Markus Johnson
@markusja.bsky.social
Abundant housing, abundant transit, & abundant bike lanes in our cities occupies a lot of my thinking. I'm sure other pieces of my personality will peek through over time.
Consider reading: https://medium.com/@markusjohnson2195
Consider reading: https://medium.com/@markusjohnson2195
Reposted by Markus Johnson
But i'll say this: her tire was clearly fully turned away from the officers as she slowly turned away. The imvading officer who killed her was not in front of the vehicle. None of them thought they were in any danger from this woman.
January 7, 2026 at 11:49 PM
But i'll say this: her tire was clearly fully turned away from the officers as she slowly turned away. The imvading officer who killed her was not in front of the vehicle. None of them thought they were in any danger from this woman.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
She stopped to film federal agents harassing her neighbors and they murdered her. They’re here to mock us, terrify us, kidnap us, and finally even kill us. ICE OUT NOW
January 7, 2026 at 10:22 PM
She stopped to film federal agents harassing her neighbors and they murdered her. They’re here to mock us, terrify us, kidnap us, and finally even kill us. ICE OUT NOW
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Cracking The Code: Reclaiming Building Standards for Public Interest
may be the first housing paper to cite my book!
by @jessezwick.bsky.social
www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/cra...
may be the first housing paper to cite my book!
by @jessezwick.bsky.social
www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/cra...
Cracking The Code: Reclaiming Building Standards for Public Interest
Building codes contain complex tradeoffs between safety, affordability, livability, and sustainability that are inherently political. To realign codes with the public interest, reform is needed to rea...
www.lewis.ucla.edu
January 7, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Cracking The Code: Reclaiming Building Standards for Public Interest
may be the first housing paper to cite my book!
by @jessezwick.bsky.social
www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/cra...
may be the first housing paper to cite my book!
by @jessezwick.bsky.social
www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/cra...
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Yeah, perhaps the cities that decided to rebuild out of brick and stone after great fires had the right idea.
January 6, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Yeah, perhaps the cities that decided to rebuild out of brick and stone after great fires had the right idea.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
imagine if US dingbats were like this...
5 story single stair 8-plex w/ homes from 1-3 bedrooms
including an elevator...
www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/projekte/det...
5 story single stair 8-plex w/ homes from 1-3 bedrooms
including an elevator...
www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/projekte/det...
MFH Hinterbramberg
www.roeoesli-maeder.ch
January 5, 2026 at 11:13 PM
imagine if US dingbats were like this...
5 story single stair 8-plex w/ homes from 1-3 bedrooms
including an elevator...
www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/projekte/det...
5 story single stair 8-plex w/ homes from 1-3 bedrooms
including an elevator...
www.roeoesli-maeder.ch/projekte/det...
Reposted by Markus Johnson
One of my biggest takeaways from living in Tokyo was that the city is incredible in spite of the fact that 95% of the architecture is unremarkable.
It makes the years-long design review process for a single apartment building in the U.S. seem all the more frivolous.
It makes the years-long design review process for a single apartment building in the U.S. seem all the more frivolous.
Tokyo is a city that makes the argument that architecture is irrelevant.
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 PM
One of my biggest takeaways from living in Tokyo was that the city is incredible in spite of the fact that 95% of the architecture is unremarkable.
It makes the years-long design review process for a single apartment building in the U.S. seem all the more frivolous.
It makes the years-long design review process for a single apartment building in the U.S. seem all the more frivolous.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Without exaggeration this is a huge part of how we surrendered the country to the worst humans of all time - the left-of-center’s conviction that you can’t be disrespectful to stupid people to has robbed us of the social censure that forces stupid people to stop being stupid
my plan to get this country back on track consists of one bullet point: i propose we stop pretending stupid people arent stupid just because theyre loud and theres a lot of them
January 3, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Without exaggeration this is a huge part of how we surrendered the country to the worst humans of all time - the left-of-center’s conviction that you can’t be disrespectful to stupid people to has robbed us of the social censure that forces stupid people to stop being stupid
Reposted by Markus Johnson
my plan to get this country back on track consists of one bullet point: i propose we stop pretending stupid people arent stupid just because theyre loud and theres a lot of them
January 3, 2026 at 3:49 PM
my plan to get this country back on track consists of one bullet point: i propose we stop pretending stupid people arent stupid just because theyre loud and theres a lot of them
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The world must boycott the World Cup and the Olympics.
