Stephen Jacob Smith
@stephenjacobsmith.com
Executive director of the Center for Building in North America, [email protected]. Personal account. Brooklyn, NY.
It’s so frustrating taking a G train at night and seeing the next isn’t coming for 10 mins. Even more so knowing they’re pouring hundreds of millions into trains that are all but self-driving with CBTC, and yet it will yield no frequency improvements.
I would love someone to challenge me on this, but I have to say: It's just great not having to ever worry about missing a train because the next one is never more than 4 minutes away. It's a much more relaxing and seamless experience than off-peak transit in NYC.
November 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
It’s so frustrating taking a G train at night and seeing the next isn’t coming for 10 mins. Even more so knowing they’re pouring hundreds of millions into trains that are all but self-driving with CBTC, and yet it will yield no frequency improvements.
“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 2:44 PM
“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... (🎁🔗)
The MTA is negligent in making no effort to install these, but massive jury verdicts are the worst way to do cost-benefit analyses. Platform screen doors are complex to retrofit, and the lack of them is tied to political pressure to never cut crew staffing (which are a major benefit of screen doors)
MTA has started to pay the price for procrastinating on the three-station pilot for platform screen doors, first announced in 2022. ny1.com/nyc/brooklyn...
MTA ordered to pay $81.7 million to woman struck by subway in Brooklyn
The jury determined that the MTA had failed to install safety barriers or other protective devices.
ny1.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The MTA is negligent in making no effort to install these, but massive jury verdicts are the worst way to do cost-benefit analyses. Platform screen doors are complex to retrofit, and the lack of them is tied to political pressure to never cut crew staffing (which are a major benefit of screen doors)
It’s really disturbing to see a leader of a Jewish organization say that recruiting Americans to become favored-race settlers in an apartheid state is “who [Jews] are as a people”
November 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
It’s really disturbing to see a leader of a Jewish organization say that recruiting Americans to become favored-race settlers in an apartheid state is “who [Jews] are as a people”
I open up X to check in on some drama that somebody screenshotted, and my mentions column is filled with…the TWU account (presumably run by John Samuelsen) reposting his years-old aggro posts about OPTO?
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 AM
I open up X to check in on some drama that somebody screenshotted, and my mentions column is filled with…the TWU account (presumably run by John Samuelsen) reposting his years-old aggro posts about OPTO?
I wonder if Americans would have better access to fresh produce if housing in California were cheaper. Seems kinda suboptimal that the best stuff is grown in the place with the highest housing costs.
November 25, 2025 at 1:09 AM
I wonder if Americans would have better access to fresh produce if housing in California were cheaper. Seems kinda suboptimal that the best stuff is grown in the place with the highest housing costs.
Malta has free transit btw
“The bus lanes that have been introduced are mostly on dual carriageway roads, the report says. However, buses now mostly experience congestion on single carriageway roads with on-street parking.”
If car storage comes first, moving people comes last.
If car storage comes first, moving people comes last.
Bus journeys in Malta three times longer than car trips, report says
Average car trip lasts 14 minutes, but it takes bus users 44 minutes to get to their destination
timesofmalta.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Malta has free transit btw
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
You are hereby reminded that Berkeley could have had Pixar. Steve Jobs wanted to specifically place Pixar HQ near the "creative and intellectual center of Berkeley." But at the same time Berkeley created the West Berkeley Plan to maintain little hobbit workshops instead of attracting real business.
Undoubtedly. Pixar, and the others. Look at my assessment density map. Emeryville sticks out for how many huge, valuable parcels they have.
November 24, 2025 at 7:28 PM
You are hereby reminded that Berkeley could have had Pixar. Steve Jobs wanted to specifically place Pixar HQ near the "creative and intellectual center of Berkeley." But at the same time Berkeley created the West Berkeley Plan to maintain little hobbit workshops instead of attracting real business.
Here’s the full transition team list:
November 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Here’s the full transition team list:
One thing I’d like to see with building codes is some of the onerous mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rules brought in line with national standards, and the main barrier to that is the construction trades (since inefficiencies create work). So it is interesting to see none of them on the list.
November 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
One thing I’d like to see with building codes is some of the onerous mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rules brought in line with national standards, and the main barrier to that is the construction trades (since inefficiencies create work). So it is interesting to see none of them on the list.
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Along w long time frames, another problem is complacency of design for many capital projects that *are* done
9th Av was dug up for most of the 2010s. The project replaced the street as-is, rather than widen the built sidewalk (as *DOT did AFTER rebuild*) & providing a 100% curb-separated 🚲 lane
9th Av was dug up for most of the 2010s. The project replaced the street as-is, rather than widen the built sidewalk (as *DOT did AFTER rebuild*) & providing a 100% curb-separated 🚲 lane
November 24, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Along w long time frames, another problem is complacency of design for many capital projects that *are* done
9th Av was dug up for most of the 2010s. The project replaced the street as-is, rather than widen the built sidewalk (as *DOT did AFTER rebuild*) & providing a 100% curb-separated 🚲 lane
9th Av was dug up for most of the 2010s. The project replaced the street as-is, rather than widen the built sidewalk (as *DOT did AFTER rebuild*) & providing a 100% curb-separated 🚲 lane
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Learning that Annemarie Gray (no relation) of Open New York, NYC's YIMBY group, has been appointed to Mayor-elect Mamdani's housing transition team. This is FANTASTIC news!
