Michael Andersen
@andersem.bsky.social
Believer, skeptic, humanist, typist & dad. Trying to make places fairer as director of cities + towns for @Sightline.org, here in Portland OR. Views here: mine, all mine.
Reposted by Michael Andersen
there's an old stereotype of china as outcompeting america because of masses of cheap labor. but as michael pettis puts it, contemporary chinese firms don't act as if labor is free. they act as if capital is free
“Yang Jiemin, VP of the state-owned company behind the port, said its highly automated operations require 60% fewer workers than traditional ports. It underscores one advantage Chinese companies have in deploying AI versus the U.S.: no independent labor unions.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-r... (🎁🔗)
Robots and AI Are Already Remaking the Chinese Economy
China’s factories and ports are learning to make and export more goods faster, cheaper and with fewer workers.
www.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
there's an old stereotype of china as outcompeting america because of masses of cheap labor. but as michael pettis puts it, contemporary chinese firms don't act as if labor is free. they act as if capital is free
Reposted by Michael Andersen
The implications of this are simple. Affordable housing isn’t free. Any commitment to inclusionary zoning that isn’t also a commitment to a robust gap financing program is a de facto tax on housing.
Good news: New data suggest that Portland's inclusionary zoning program is finally working as intended, after being fully funded in 2024 www.sightline.org/2025/11/25/p...
Portland’s Inclusionary Zoning Program Is Finally Performing, New Data Suggests | Sightline Institute
Because for the first time, the city fully funded it.
www.sightline.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The implications of this are simple. Affordable housing isn’t free. Any commitment to inclusionary zoning that isn’t also a commitment to a robust gap financing program is a de facto tax on housing.
Good news: New data suggest that Portland's inclusionary zoning program is finally working as intended, after being fully funded in 2024 www.sightline.org/2025/11/25/p...
Portland’s Inclusionary Zoning Program Is Finally Performing, New Data Suggests | Sightline Institute
Because for the first time, the city fully funded it.
www.sightline.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Good news: New data suggest that Portland's inclusionary zoning program is finally working as intended, after being fully funded in 2024 www.sightline.org/2025/11/25/p...
This is the future liberals want
Almost every Safeway in San Francisco is planning a total rebuild into "housing over grocery." At least three recent proposals. Meanwhile, zero proposals from Safeway in the East Bay. sfyimby.com/2025/11/prel... sfyimby.com/2025/11/perm... sfyimby.com/2025/11/bern...
Preliminary Plans Filed For Safeway in Outer Richmond, San Francisco - San Francisco YIMBY
Preliminary plans have been filed for an eight-story apartment complex at 850 La Playa Street in San Francisco’s Richmond District. The project will...
sfyimby.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:50 PM
This is the future liberals want
Reposted by Michael Andersen
The manufacturer is expanding as most other big players in Oregon's chip industry are shrinking.
Lam Research opens $65 million Tualatin office with room for 700 workers
The manufacturer is expanding as most other big players in Oregon's chip industry are shrinking.
www.oregonlive.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The manufacturer is expanding as most other big players in Oregon's chip industry are shrinking.
I can't vouch for the method behind this new ranking of 500 US cities by permitting efficiency, but here's how Oregon cities do in it www.redtapeindex.com/cities
November 20, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I can't vouch for the method behind this new ranking of 500 US cities by permitting efficiency, but here's how Oregon cities do in it www.redtapeindex.com/cities
Stancil is right about this. It doesn’t invalidate urbanism but we are swimming upstream
Right, this is true, but the OVERWHELMING evidence of the past 100 years of American life is that vastly more people want space and a car than a smaller unit and a car-free lifestyle. This is mostly why the suburban share of US population has grown relentlessly for the entire 20th and 21st century
Some people put a premium on space in my experience, others put a premium on not having to have a car and not being isolated out in the suburbs
November 19, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Stancil is right about this. It doesn’t invalidate urbanism but we are swimming upstream
Reposted by Michael Andersen
Alex Padilla lays it plain.
November 18, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Alex Padilla lays it plain.
Hmm
Conspiracy theory: AI Moral Panic is clearly a false flag operation by Meta et al to distract you from the fact that the real villain with respect to data centre demand and the corrosion of the public sphere is short-form video.
November 18, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Hmm
I can’t believe it’s been 4.5 years since Oregon’s wage agency made this nutso decision & it’s not even resolved the appeal
If nothing else, legislature needs to fix appeal timelines www.wweek.com/news/state/2...
If nothing else, legislature needs to fix appeal timelines www.wweek.com/news/state/2...
Landmark Eugene Development Stalls Over a Wage Dispute With Statewide Impacts
BOLI insists private developers must pay more because public dollars funded infrastructure.
www.wweek.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I can’t believe it’s been 4.5 years since Oregon’s wage agency made this nutso decision & it’s not even resolved the appeal
If nothing else, legislature needs to fix appeal timelines www.wweek.com/news/state/2...
