Earlier this month, Justin Laidlaw and Chloe Courtney Bohl wrote about a conversation between Raleigh mayor Janet Cowell, Durham mayor Leonardo Williams, and Derek Thompson, the co-author, with Ezra Klein, of a new book called Abundance, about how bureaucracy, especially in blue cities, has stymied progress on things like housing and transit. Readers shared their thoughts:
From Instagram user le_dreyer:
“Abundance” is simply the latest neoliberal repackaging of failed neoliberal trickle-down theory. It co-opts and colonizes the indigenous concept of abundance, which is one of wealth sharing, reciprocity and being in right relationship with the land and each other. YIMBY/neoliberal’s are using it for the opposite: funneling more land and wealth to the rich within an increasingly monopolized market. Klein and Thompson’s “abundance” = more vacant unaffordable units and private equity in our backyards. It is notable that IndyWeek authors are leaving out the fact that Durham already has an abundance of unaffordable units, literally thousands of them sitting vacant. We have a 12 percent vacancy rate according to Costar, which is considered an “oversupply”, and yet rentals are not becoming affordable. The new Durham housing needs assessment shows we have a massive shortage of affordable units and massive surplus of unaffordable ones. In the same time our vacancy rate doubled, homelessness more than doubled. Every legitimate study on unaffordable upzoning shows that it can worsen the affordability crisis, and the only longitudinal study on market rate upzoning (aka land and housing deregulation to produce an over abundance of market rate units) shows that it causes Black and Brown displacement. They’ll never admit it, but that is the impact of Mayor Williams and Cowell’s “abundance” agenda—a whiter and even more gentrified Durham and Raleigh. Also, everyone uses SF as an example, yet it has 60K vacant units and 40-50K already entitled units that developers simply won’t build because they don’t actually care about creating the housing cities need. Zoning and regulations aren’t stopping them. It’s simply not profitable enough to build more vacant unaffordable monstrosities, especially when they can simply sell the entitled upzoned land to the next highest bidder and make millions off speculation alone.
From Instagram user releepseveer:
I find the notion that N.C. has stifled housing production by environmental, affordability, labor, or engagement regulations very dubious. N.C. is one of the most deregulated states in all these areas. And I find Derek Thompson’s quote about letting go of 10 trees near downtown to save 1,000 that might be cut down in a sprawl development particularly disingenuous when the two mayors sitting on stage with him over the last 1.5 years have championed thousands of acres of sprawl single family annexations/rezonings in both Raleigh and Durham which will clearcut many thousands of trees.
Chloe Courtney Bohl wrote about Raleigh’s plans for building affordable housing over the next five years (the city has a shortage of 60,000 affordable units, Chloe reports).
From reader Jeff Mason via email:
In your recent article, “Raleigh Aims to Create 1,345 Affordable Housing Units, Reduce Unsheltered Homelessness to ‘Functional Zero’ by 2030” Ms. Bohl describes the city council’s desire to have more affordable housing. She notes that the city says it is concentrating on creating and preserving affordable housing, but resources are limited. What the city neglected to tell her was they do nothing about preserving affordable housing and all of their current efforts and plans include removing restrictions on developers to do whatever they want. Developers and builders are busy tearing down entire neighborhoods of affordable housing to build towers and multi million dollar homes. The city plans to give the developers more money to build low income housing “projects” at the edge of town. With these plans, it’s clear who runs the city, and it’s not the council. I’d like to see more of the affordable homes in neighborhoods restored and used for lower income housing. Tearing down historic homes to build million dollar apartments in an historic neighborhood shouldn’t be an option either. The city has allowed so much affordable housing to be demolished in the past several years and only gotten overly expensive housing in return. This policy direction will do nothing to create more affordable housing in Raleigh.
Sarah Edwards wrote about the closing of beloved artist dive bar Bowbarr—the latest Carrboro establishment to shut down. Readers shared their memories:
From Reddit user SargentD1191938:
Dang I moved here a couple of years and finally found this spot, went once, loved it and now poof, no more. It’s so hard to find places like that anymore. Raleigh had several but is down to just Slims, Neptunes and maybe Landmark. Where is an aging misfit such as myself supposed to get a drink anymore?
From Instagram user ojala.poco.a.poco:
I remember the convos around the poured bar and coming in to get a warm beverage because I was in AmeriCorps and had no heat. Your bar felt like my second home. I’m so sad to hear it won’t be Bowbarr anymore …
From Instagram user velarde7171:
I’ve had some great—and not so great—memories there. That’s a college town bar for you! Bowbarr will be missed.
From Bluesky user ptails:
I moved to Chapel Hill in 2010 when Bowbarr opened. I went there on one of my first dates with my now wife of 10 years. It will be missed.
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