November 24, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Learning that Annemarie Gray (no relation) of Open New York, NYC's YIMBY group, has been appointed to Mayor-elect Mamdani's housing transition team. This is FANTASTIC news!
I think it’s going to be very difficult to convince Americans that the reason housing is so expensive is that we’ve let in too many people who are stereotyped to work in construction and double up to live in undesirable neighborhoods
After four years of house prices doubling (and in some areas, tripling) many young people feel priced out of the American Dream of homeownership.
November 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
I think it’s going to be very difficult to convince Americans that the reason housing is so expensive is that we’ve let in too many people who are stereotyped to work in construction and double up to live in undesirable neighborhoods
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Rick Cotton is stepping down from the Port Authority. We need to pressure Hochul to appoint someone who cares about transit.
November 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Rick Cotton is stepping down from the Port Authority. We need to pressure Hochul to appoint someone who cares about transit.
Now the fire department is going to fine that pile of leaves for violating Appendix D of the fire code
November 24, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Now the fire department is going to fine that pile of leaves for violating Appendix D of the fire code
Pretty weird how England and Wales went from allow single-stair double-loaded corridor buildings (11 units per floor??), with no height limit on single-stair generally, to the second-strictest strictest single-stair rules in Europe, with no stop anywhere along the way divisare.com/projects/442...
November 24, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Pretty weird how England and Wales went from allow single-stair double-loaded corridor buildings (11 units per floor??), with no height limit on single-stair generally, to the second-strictest strictest single-stair rules in Europe, with no stop anywhere along the way divisare.com/projects/442...
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
A lot of replies seem to struggle with idea of trade-offs: excessive zoning raises costs of housing—often with little return in safety—and increases driving. As @stephenjacobsmith.com notes, “That’s a life and safety risk and it’s one that never gets accounted for in developing building codes.”
One California city’s idea to tackle the housing crisis: Take the stairs
Culver City becomes first California city to allow six-story apartment buildings with just one staircase, a bold move to ease housing construction and affordability.
www.latimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:01 PM
A lot of replies seem to struggle with idea of trade-offs: excessive zoning raises costs of housing—often with little return in safety—and increases driving. As @stephenjacobsmith.com notes, “That’s a life and safety risk and it’s one that never gets accounted for in developing building codes.”
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
I think this is mostly San Francisco finally shrugging off the pandemic, but it is *really* funny that rent prices in San Francisco shot up *immediately* after the city banned RealPage and other algorithmic price setting software.
My pre trends are incredible!
My pre trends are incredible!
November 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
I think this is mostly San Francisco finally shrugging off the pandemic, but it is *really* funny that rent prices in San Francisco shot up *immediately* after the city banned RealPage and other algorithmic price setting software.
My pre trends are incredible!
My pre trends are incredible!
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
that second stair seems really far away
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
November 22, 2025 at 3:01 AM
that second stair seems really far away
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Whoa. CA DMV expanded Waymo's approved operating area to cover a lot of territory. Yesterday it was just the darker area.
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Whoa. CA DMV expanded Waymo's approved operating area to cover a lot of territory. Yesterday it was just the darker area.
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Trump drooling over Mamdani in the Oval Office the same day Hakeem Jeffries voted to condemn socialism could not be funnier to me
November 21, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Trump drooling over Mamdani in the Oval Office the same day Hakeem Jeffries voted to condemn socialism could not be funnier to me
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Trump: He said some things that were very interesting and very interesting as to housing construction and he wants to see houses go up and apartments created. People would be shocked. I want to see the same thing.
November 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Trump: He said some things that were very interesting and very interesting as to housing construction and he wants to see houses go up and apartments created. People would be shocked. I want to see the same thing.
Wow – the Census tract with the highest transit mode share in the US is Cypress Hills Houses. Not the worst transit access in Brooklyn (it’s at least vaguely walkable to the A/C), but close to it.
No surprise NYC has the highest transit mode share; this Brooklyn tract is comprised entirely of public housing and is emblematic of many in this list as a low-income, majority Black area. The A/C is a few blocks north; while subpar transit by NYC standards it has better transit than 99% of the US
November 21, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Wow – the Census tract with the highest transit mode share in the US is Cypress Hills Houses. Not the worst transit access in Brooklyn (it’s at least vaguely walkable to the A/C), but close to it.
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Typical sanitary drainage configuration for larger aisle-layout bathrooms in California vs what would be designed/installed in Europe. The one to the left requires double the amount of piping and labor while also having 8 penetrations through the floor rather than 4, each requiring fire-stopping.
November 4, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Typical sanitary drainage configuration for larger aisle-layout bathrooms in California vs what would be designed/installed in Europe. The one to the left requires double the amount of piping and labor while also having 8 penetrations through the floor rather than 4, each requiring fire-stopping.
Reposted by Stephen Jacob Smith
Brightline October numbers are out, a significant jump following the rollout of a new schedule.
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
November 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Brightline October numbers are out, a significant jump following the rollout of a new schedule.
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735