If nothing else, legislature needs to fix appeal timelines www.wweek.com/news/state/2...
Reposted by Michael Andersen
Five seconds ago we were about to go to war with nigeria for allegedly not protecting persecuted christians and now here comes DHS with OPERATION HO-HO-HEROD
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Five seconds ago we were about to go to war with nigeria for allegedly not protecting persecuted christians and now here comes DHS with OPERATION HO-HO-HEROD
Premium Rush (2012): it’s good en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premium...
Premium Rush - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Premium Rush (2012): it’s good en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premium...
Reposted by Michael Andersen
I feel like the pope being an American cinephile is God finally rewarding Scorsese for a lifetime of devotion
November 17, 2025 at 4:35 AM
I feel like the pope being an American cinephile is God finally rewarding Scorsese for a lifetime of devotion
Reposted by Michael Andersen
In France they’ve got automated meter maids now – Waymo-looking cars that fine you if you don’t feed the meter. This article says that while a human can check a few dozen cars per hour, these can check up to 1,500 in an hour leocare.eu/fr/blog/sulf...
November 17, 2025 at 2:28 AM
In France they’ve got automated meter maids now – Waymo-looking cars that fine you if you don’t feed the meter. This article says that while a human can check a few dozen cars per hour, these can check up to 1,500 in an hour leocare.eu/fr/blog/sulf...
Reposted by Michael Andersen
it's cool that we adopted a street plaza program earlier this fall. have we opened any new street plazas since? not yet. are we at least keeping the existing street amenities we have? of course not!
Well, PBOT got what they wanted and the street seating at Taqueria Los Puñales has been removed. But at least we have two extra parking spaces on Belmont.
November 16, 2025 at 12:42 AM
it's cool that we adopted a street plaza program earlier this fall. have we opened any new street plazas since? not yet. are we at least keeping the existing street amenities we have? of course not!
It’s the high proportion of them that have ears and a heart variety.com/2025/music/o...
Explaining Gen-Z’s Mysterious Infatuation With Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ (Guest Post)
In this guest post, author Alan Light explores Gen-Z's curious love for Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours,' the most-streamed album of the 20th century.
variety.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:18 PM
It’s the high proportion of them that have ears and a heart variety.com/2025/music/o...
When I leave the wedding ring somewhere again
November 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
When I leave the wedding ring somewhere again
A federal program that deported 400,000 immigrants from 2008-2014 increased new-construction home prices by 16%, or $50k. This is net of reduced demand effects.
2023 paper
haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/u...
2023 paper
haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/u...
November 15, 2025 at 3:40 PM
A federal program that deported 400,000 immigrants from 2008-2014 increased new-construction home prices by 16%, or $50k. This is net of reduced demand effects.
2023 paper
haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/u...
2023 paper
haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Michael Andersen
Getting very tired of the tech bros making their inability to grapple with mortality everyone else's problem.
November 14, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Getting very tired of the tech bros making their inability to grapple with mortality everyone else's problem.
Reposted by Michael Andersen
Wild graphic on front page of WSJ.
November 14, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Wild graphic on front page of WSJ.
"Wiener’s more than just an interesting lawmaker from America’s third-weirdest city" www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Scott Wiener defeated California’s NIMBYs. Can he fix America’s housing crisis?
By running for Nancy Pelosi's House seat, he's putting the abundance theory to the test.
www.motherjones.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"Wiener’s more than just an interesting lawmaker from America’s third-weirdest city" www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
'We talk endlessly about the “missing middle.” But the real catastrophe was the “banished bottom”'
Good piece! I wish it mentioned that SROs are re-legalized in all multifamily zones in OR & WA
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Good piece! I wish it mentioned that SROs are re-legalized in all multifamily zones in OR & WA
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Banished Bottom of the Housing Market
How America Destroyed Its Cheapest Homes
substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:54 PM
'We talk endlessly about the “missing middle.” But the real catastrophe was the “banished bottom”'
Good piece! I wish it mentioned that SROs are re-legalized in all multifamily zones in OR & WA
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Good piece! I wish it mentioned that SROs are re-legalized in all multifamily zones in OR & WA
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed. and people are generally trying to flee it
Most counties in the US are losing people. While out-migration is a factor, new research suggests that falling birth rates are a major part of this phenomenon. Once people move out, they aren't being replaced.
Read more: www.upjohn.org/research-hig...
#Econsky
Read more: www.upjohn.org/research-hig...
#Econsky
Facing declining birth rates and out-migration, a majority of U.S. counties are losing population
www.upjohn.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:55 PM
The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed. and people are generally trying to flee it
Reposted by Michael Andersen
Reposted by Michael Andersen
legitimately wild congestion pricing wasn’t an issue in New York’s mayoral election
November 13, 2025 at 9:04 AM
legitimately wild congestion pricing wasn’t an issue in New York’s mayoral election