It is both the only moral choice and will actually get the attention of these dead-eyed clout demons.
It is both the only moral choice and will actually get the attention of these dead-eyed clout demons.
January 3, 2026 at 7:22 AM
The world must boycott the World Cup and the Olympics.
It is both the only moral choice and will actually get the attention of these dead-eyed clout demons.
It is both the only moral choice and will actually get the attention of these dead-eyed clout demons.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The U.S. is functionally now a pariah state and must be treated as such until the cancer rotting out the heart of the White House is cut out.
January 3, 2026 at 7:23 AM
The U.S. is functionally now a pariah state and must be treated as such until the cancer rotting out the heart of the White House is cut out.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The reason you go scorched-earth on this is the same reason we should have gone scorched-earth on impoundment; you can't stop it from happening, but you absolutely need to stop it from becoming a normal part of politics. You have to draw a line.
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
January 3, 2026 at 6:53 AM
The reason you go scorched-earth on this is the same reason we should have gone scorched-earth on impoundment; you can't stop it from happening, but you absolutely need to stop it from becoming a normal part of politics. You have to draw a line.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I got a couple stitches on the bottom of my foot once and couldn’t walk for a month. I needed assistance *EVERY* time I wanted to leave my building since my knee scooter had to get carried down ~6 stairs. It was very isolating.
Any of us can lose our physical ability at any time.
Any of us can lose our physical ability at any time.
5.6% of Multnomah County residents have difficulty walking. Of Oregon's 36 counties, 32 have higher rates. (Sherman County: 13%.)
But only Multnomah has a meaningful number of residential elevators. The U.S. locking itself out of the global elevator market means only huge buildings can afford them.
But only Multnomah has a meaningful number of residential elevators. The U.S. locking itself out of the global elevator market means only huge buildings can afford them.
The Americas see about 3% of global elevator installations as of 2020. The U.S. & Canada: even less.
But we've stuck with our own unique set of elevator codes, as if elevator companies still have no choice but to beat a path to our door.
Nope! "Everywhere else" is a bigger common market now.
But we've stuck with our own unique set of elevator codes, as if elevator companies still have no choice but to beat a path to our door.
Nope! "Everywhere else" is a bigger common market now.
January 3, 2026 at 12:50 AM
I got a couple stitches on the bottom of my foot once and couldn’t walk for a month. I needed assistance *EVERY* time I wanted to leave my building since my knee scooter had to get carried down ~6 stairs. It was very isolating.
Any of us can lose our physical ability at any time.
Any of us can lose our physical ability at any time.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Think one of the next big fronts in the culture wars will be between dog owners and people who really dislike dogs
January 1, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Think one of the next big fronts in the culture wars will be between dog owners and people who really dislike dogs
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Since January 1, 2020, prices for goods, services, and labor have increased by 26%. But over the same period, #waleg has only allowed each jurisdiction’s property tax revenues to grow about 5% to 6%, plus the value of new construction.
It’s time to fix this.
Read my latest for the @inlander.com:
It’s time to fix this.
Read my latest for the @inlander.com:
Will 2026 be the year Washington allows municipalities to close their local budget deficits by lifting the property tax cap?
At the end of the year, when local governments are adopting their budgets for the coming year, I tend to get touchy about the way local media outlets report on
www.inlander.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Since January 1, 2020, prices for goods, services, and labor have increased by 26%. But over the same period, #waleg has only allowed each jurisdiction’s property tax revenues to grow about 5% to 6%, plus the value of new construction.
It’s time to fix this.
Read my latest for the @inlander.com:
It’s time to fix this.
Read my latest for the @inlander.com:
Reposted by Markus Johnson
This type of thinking is why we are all living under the whims of people like Mike Johnson and Senator Foghorn Leghorn. You don't get a say in what cities do when you don't live there. We don't come to Iowa and tell people what kind of tractors to buy.
