Steve Lafleur
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stevelafleur.bsky.social
Steve Lafleur
@stevelafleur.bsky.social
Research Director, Building New Foundations for Economic Growth program @IRPP. 🇨🇦
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
it's true - US codes result in really ugly, massive development.

single stair helps solve this.
NEW PAPER w/ @cselmendorf.bsky.social & @jkalla.bsky.social:

An under-appreciated reason why voters oppose dense new housing, especially in less-dense neighborhoods: they think it looks ugly and want to prevent that, even in other neighborhoods.

Some of what we think is NIMBYism might not be!
November 25, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 25, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
Please support @liberalcurrents.com . We don't just call the president openly corrupt, which he obviously is. We also say stuff like the screencapped below.

Your donations will be matched until we hit 70k! gofund.me/a5b2b33d8
November 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
ICE deported a woman who owned a home in the US for 30 years. A judge banned ICE from deporting her to Sierra Leone where she had been tortured, so it deported her to Ghana, which kidnapped her and sent her back Sierra Leone anyway. ICE is part of this illegal conspiracy.
November 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Anyone who thinks there's some sort of reckoning coming for the rental market should probably set up listing alerts.

I'll tell you, I've had the same alert with the same parameters since three appartments ago, and despite minor fluctuations, Toronto isn't getting cheap anytime soon. Sorry.
November 25, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
The alternative to an SRO isn't a larger apartment; the alternative is a tent.
Relegalize SROs. Relegalize single stair buildings to enable larger, family sized homes. Legalize townhomes everywhere. Legalize ADUs everywhere. Legalize apartment buildings in more places. Yes to all the homes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/n...
The ‘New’ Solution for the N.Y.C. Housing Crisis: Single-Room Apartments
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
The IRPP continues its series on Canada’s industrial strategy with a new paper by Doug Nevison.

His message: without stronger evaluation, Canada risks wasting resources as major industrial investments ramp up.

Read the 9-point plan for better decisions⬇️
irpp.org/research-stu...
A Model Evaluation Framework for Industrial Policy in Canada - IRPP
Governments have shown a renewed interest in industrial policy in recent years as Canada navigates geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty, along with long-term challenges such as the global energ...
irpp.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The free speech bros are awful quiet while their guy exports American censorship.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
Page One in Cincinnati:

“.. I need to be able to look my grandkids in the eye and say I did not remain silent.”

#ICE
November 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
This is what I’m excited to announce. We’re at $38,000 now. Until we hit $70,000 a generous donor has pledged to match every dollar. This will be a HUGE leap towards our goal. Please help us reach it! gofund.me/638697766
Yesterday we raised over $35,000. Today, we are excited to announce a donor who has generously offered to match the second $35,000. If you help us reach $35,000 today he will match you dollar for dollar. Please help us get there! gofund.me/638697766
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
“.. The Russian input came from Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin envoy with close ties to Putin .. They brought him to Miami .. for what would be three days of intensive discussions and extended conversation at Witkoff’s home ..”

@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
November 25, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
The military has a duty to refuse unlawful orders, but Congress has a duty to remove from office a president and secretary who would issue such orders. There is something off about members of Congress talking about the former while refusing to say the latter, the part that's actually their job here.
November 25, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
ICE arrests, detains British woman with US husband and newborn when she shows up for her green card interview. She’s now in a detention center, separated from her 6-month-old. No criminal record. She had overstayed her visa.

www.lbc.co.uk/article/brit...
British mum detained by ICE agents in California as six-month old baby and stunned husband watch on | LBC
Katie Paul, 33, was in the process of applying for a green card when she was ambushed by immigration agents
www.lbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
Applications are open to join us as an Early Career Cdn. Urban Leader or an Urbanist-in-Residence. Visiting experts are practitioners in civil society, the arts, business, media, or govt. & (emerging) leaders in their urban-related sector. Apply by 26/01 https://ow.ly/wU6o50XurfA
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
You must be uncomfortable for the greatness of the nation, Comrades.
Duffy on his demand that air travelers not wear slippers or pajamas: "It honors our country ... don't take your shoes off and put your feet on the chair ahead of you"
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I've driven both long-nose and cab-over trucks, and the experience is night and day. Much more visibility, quicker stop times, better turn radius. Much safer having flat-nose trucks in urban centers.
Great post on how our unsafe trucks (they’d never be allowed in Europe) kill so many pedestrians, and how our governments and companies do almost nothing about it despite endless safety theatre.

open.substack.com/pub/lloydalt...
A crossing guard dies in Hamilton, Ontario, due to regulatory failure and bad design
Meanwhile, in London, the government says, "safe vehicles save lives."
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
Every Democrat in Congress should put out a video saying troops have an obligation to refuse unlawful orders. Make them prosecute all of you. This isn't a close call.

I'd add Republicans too if I thought any of them had the courage to actually cross Trump on this.
Hegseth is now threatening to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to active duty in order to court martial him.
November 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
Lisa McClain refuses to unequivocally condemn threats of violence against Democratic members of Congress who Trump said should be put to death, and says, "there are consequences. You can have freedom of speech, but freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences."
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Let the fools have their tartar sauce!

www.newsweek.com/trump-mcdona...
Donald Trump gives McDonald's advice for a longtime menu staple
Donald Trump's love for McDonald's has been long known.
www.newsweek.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 is that. Help us grow our voice. www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...
Donate to The Liberal Currents Startup Fund, organized by Adam Gurri
To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. Liberal Currents is that. Help… Adam Gurri needs your support for The Liberal Currents Startup Fund
www.gofundme.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
X's new location transparency feature shows that a slew of MAGA-branded accounts are apparently based outside the U.S., and also stirred speculative outrage over where the Department of Homeland Security account was created.
X's new location transparency feature unleashes questions about origins of MAGA accounts
The function, which shows that a slew of MAGA-branded accounts are apparently based outside the U.S., also stirred speculative outrage over where the Department of Homeland Security account was created.
nbcnews.to
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
This is the funniest planned economy ever
A person directly familiar with the conversations tells Semafor that Donald Trump has personally pressed Larry Ellison to revive Brett Ratner's "Rush Hour" franchise.
www.semafor.com/article/11/2...
Exclusive: How Trump is trying to remake American culture — starting with his favorite buddy-cop franchise
The president is offering some creative input on potential upcoming projects.
www.semafor.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Reposted by Steve Lafleur
"We don't need verified journalists, we have real American patriots sharing the truth"

real American patriots sharing the truth:
the last 24 hours on X, summed up:
November 24, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Rememeber when the entire Republican party was mobilized against studen loan relief because they claimed the President lacked that authority?
President insists his word is the one and only law in this land.
November 23, 2025 at 7:40 PM