Eric Kober

Boston’s Mayor Makes the Wrong Call on Rent Control Michelle Wu is backing a bad housing policy that refuses to die.

I wrote for City Journal about Boston Mayor Wu's endorsement of a statewide rent control initiative. If approved, it would make a regional housing supply problem worse.

www.city-journal.org/article/bost...

All zoning lots in the "surrounding area" as defined in ZR 75-421. There are several possibilities.

I recall how DCP pleaded unsuccessfully with the MTA to build something on top of Fulton Center.

Hochul’s Proposal Could Ease New York’s Housing Crisis The governor’s environmental-review reforms will speed up new construction—if the state legislature cooperates.

I wrote for City Journal about NY Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed environmental review reform legislation. It's a good bill, but whether the legislature is interested in speeding up housing approvals is unclear.

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

"Rental Ripoffs" and Economic Realities The distressed buildings need income and currently have no way to get it.

For the Manhattan Institute's "Bigger Apple" Substack, I wrote a post about NYC Mayor Mamdani's proposed "Rental Ripoff" hearings.

thebiggerapple.manhattan.institute/p/rental-rip...

A Constructive Land-Use, Housing, and Economic Development Agenda for Mayor Mamdani Many policies advocated by Zohran Mamdani as a New York City mayoral candidate were viewed skeptically by commentators who do not share his democratic socialist politics.[1] Within my own areas of exp...

I wrote a brief about pragmatic land use, housing and economic development policies NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani might adopt and even a free-marketeer might approve, for the Manhattan Institute:

manhattan.institute/article/a-co...

New York City’s Election Marks the Rise of the “Left-YIMBY” Approval of pro-housing-development ballot measures suggests that the old “home voter” coalition is dead.

I wrote for City Journal about the political significance of the NYC Charter land-use amendments approved by voters this week:

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

No. It depends on how aggressively the mayor uses these new powers.

The Council's main talking point is that if the proposals pass, NYC might be flooded with new housing. Sadly, that's not true. There's not one move that solves the housing crisis -- many more will have to follow. But the council's resort to NIMBYism shows why the charter changes are needed.

Be Very Afraid: More Homes Might Actually Get Built City Council’s fear campaign shows why the Charter proposals are needed.

For the Manhattan Institute's new Bigger Apple Substack, I wrote about the NYC City Council's new vote-no campaign against proposed changes to the City Charter's land use process.

thebiggerapple.manhattan.institute/p/be-very-af...

One can only evaluate that retrospectively. For QH, little got built in the first ten years. We had to keep tweaking it until it worked. Certainly, similar in ambition.

If anybody wants to interview me, I'm happy to go community district by community district and discuss where the QH buildings are. I've certainly disputed the assertion that City of Yes is the biggest change to residential zoning since 1961. QH was quite significant.

I was there in City Hall in 1987 when the QH exclusion areas got negotiated. Those areas, which are long gone as a result of subsequent zoning changes, were not impactful as to the ultimate success of QH, which didn't happen until the economy got strong in Giuliani's second term.

Outdated Zoning Rules Choke New York City’s Housing Growth Some of the city’s most valuable land is tied up in manufacturing zones.

I wrote for City Journal about a new NYC report proposing a revised policy framework for manufacturing zones:

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

Expiration of Section 421b tax exemption program.

Why is New York’s City Council Trying to End-Run Housing Reform? The council is making a last-ditch effort to hold on to certain powers.

I added to the chorus of criticism of the NYC City Council's plot to kill city charter reform, for City Journal:

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

The next mayor needs to make Mandatory Inclusionary Housing economically workable, or provide a predicable waiver where it is not. Furthermore, low-density areas need to get the bus upgrades and business services they need to support a growing population.

The amendments are pro-housing and NYC will be better off if they pass in a November referendum. However, I'm critical of NYC's practice of deterring investment in new apartment houses in medium- and high-density areas near transit while encouraging growth in low-density areas with high auto use.

On the Ballot: NYC Charter Revision Commission’s Housing Revolution | Manhattan Institute In July 2025, the New York City Charter Revision Commission (NYC CRC) appointed by Mayor Eric Adams approved five November ballot questions proposing revisions to the city charter, the document establ...

I wrote about proposed New York City Charter land use amendments for the Manhattan Institute:

manhattan.institute/article/on-t...

The adjustments are usually positive when there's a net gain in private employment over the calendar year, negative when there's a net loss. So depending on what happens in the second half of the year, these numbers may be superseded by a net gain in private jobs.

The CES numbers will be adjusted in March 2026, a process known as "rebenchmarking." That adjusts the sample weights based on actual payrolls, which become available with a time lag.

The article is reporting on NYC OMB's publication of seasonally adjusted Current Employment Survey (CES) data for Jan. - June 2025, which shows no net gain in private payroll employment -- not that no one was hired.

New York City Companies All but Stopped Hiring in First Half of the Year

NYC's economy faces many headwinds, some within local government control, some not. However, there's enormous churn in the economy. NYC companies hired many people in the first half of the year.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/n...

Why Are New York City's Affordable Housing Units Falling Apart? The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 gutted investment in rent-stabilized units.

I wrote for City Journal about "antisocial housing" policies, and who needs to fix them.

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

New York Mayoral Race: Why The Center-Right Failed to Gain Traction The political bases of Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo help reveal why there’s no center-right alternative.

I wrote for City Journal about the NYC Democratic primary, and how the leading candidates' respective coalitions help explain why there's no feasible path for a center-right reform candidate:

www.city-journal.org/article/ther...

Opinion: NYC Panel Asks, Who Controls Land Use? - City Limits "To address the problem of member deference, land use approvals could be taken from the Council’s jurisdiction. I suggest the creation of a new city position, the Zoning Administrator, who would be en...

@citylimitsnews.bsky.social published my op-ed about reforming the NYC Charter's land use provisions:

citylimits.org/opinion-nyc-...

Why Northeast Rail Travel Is Such a Mess Faster train service is possible, but untangling the political and legal knots to get there could prove difficult.

To succeed, it needs comprehensive reorganization of rail operating entities, labor's cooperation and agreement by the Federal and state governments on who will pay for what. A lot to ask in the current, or perhaps any conceivable future political environment.

www.city-journal.org/article/nort...

I wrote about frequent, reliable Northeast Corridor high-speed passenger rail service for City Journal. The NYU Marron Institute's Transit Costs Project has a new plan praised by transit wonks.

Where New York’s Mayoral Candidates Stand on Housing Not one—including Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo —is willing to level with voters about the need to make the city affordable for young adults.

I wrote for City Journal about the NYC Democratic mayoral candidates' housing policies. In short, more of what hasn't ever worked, and little that could work to make housing abundant and affordable.

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...

Thanks, 38 years as a city planner, you learn something.

Why Penn Station Is So Hard to Fix The Trump administration has announced a takeover of the improvement project, but it will require more than just federal muscle.

For City Journal, I wrote about why New York's Penn Station is so hard to fix:

www.city-journal.org/article/new-...