But if I drive to a large city, it becomes my problem. It also hurts the people who live outside the area and work inside it.
December 31, 2025 at 9:51 PM
This type of thinking is why we are all living under the whims of people like Mike Johnson and Senator Foghorn Leghorn. You don't get a say in what cities do when you don't live there. We don't come to Iowa and tell people what kind of tractors to buy.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The greater the car dependency, the greater the benefits of congestion pricing! This got lost bc NYC did it first, but metros like Houston, Dallas and Orlando only function with their level of car dependence bc of pricing roads
I find "America isn't really set up for it" to be an annoying rebuttal to any sort of proposal to reduce car dependency. Our leaders used policy to create a system of car dependency and we can sure as hell use policy to undo that. There are absolutely barriers, but do nothing is not a solution.
December 31, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The greater the car dependency, the greater the benefits of congestion pricing! This got lost bc NYC did it first, but metros like Houston, Dallas and Orlando only function with their level of car dependence bc of pricing roads
Reposted by Markus Johnson
One thing lost in the high infra/housing cost discussion dominated in the lack of *quantity* is that high costs also lead to lower *quality*
European apartments are concrete, better insulated, have *heated floors* AND are cheaper!
European apartments are concrete, better insulated, have *heated floors* AND are cheaper!
Oh my god the upstairs bathroom has heated floors
December 31, 2025 at 6:58 PM
One thing lost in the high infra/housing cost discussion dominated in the lack of *quantity* is that high costs also lead to lower *quality*
European apartments are concrete, better insulated, have *heated floors* AND are cheaper!
European apartments are concrete, better insulated, have *heated floors* AND are cheaper!
Reposted by Markus Johnson
...but Americas account for 7% of new install costs & 35% of global maintenance costs. That's about the same as Europe, the Middle East + Africa combined even though they have many more elevators.
Do the math & the average elevator in the Americas costs ~2.3x more to install, ~3.8x more to operate.
Do the math & the average elevator in the Americas costs ~2.3x more to install, ~3.8x more to operate.
December 31, 2025 at 6:35 PM
...but Americas account for 7% of new install costs & 35% of global maintenance costs. That's about the same as Europe, the Middle East + Africa combined even though they have many more elevators.
Do the math & the average elevator in the Americas costs ~2.3x more to install, ~3.8x more to operate.
Do the math & the average elevator in the Americas costs ~2.3x more to install, ~3.8x more to operate.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Again, it's in the public interest to have lighter vehicles.
“In simple terms: a heavier car offers diminishing safety benefits to the person inside it, while imposing rapidly increasing risk on everyone else.” (Graph from The Economist)
December 31, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Again, it's in the public interest to have lighter vehicles.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The California DMV is in deep need of reform. Enraging stuff, uncovered by a team of reporters at @calmatters.org
calmatters.org/investigatio...
calmatters.org/investigatio...
December 30, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The California DMV is in deep need of reform. Enraging stuff, uncovered by a team of reporters at @calmatters.org
calmatters.org/investigatio...
calmatters.org/investigatio...
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Can’t recommend enjoying the company of your friends kids highly enough. Just went for a walk with my friend, her 4 yo, and her 9 month old. Love those kids so much - they just make everything so joyful 💜
December 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Can’t recommend enjoying the company of your friends kids highly enough. Just went for a walk with my friend, her 4 yo, and her 9 month old. Love those kids so much - they just make everything so joyful 💜
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Similarly, for transit projects agencies are focused on getting their projects advanced to the next stage. They’re not particularly interested in structural reforms to planning, project development, project selection, standards, permitting etc.
December 30, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Similarly, for transit projects agencies are focused on getting their projects advanced to the next stage. They’re not particularly interested in structural reforms to planning, project development, project selection, standards, permitting etc.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I don’t expect developers to be thinking very hard about structural issues in terms of total developable parcels in a region over 20-30 years.
But this lens is necessary to actually change building rates.
But this lens is necessary to actually change building rates.
December 30, 2025 at 5:05 PM
I don’t expect developers to be thinking very hard about structural issues in terms of total developable parcels in a region over 20-30 years.
But this lens is necessary to actually change building rates.
But this lens is necessary to actually change building rates.