Ethan Gilbert ✨🏗️
@ethangilbert.bsky.social
Criticism against the PIA for focusing more on rent-seeking for its purposes rather than the public has a long history.
Here's a passage from Shaping Melbourne's Future? by
J. Brian McLoughlin (1994).
Here's a passage from Shaping Melbourne's Future? by
J. Brian McLoughlin (1994).
July 14, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Criticism against the PIA for focusing more on rent-seeking for its purposes rather than the public has a long history.
Here's a passage from Shaping Melbourne's Future? by
J. Brian McLoughlin (1994).
Here's a passage from Shaping Melbourne's Future? by
J. Brian McLoughlin (1994).
Me trying to understand Boroondara's position on tax:
May 28, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Me trying to understand Boroondara's position on tax:
I'm so glad to see the Greens (rightfully) pushing for the new super tax to have its threshold lowered to $2 million and to be indexed.
Super funds are becoming taxpayer-funded inheritance schemes. Thank god for the first progressive senate majority.
Super funds are becoming taxpayer-funded inheritance schemes. Thank god for the first progressive senate majority.
May 24, 2025 at 7:03 AM
I'm so glad to see the Greens (rightfully) pushing for the new super tax to have its threshold lowered to $2 million and to be indexed.
Super funds are becoming taxpayer-funded inheritance schemes. Thank god for the first progressive senate majority.
Super funds are becoming taxpayer-funded inheritance schemes. Thank god for the first progressive senate majority.
Inquiry into Victoria Planning Provisions amendments VC257, VC267 and VC274 Final Report:
May 14, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Inquiry into Victoria Planning Provisions amendments VC257, VC267 and VC274 Final Report:
Gotta respect the hustle of the PIA running a journal where you can just say whatever you want, no need to abide by the existing literature, just vibes:
May 14, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Gotta respect the hustle of the PIA running a journal where you can just say whatever you want, no need to abide by the existing literature, just vibes:
Parkville residents furiously opposed a new hospital, but thankfully the Victorian Government intervened to get it approved.
May 7, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Parkville residents furiously opposed a new hospital, but thankfully the Victorian Government intervened to get it approved.
Knox Council sold some land to a developer in 2023… and just blocked the 24 townhouses the developer proposed to build on it.
They made the sale and then pulled up the ladder. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Incredible!
They made the sale and then pulled up the ladder. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Incredible!
April 30, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Knox Council sold some land to a developer in 2023… and just blocked the 24 townhouses the developer proposed to build on it.
They made the sale and then pulled up the ladder. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Incredible!
They made the sale and then pulled up the ladder. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Incredible!
Jokes aside, this is a good study helping quantify how the housing market is strongly gender-segregated, with non-cisgender and cismen being the "losers" in a tight market. doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
April 9, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Jokes aside, this is a good study helping quantify how the housing market is strongly gender-segregated, with non-cisgender and cismen being the "losers" in a tight market. doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
People claim that economics is right-wing.
The economic journals in question:
The economic journals in question:
April 9, 2025 at 12:23 AM
People claim that economics is right-wing.
The economic journals in question:
The economic journals in question:
The Liberal opposition wants to end work-from-home arrangements for the public service.
New research suggests this may mean they're going to end up with a less talented APS or a higher wage bill to get the same talent as before:
New research suggests this may mean they're going to end up with a less talented APS or a higher wage bill to get the same talent as before:
March 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
The Liberal opposition wants to end work-from-home arrangements for the public service.
New research suggests this may mean they're going to end up with a less talented APS or a higher wage bill to get the same talent as before:
New research suggests this may mean they're going to end up with a less talented APS or a higher wage bill to get the same talent as before:
There's no way to characterise the NSW Low and Mid-Rise reforms other than cowardly dangerous.
The inevitable failure of these reforms will allow critics of pro-housing policies to point to this as "proof" that upzoning doesn't work.
The inevitable failure of these reforms will allow critics of pro-housing policies to point to this as "proof" that upzoning doesn't work.
February 24, 2025 at 1:09 AM
There's no way to characterise the NSW Low and Mid-Rise reforms other than cowardly dangerous.
The inevitable failure of these reforms will allow critics of pro-housing policies to point to this as "proof" that upzoning doesn't work.
The inevitable failure of these reforms will allow critics of pro-housing policies to point to this as "proof" that upzoning doesn't work.
The planning industry's reaction to yesterday's NSW housing announcement is a shocker. I'm not sure why on earth they're obsessed with the one form of subsidised housing that explicitly excludes the poorest people.
They are not beating the wealthy property owner defender allegations.
They are not beating the wealthy property owner defender allegations.
February 21, 2025 at 10:44 PM
The planning industry's reaction to yesterday's NSW housing announcement is a shocker. I'm not sure why on earth they're obsessed with the one form of subsidised housing that explicitly excludes the poorest people.
They are not beating the wealthy property owner defender allegations.
They are not beating the wealthy property owner defender allegations.
An under-discussed case against decentralisation is that our cities are powerhouses in fostering the arts.
It's sad to think how much art will never be produced or will be lost to time simply because they are denied access to our cultural hubs due to high housing costs.
