#yimby

#yimby

Traditionally, critiques of bureaucracy take the perspective of the little man caught in the obtuse machinations of faceless corporations or an unyielding state. Kafka's Joseph K., for example, or Catch-22's Yossarian. Even The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins with protagonist Arthur Dent lying in front of a bulldozer to thwart an intransigent planning department. In recent years, we've seen the return of anti-bureaucratic mobilization,

An attempt by housing advocates to take control of the Sierra Club's Loma Prieta Chapter has gone down in flames. The chapter, which covers San Benito, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, is an influential voice in promoting environmental projects. It also endorses candidates for such offices as city council and county supervisors. The chapter's board elections this fall featured a slate of candidates backed by the organization's board and another backed by housing advocates.

We said it all day: The livable streets movement elected Zohran Mamdani. Sure, armies of Socialist volunteerchiks, immigrant aunties, renters, Bronxites and so many others filled his winning coalition (as this nice Times video shows), but don't neglect the role played by bus riders, bike riders and YIMBYs in getting the Queens Assembly member over the finish line in first.

"They're sitting on two million empty lots," he wrote. "I'm asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going and, by so doing, help restore the American Dream."

Yvonne Perez, a homeowner in the Richmond since 2017, said at the meeting that she understands her neighbors who are concerned about views being obstructed, or fear change. She used to be one of them. "I wasn't sure what to make of the upzoning plan. I didn't want the Richmond to become downtown with all the high-rises," she said. "But once I understood what it actually meant, more families, more younger generations, it changed my perspective."

"We are in a war with fascism... either you want to fight or you want to win. And people in this room, we want to fucking win."