Zak Yudhishthu
@zyudhishthu.bsky.social
Sidewalk enthusiast and former St. Paulite. I like to write about housing policy, especially in the Twin Cities. Nowadays I’m an economics research assistant in Chicago
https://pencillingout.substack.com/
https://pencillingout.substack.com/
Pinned
Chicago has a market for parking reform
The city’s new reforms will help build more units
citythatworks.substack.com
Chicago just eliminated parking minimums in most of the city. Does that matter?
In a post for A City That works, I show that Chicago has a strong market for low-parking housing. Developers have already been taking advantage of previous parking reforms.
citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicago-ha...
In a post for A City That works, I show that Chicago has a strong market for low-parking housing. Developers have already been taking advantage of previous parking reforms.
citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicago-ha...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Back in spring, I made final images of some of the buildings slated for demolition along the path of the Red Line Extension.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Back in spring, I made final images of some of the buildings slated for demolition along the path of the Red Line Extension.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
These were captured over a monthlong span when demolition permits were getting greenlit, wrecking crews finally dispatching after asbestos remediation and utility shutoffs.
Went to Boston. Saw the building
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Went to Boston. Saw the building
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Weird request: anybody in Minneapolis want to take a field trip and look at a stairway for me? 630 Cedar Ave. S. had a big fire, and has scissor stairs. The state report about the fire implies that the stairways were open to one another (no wall separating them) – I'd like to confirm that was true.
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Weird request: anybody in Minneapolis want to take a field trip and look at a stairway for me? 630 Cedar Ave. S. had a big fire, and has scissor stairs. The state report about the fire implies that the stairways were open to one another (no wall separating them) – I'd like to confirm that was true.
How can we improve urban housing to support families? In a new post, I look at downtown Chicago. Despite building little family-friendly housing, it's been among the city's fastest-growing areas for families.
That's owed to broadly building more housing.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
That's owed to broadly building more housing.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
Chicago's downtown family boom
And what it can tell us about building family-friendly cities
pencillingout.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:53 PM
How can we improve urban housing to support families? In a new post, I look at downtown Chicago. Despite building little family-friendly housing, it's been among the city's fastest-growing areas for families.
That's owed to broadly building more housing.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
That's owed to broadly building more housing.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
Shoutout this incredibly photogenic cement truck that’s been all around Logan Square lately
November 11, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Shoutout this incredibly photogenic cement truck that’s been all around Logan Square lately
Some snapshots of today’s snow day from the office
November 11, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Some snapshots of today’s snow day from the office
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
New post from @zyudhishthu.bsky.social
Broad themes:
1. Families live in downtown Chicago!
2. Households with children continue to move to, or households without children start their families in, downtown Chicago
3. The number of children in downtown Chicago has grown a lot
Broad themes:
1. Families live in downtown Chicago!
2. Households with children continue to move to, or households without children start their families in, downtown Chicago
3. The number of children in downtown Chicago has grown a lot
Chicago's downtown family boom
And what it can tell us about building family-friendly cities
pencillingout.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:17 PM
New post from @zyudhishthu.bsky.social
Broad themes:
1. Families live in downtown Chicago!
2. Households with children continue to move to, or households without children start their families in, downtown Chicago
3. The number of children in downtown Chicago has grown a lot
Broad themes:
1. Families live in downtown Chicago!
2. Households with children continue to move to, or households without children start their families in, downtown Chicago
3. The number of children in downtown Chicago has grown a lot
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Here is the requested take: publiccomment.blog/p/mamdani-th...
November 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Here is the requested take: publiccomment.blog/p/mamdani-th...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Really interesting analysis from @zyudhishthu.bsky.social about how building housing, in general, benefits the ability of families to live in a city. pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
Chicago's downtown family boom
And what it can tell us about building family-friendly cities
pencillingout.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Really interesting analysis from @zyudhishthu.bsky.social about how building housing, in general, benefits the ability of families to live in a city. pencillingout.substack.com/p/chicagos-d...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Reminds me of this 1910 postcard, depicting St Paul as the "center of the earth"
November 10, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Reminds me of this 1910 postcard, depicting St Paul as the "center of the earth"
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
i wrote about the old wieboldt's department store on milwaukee in wicker park—fire, labor strife, leveraged buyouts, and the idiotic urban renewal plan that leveled much of the surroundings for a 600+ car parking lot and a jewel osco in the early 1980s
www.postcard-past.com/wieboldts-de...
www.postcard-past.com/wieboldts-de...
Wieboldt's Department Store, Chicago
The rise and fall of the multilingual, multi-ethnic department store of Chicago’s white working class.
www.postcard-past.com
November 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
i wrote about the old wieboldt's department store on milwaukee in wicker park—fire, labor strife, leveraged buyouts, and the idiotic urban renewal plan that leveled much of the surroundings for a 600+ car parking lot and a jewel osco in the early 1980s
www.postcard-past.com/wieboldts-de...
www.postcard-past.com/wieboldts-de...
I think I’ve read a lot of the best history books about Chicago, so I want to turn to New York a bit.
So what are the must-read NYC history books? Bonus for emphases on housing and economics, but that’s not a requirement at all
So what are the must-read NYC history books? Bonus for emphases on housing and economics, but that’s not a requirement at all
November 9, 2025 at 10:07 PM
I think I’ve read a lot of the best history books about Chicago, so I want to turn to New York a bit.