It's sad to think how much art will never be produced or will be lost to time simply because they are denied access to our cultural hubs due to high housing costs.
February 13, 2025 at 3:42 AM
An under-discussed case against decentralisation is that our cities are powerhouses in fostering the arts.
It's sad to think how much art will never be produced or will be lost to time simply because they are denied access to our cultural hubs due to high housing costs.
It's sad to think how much art will never be produced or will be lost to time simply because they are denied access to our cultural hubs due to high housing costs.
Some are concerned that CRA increases just result in higher rents, but the evidence suggests this concern is unfounded thankfully!
February 10, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Some are concerned that CRA increases just result in higher rents, but the evidence suggests this concern is unfounded thankfully!
I love @grattaninstitute.bsky.social's new report making the case for a 40-50% increase in Commonwealth Rental Assistance.
It's the most efficient way for the Commonwealth Government to provide renters with some immediate relief. 👇
It's the most efficient way for the Commonwealth Government to provide renters with some immediate relief. 👇
February 10, 2025 at 12:19 AM
I love @grattaninstitute.bsky.social's new report making the case for a 40-50% increase in Commonwealth Rental Assistance.
It's the most efficient way for the Commonwealth Government to provide renters with some immediate relief. 👇
It's the most efficient way for the Commonwealth Government to provide renters with some immediate relief. 👇
Interesting study: subsidised housing works better when exempt from local planning controls, making it easier to help those in need. It's weird how zoning always seems to shield wealthier areas from low-income housing...
Thankfully, in Victoria, social housing isn’t bound by local schemes!
Thankfully, in Victoria, social housing isn’t bound by local schemes!
January 14, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Interesting study: subsidised housing works better when exempt from local planning controls, making it easier to help those in need. It's weird how zoning always seems to shield wealthier areas from low-income housing...
Thankfully, in Victoria, social housing isn’t bound by local schemes!
Thankfully, in Victoria, social housing isn’t bound by local schemes!
Local lobbying reforms are welcome, but councillors face higher regulatory burdens due to the part-time nature of the role.
Council amalgamation could enable full-time roles and better oversight.
Council amalgamation could enable full-time roles and better oversight.
January 12, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Local lobbying reforms are welcome, but councillors face higher regulatory burdens due to the part-time nature of the role.
Council amalgamation could enable full-time roles and better oversight.
Council amalgamation could enable full-time roles and better oversight.
What strikes me when reading old urban planning takes is how consistently wrong prominent urban planning academics were about cities. From 1994:
January 9, 2025 at 1:20 AM
What strikes me when reading old urban planning takes is how consistently wrong prominent urban planning academics were about cities. From 1994:
It's the problem with designing a zone without a robust analysis of whether its intentions are viable. When we argue for upzoning, we're generally arguing for upzoning that overcomes the feasibility gap (which is why we argue for 6-storeys generally).
January 8, 2025 at 11:21 PM
It's the problem with designing a zone without a robust analysis of whether its intentions are viable. When we argue for upzoning, we're generally arguing for upzoning that overcomes the feasibility gap (which is why we argue for 6-storeys generally).
I suspect we're talking past each other! GRZ is good in theory, but when we did feasibility modelling, we found that projects that used the full capacity of GRZ were mostly unfeasible. I'd argue that this *is* a constraint (though likely unintentional by the system designers).
January 8, 2025 at 11:21 PM
I suspect we're talking past each other! GRZ is good in theory, but when we did feasibility modelling, we found that projects that used the full capacity of GRZ were mostly unfeasible. I'd argue that this *is* a constraint (though likely unintentional by the system designers).
Frankston Council will build us out of the housing crisis 🙏❤️
January 3, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Frankston Council will build us out of the housing crisis 🙏❤️
5 years, 3 planning applications and 3 trips to VCAT.
Victoria’s amazing planning system at work ❤️
Victoria’s amazing planning system at work ❤️
January 3, 2025 at 3:33 AM
5 years, 3 planning applications and 3 trips to VCAT.
Victoria’s amazing planning system at work ❤️
Victoria’s amazing planning system at work ❤️
Say what you want about pre-WWII planners, but they cut the bullshit and go straight to the point. Planning controls have always been about increasing the cost of housing in exchange for an (assumed) increase in quality. At least they admitted to it!
December 28, 2024 at 3:13 AM
Say what you want about pre-WWII planners, but they cut the bullshit and go straight to the point. Planning controls have always been about increasing the cost of housing in exchange for an (assumed) increase in quality. At least they admitted to it!
Boroondara's "Director for Urban Living" seems to misunderstand the fundamentals of the VIF projections. They're not a projection of demand for housing in Boroondara; they're a projection of growth constrained by current housing capacity!
December 19, 2024 at 9:32 PM
Boroondara's "Director for Urban Living" seems to misunderstand the fundamentals of the VIF projections. They're not a projection of demand for housing in Boroondara; they're a projection of growth constrained by current housing capacity!
As it existed before, all social housing builds under this clause are exempt from the local planning schemes too :)
December 19, 2024 at 7:41 AM
As it existed before, all social housing builds under this clause are exempt from the local planning schemes too :)