Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 2d

Very cool new job posting! Social Science Research Council is hiring a Program Director to help launch a new Abundance Academic Network -- terrific opportunity to bridge social science research with current policy debates. Details below:
job-boards.greenhouse.io/socialscienc...

Program Director

Brooklyn

job-boards.greenhouse.io

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 2d

Even in the academic journal universe, where editors serve different functions, good editors add enormous value. @coulsoncommaed.bsky.social and Dan McMillan shaped the field of urban economics through thoughtfully curating and shepherding papers.

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 2d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 2d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 6d

Pumpkin biscuits. Happy fall, friends!

Golden orange flaky biscuits on a baking sheet.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 8d

Great example of how tariffs harm broad economic segments but benefit narrow niche interests: housing analysts + NAHB worry (rightly) that tariffs on cabinets will slow housing production. Who's happy? The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/b...

New Tariffs Could Worsen America’s Housing Crisis

www.nytimes.com

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 10d

Panel on Western NC disaster recovery points out that federal programs aren’t structured to support renters. That’s a policy *choice*. The US consistently excludes renters from financial benefits that homeowners receive. It doesn’t have to the that way.

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Reposted by Jenny Schuetz

Jeff Wachter @jeffwachter.bsky.social · 12d

We need to address both housing supply & ensuring family-sized homes that aren't just suburban single-families. Legalizing single-stair (w/safe construction materials) can help with both. We shouldn't be re-inventing the wheel w/long commissions; learn from places like Seattle & get it implemented.

Do apartment buildings really need two stairwells? - The Boston Globe

Fire safety advances have made single-stair construction safer.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 11d

Raleigh is serious about its historic homes - but also has some lovely newer ones. Townhouse mews are a great land-efficient option. And hats off to NC realtors…y’all got good taste.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 12d

How *not* to alleviate the housing shortage: tax cabinets. Kitchens & bathrooms are already some of the largest cost drivers for housing prices. Renovations have a big multiplier effect on local jobs.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/r...

Home Builders, and Homeowners, Brace for Impact of Kitchen Tariffs

www.nytimes.com

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 15d

Tireless Mercatus team @salimfurth.bsky.social @ebwhamilton.bsky.social @charlescgardner.bsky.social just dropped 18 (!) strategies for state govts to increase housing supply. Love the ideas to limit "lawsuits of questionable merit" [ahem, Virginia]. www.mercatus.org/research/pol...

Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2026

Although state legislatures took unprecedented strides toward releasing the housing supply from its regulatory straitjacket in 2025, most pro-housing policies have not yet been adopted in most states....

www.mercatus.org

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 16d

Hard agree with @jerusalem.bsky.social: the Abundance movement does *not* want an abundance of Town Meetings. So much less adorable in real life than in Gilmore Girls. Right, @salimfurth.bsky.social @jessekb.bsky.social ?

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 17d

Damn. Look at Montana seriously trying to put roofs over a lotta people's heads, use land efficiently, and keep construction costs down. And preserve mountain views!

Sean Jursnick @seanjurs.bsky.social · 17d

Modular, mass timber, and single-stair

This workforce housing project in Montana maxes out the current IBC code limitations on single housing with a 10,000 sf floor plate and 8-bed units that each feature shared living, kitchen, and laundry.

www.idcubedmodular.com/blank

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 17d

The key to staying semi-focused through an afternoon of back-to-back meetings: eat a piece of chocolate just before each meeting.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 22d

Nextdoor *isn't* the place for rational conversations?? [shocked face]

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 24d

The vibes at YIMBYtown were amazing. More than any other conference I’m familiar with, most people at YT are doing meaningful work on the ground and attend because they want to become more effective. Pragmatic, optimistic and energetic—just what we need right now. Let’s build more homes, y’all!

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 25d

Eric Goldwyn: we need to be more transparent about the tradeoffs between asking transportation projects to bear the costs of all the adjacent stuff (housing, parks, sewers). Hard agree.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 25d

Yimby phase 1 is about changing the rules. Yimby phase 2 is about getting sh*t built.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 25d

What we want from transportation systems is access to stuff. Having choices about how to travel is good. Getting around safely is good. And to broaden the tent, we can’t demonize people for driving. (Really important & underdiscussed point.)

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 25d

Last morning of @yimbytown.bsky.social , Stephanie Pollock laying down truths about transportation systems. What we want in abundance is *not* transit. It’s getting people where they want to go. Some houses for people also need houses for cars - but not all of them.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 26d

Tom Wright of RPA: the two words that have been the bane of my career are “home rule”. 🔥

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 26d

ND Gov. Kelly Armstrong at @yimbytown.bsky.social : on any policy change, 20% of people will be cranky & loud against, 80% are supportive but busy living their lives & don’t speak up. Ignore the 20%. Turn off your social media. Find a compelling emotional hook to engage the silent 80%.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 26d

Good morning to the triple deckers of New Haven. May they be legal to build everywhere.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 27d

Tomorrow I’m moderating a panel at my 3rd @yimbytown.bsky.social , reflecting on a decade of pro-housing activism. During the 1st one (Boulder 2016), I was working for the Federal Reserve Board, which would *never* have sanctioned me attending such a subversive (in the best possible way) event.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 27d

Yeah, strong argument not to drink cheap light beer.

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 27d

Absolutely not.

Neil Kornutick @neilkornutick.bsky.social · 28d

You can actually just have ice in your beer.

WKRN News 2 @wkrnnews2.bsky.social · 28d

Why isn't beer served over ice?

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Jenny Schuetz @jennyschuetz.bsky.social · 28d

Fittingly, the YIMBYtown express* leaves DC passing through NoMa, the YIMBYest neighborhood in the US.
* not really, but that should be are train.

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