(1) My guess is that not all of the people who currently live in group houses would do so if rent were lower and they could live close to their friends anyway. However, I do know quite a few people who actively prefer group living situations, and a prohibition on such living arrangements would be a big negative for them. You could plausibly get around this by e.g. just renting every unit in an apartment building. These are all reasons why these laws are a major consideration but not a dealbreaker.
(2) My main claims were that it’s really difficult to build community in sparsely populated areas, and that driving cars is dangerous. I think these are both pretty well-supported, and that they matter a lot regardless of anyone’s personal preferences around driving / owning a car.
(3) Mostly anecdotal. I personally don’t mind cold weather, but it is kind of annoying to have to be shut in your house for half the year. And I think even those of us from cold climates have acclimated to California’s temperate weather, such that it would be somewhat unpleasant to go back.
(1) My guess is that not all of the people who currently live in group houses would do so if rent were lower and they could live close to their friends anyway. However, I do know quite a few people who actively prefer group living situations, and a prohibition on such living arrangements would be a big negative for them. You could plausibly get around this by e.g. just renting every unit in an apartment building. These are all reasons why these laws are a major consideration but not a dealbreaker.
(2) My main claims were that it’s really difficult to build community in sparsely populated areas, and that driving cars is dangerous. I think these are both pretty well-supported, and that they matter a lot regardless of anyone’s personal preferences around driving / owning a car.
(3) Mostly anecdotal. I personally don’t mind cold weather, but it is kind of annoying to have to be shut in your house for half the year. And I think even those of us from cold climates have acclimated to California’s temperate weather, such that it would be somewhat unpleasant to go back.
(4) An assumption, I guess. Feels right though.
Good points overall, thanks!
Driving a car is actually very safe. You can expect to drive a car full-time for 100 years before suffering a lethal accident.
I agree that focusing on urban areas makes sense. By definition, an area with high population is attractive to lots of people.