February questions of the day

February questions of the day.

How is our government indirectly discouraging the development of new   rental  units?

     By offering home owners tax breaks  (homeowners do not have to pay taxes on their capital gains) while keeping rental income (and thus rents) fully taxed.

 According to Dale, how, in the end, do you make housing affordable?

     Increase supply and transit investment so that supply doesn't happen in just very selective neighbourhoods of Vancouver.

According to Dale, making housing affordable depends on two market aspects. Affordable housing is both an issue of _(one word)_  and  _(one word)_.

     (supply, income)

 What are the key factors in the politics of housing?

    Interest rates (Federal), tax regime (Federal and Provincial), incomes policy (Federal, Provincial), mortgage finance (Federal), land use (Cities), social welfare (Provincial)

 

Which level(s) of government is (are) responsible for most of the decisions that are made about housing affordability?

    The local government is blamed for lack of affordable housing but it's actually the federal and provincial government that make the key decisions.

The Warped Grid was an expression of

A.  Jeffersonian Democracy

B.  The Romantic Ideal

C.  The hierarchical street network bent to conform to topography

 When comparing Dendritic and interconnected street systems, dendritic systems pose many problems. What are two major issues caused by dendritic systems?

     400% more traffic through intersection

     60% more pedestrian fatalities within the neighbourhoods when compared to areas of equal population with interconnected street networks. 

What was it that Peter Calthorpe, the California architect, found most troubling about David Beers’  “Tomorrowland” article ?

     The article was written as if the future was inevitable!

Based on studies, what percentage of people think that journalists help society solve its problems? Do more harm than good? Get it within five percent either way and you win!

      35% think media helps, 51% think media get in the way, 14% have no idea!

What are three ways of reporting on future focussed solutions?

      live the proposed solution and report back

      find the prototype in your midst, report the facts and reasoning

      is our better future happening now somewhere else? go there, report back