill projects. 6/ 120
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Tom Steyer: A vocal supporter of SB 79 throughout the legislative fight, not just after it was signed. He's called for a million new homes in four years, paired with a real revenue plan: ending Prop 13 for commercial property to reduce cities' dependence on developer fees. 5/ 140
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Xavier Becerra: As AG, he sued San Mateo for violating the HAA, and won. That ruling has been cited in many cases since and changed what cities could get away with. His platform now calls for directing state boards (including the Coastal Commission!) to prioritize housing. 4/ 131
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026We're not endorsing in the primary - not because the candidates don't deserve your vote, but because each has put forward credible, pro-housing platforms. Becerra, Steyer, Porter, and Mahan all have real YIMBY bonafides. Vote for the one who best reflects your values. 3/ 130
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026A decade ago, you couldn’t get a CA city councilmember to say "zoning" in public without flinching. This year, the 4 leading Democrats running for governor are competing over who'd be most aggressive on local preemption, fee reform, and CEQA. That's an extraordinary shift. 2/ 140
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Becerra sued a city under the HAA and won. Steyer backed SB 79 when it was costly to. Porter has shown rare willingness to say no to allies. Mahan cut fees and unlocked 2,000 homes in San Jose. 3,300+ word assessment of the candidates, and 3 asks for the winner:🧵 cayimby.org/blog/on-the-...cayimby.orgOn the Race for California Governor: An Abundance of Pro-Housing CandidatesBallots have already dropped. The primary is June 2. What follows is what we like, what concerns us, and the specific questions we still want answered by each candidate. We've tried to be honest and t... 2175
Reposted by Brian HanlonM. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Posting is cool, but taking action is even cooler. One of the most impactful thing you can do to advance YIMBYism in California is to team up with other YIMBYs and knock on doors for pro-housing candidates. Join us this Saturday for the first YIMBY Day of Action! linktr.ee/cayimby#5595... 1338
Reposted by Brian HanlonArmand Domalewski @armanddomalewski.bsky.social · 04/05/2026most YIMBY skeptical work tends to be bad but this is so absurdly bad I’m amazed the Urban Institute published it 2955
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 03/05/2026Sadly, Atlanta is one of the top-20 MSAs that I’ve never visited (along with Phoenix, Detroit, and Orlando). 120
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 02/05/2026I agree that the current system is bad! Again, all the more reason to design a variety of pattern books at the state or even national level. 030
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 02/05/2026All the more reason to develop and advocate for good plans, instead of letting incumbent planners draft and implement bad plans. 150
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 02/05/2026And part of @cayimby.bsky.social’s nascent aesthetic efforts are to prevent or abolish the kind of bad aesthetic regulations OP refers to! cayimby.org/blog/buildin...cayimby.orgBuilding Beautiful Homes - California YIMBYThe Next Phase of California’s Pro-Housing Reforms By Eduardo Mendoza California is finally making it easier to build more housing – but the next fight is whether people like what gets built. Ugly and... 060
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Portland regularly builds nicer multifamily than SF, and I think it’s worth figuring out why. Pattern books could reduce soft costs, in addition to creating more distinctive, nicer neighborhoods. If we spend ~3% of our efforts on aesthetics and placemaking, is that terrible? 480
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 27/04/2026I’m trying to remember a quote from an art critic, something like “Millennials produced great graphic artists, but no great art.” Art consumers who hang around scenes but don’t produce themselves are still necessary for any thriving scene! 020
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 27/04/2026That novel also resonated with me, but we are very squarely within the (American) target audience. It felt almost too neatly contrived to appeal to aging elder-millennial urban yuppies who had many fun 10+ year-old stories about being in an artsy scene. 200
Reposted by Brian HanlonCalifornia YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · 27/04/2026One of the most effective things you can do for housing is help elect people who support it. May 9 & 16, California YIMBY Days of Action make it easy. Find a canvass near you, show up, and help move a competitive primary in the right direction. linktr.ee/cayimby#5595...linktr.eecayimby Official: TikTok, Instagram, X | LinktreeView cayimby’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like YouTube, Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a click away! 0126
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Any tall Portlanders have a bike I could borrow from June 19 - 20, or know of a good shop that rents bikes for tall people? 001
Reposted by Brian HanlonSenator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 14/04/2026I've spent my life sticking my neck out for San Francisco. Building housing to bring down costs, protecting our healthcare, and making sure ICE can't hide behind masks. I've got a long neck, and an even longer track record of serving this community. I'd be honored to represent you in Congress. 26010
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 14/04/2026I think they do. I see coyotes often in the morning or at night. 000
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 14/04/2026This guy lives near me in SF. From Saturday morning: 110
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 28/03/2026Philanthropic foundations: please don’t fund a left-right alliance against liberal democracy because you dislike neoliberalism. Fascism is much much worse! 0152
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 15/03/2026Seems harder than making the Republican Party welcoming for Right-of-center people who believe in the the rule of law. Are any foundations funding right-of-center political entrepreneurs to create a new Party? Do you think fighting neoliberals was worthwhile, given the authoritarian threat? 100
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Given America’s 2-party system, what do you propose to do? 100
Reposted by Brian HanlonCalifornia YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · 11/03/2026Oregon's legislature passed a bill requiring cities to fund affordability mandates for new buildings or scrap them. Portland's unfunded version had driven builders to cap projects at 19 homes to dodge the mandate. www.sightline.org/2026/03/05/o...sightline.orgOregon’s New Path to Inclusionary Housing: Fully Funded and Flexible | Sightline InstituteAn environmental justice champion led the push to end counterproductive, unfunded mandates. 1447
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 10/03/2026Favorite tools for *reliably* and *accurately* extracting text from PDFs? 110
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Despite some reports, California YIMBY is not close to endorsing anyone for Governor. Those who say otherwise are lying. We look forward to hearing from Democratic candidates for Governor at our candidate forum on Friday morning! 0133
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 16/02/2026The problems are more with the voting public and their electeds than planners. Americans are rich and enjoy being able to drive and park everywhere. It’s the job of advocates like us to change their views! 030
Reposted by Brian HanlonM. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 14/02/2026"The ballot initiative is bad and will destroy local housing production, but the vibes are good so I'm voting for it." Reminds me of how folks in Los Angeles talked about ULA, a blunder that might be ending Mayor Bass' career four years early. 0746
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 13/02/2026Legalize beauty! Here’s a preview of California YIMBY’s new aesthetic agenda. We can achieve broad-based housing affordability AND build beautiful buildings and neighborhoods. 0216
Reposted by Brian HanlonMetropolitan Abundance Project @metroabundance.bsky.social · 12/02/2026What if NYC invested $1B/yr in building transit instead of free-fare buses? 41 miles of new subway, housing, and so much more. @usa.streetsblog.org looks at the Transit Cost Project's new 'expansive and audacious plan' to make the city more affordable.nyc.streetsblog.org 031
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 11/02/2026Also, self driving is already here. It took longer than AV boosters predicted, but Waymo works. 140