So what are the must-read NYC history books? Bonus for emphases on housing and economics, but that’s not a requirement at all
So what are the must-read NYC history books? Bonus for emphases on housing and economics, but that’s not a requirement at all
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Yet another wonderful post from A City That Works. citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
We haven't saved transit yet
What comes after the fiscal cliff
citythatworks.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Yet another wonderful post from A City That Works. citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
Look at the impacts of Seattle's previous discretionary review requirements, which only kicked in at 8+ units: much less development above that size.
At the same time, developers adjust below 8 units by building more sq ft/unit to adjust (meaning less lower-cost housing supply)
At the same time, developers adjust below 8 units by building more sq ft/unit to adjust (meaning less lower-cost housing supply)
November 6, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Look at the impacts of Seattle's previous discretionary review requirements, which only kicked in at 8+ units: much less development above that size.
At the same time, developers adjust below 8 units by building more sq ft/unit to adjust (meaning less lower-cost housing supply)
At the same time, developers adjust below 8 units by building more sq ft/unit to adjust (meaning less lower-cost housing supply)
This is a nice story about the civic/social infrastructure that came out of Mamdani's campaign
Now I want to see the @resnikoff.bsky.social take on it
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
Now I want to see the @resnikoff.bsky.social take on it
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
A Little-Noted Element Propelled Mamdani’s Rise: Gen Z Loneliness
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
This is a nice story about the civic/social infrastructure that came out of Mamdani's campaign
Now I want to see the @resnikoff.bsky.social take on it
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
Now I want to see the @resnikoff.bsky.social take on it
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/n...
Make what you will of prediction markets, but in the past 24 hours they have hardly wavered at all in predicting Frey to be a strong favorite. Now, at 94% they are at their highest certainty yet in favor of Frey
November 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Make what you will of prediction markets, but in the past 24 hours they have hardly wavered at all in predicting Frey to be a strong favorite. Now, at 94% they are at their highest certainty yet in favor of Frey
Reading this on my delayed train ride to work where nobody takes off their backpacks or fills into the ends of the train, so people can’t board the train
November 4, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reading this on my delayed train ride to work where nobody takes off their backpacks or fills into the ends of the train, so people can’t board the train
I wonder if anyone ever actually paid 5 bucks for an NBER working paper...
November 4, 2025 at 2:13 AM
I wonder if anyone ever actually paid 5 bucks for an NBER working paper...
Reposted by Zak Yudhishthu
Thanks to the NITA Act, and a city ordinance from @aldermanlaspata.bsky.social, Chicago has the highest population of any city in America that live on property that does not require vehicle parking
November 3, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Thanks to the NITA Act, and a city ordinance from @aldermanlaspata.bsky.social, Chicago has the highest population of any city in America that live on property that does not require vehicle parking
Observations from @salimfurth.bsky.social: "YIMBYs need solid research results. And economists need reality checks from people who know policy better than they do."
marketurbanism.com/2025/11/03/h...
marketurbanism.com/2025/11/03/h...
November 4, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Observations from @salimfurth.bsky.social: "YIMBYs need solid research results. And economists need reality checks from people who know policy better than they do."
marketurbanism.com/2025/11/03/h...
marketurbanism.com/2025/11/03/h...
I didn't realize there was a prediction market for Minneapolis's mayoral election. I'm surprised to see that Frey is nearly as much of a favorite as Mamdani (who is at 90%) !!
Meanwhile Davis and Hampton have been completely counted out
Meanwhile Davis and Hampton have been completely counted out
November 4, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I didn't realize there was a prediction market for Minneapolis's mayoral election. I'm surprised to see that Frey is nearly as much of a favorite as Mamdani (who is at 90%) !!
Meanwhile Davis and Hampton have been completely counted out
Meanwhile Davis and Hampton have been completely counted out
This weekend we were the Chicago Board of Trade and Ceres
November 3, 2025 at 11:54 PM
This weekend we were the Chicago Board of Trade and Ceres
Who recognizes this Beef?
November 2, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Who recognizes this Beef?
Kind of unexpected chart from @ebwhamilton.bsky.social: In the US, the ratio of 3 and 4-bedroom housing units to households has actually grown quite a bit in the fast few decades! You hear a lot about a shortage of family housing, but this suggests the opposite?
www.governing.com/urban/to-sup...
www.governing.com/urban/to-sup...
November 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Kind of unexpected chart from @ebwhamilton.bsky.social: In the US, the ratio of 3 and 4-bedroom housing units to households has actually grown quite a bit in the fast few decades! You hear a lot about a shortage of family housing, but this suggests the opposite?
www.governing.com/urban/to-sup...
www.governing.com/urban/to-sup...
Chicago has had huge growth in the # households since 2010, meaning more demand for housing.
As I blogged about a few months ago, it's not alone — in 2020 many cities reached all-time highs in the # of households, even after past population loss.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/some-citie...
As I blogged about a few months ago, it's not alone — in 2020 many cities reached all-time highs in the # of households, even after past population loss.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/some-citie...
November 2, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Chicago has had huge growth in the # households since 2010, meaning more demand for housing.
As I blogged about a few months ago, it's not alone — in 2020 many cities reached all-time highs in the # of households, even after past population loss.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/some-citie...
As I blogged about a few months ago, it's not alone — in 2020 many cities reached all-time highs in the # of households, even after past population loss.
pencillingout.substack.com/p/some-citie...