We pass by this point rather quickly, but this is like the most interesting part of the story to me which is WHY all this stuff changed in the 1970s. I see increasingly this is just sort of hand waved in passing as if "and then nimbys appeared in the 1970s.." but of course the human desires that drive nimbyism always existed, so it's more a question of why in the 1970s this manifested in a way such that housing was now more remarkably halted as a result.
A possible answer is that in the past growth continued because nimbyism pushed it to the suburb margins, or rammed development into marginalized neighbourhoods that couldn't protest, but these things changed as endless sprawl became less possible and marginalized groups had found their voice.
It's also worth noting that the 1970s was a time of economic upheaval when governments started backing away and started on the path to cuts and austerity.
As the 1970s get further and further away, it seems like more of this is becoming myth and legend and the concrete details and the situation on the ground is becoming lost.
I'd read a whole book on this topic.
Tie that with what people of that generation would consider a tolerable commute and the cultural idyllic home size/lot size. I think you start to form the basis of the answer, and like all answers it is simple in it's complexity
The anti-abundance critique on housing is wrong
This is the case for every authority having jurisdiction that has adopted the National Electrical Code, and for good reason.
A lack of outlets in a kitchen combined with countertop appliances that heat up things like coffee makers, rice cookers, hot plates, or crock pots can easily harm.
Building and fire safety code books are written in blood, as they say.
That being said, California has a lot of stupid regulations, like mandatory environmental studies and things of that nature. Great for environmental engineers/consultants and existing real estate owners but it’s bad for everyone else.
Also Prop 13, that’s a real bad deal for anyone that isn’t going to inherit a grandfathered house with ridiculously low property taxes.
The rule is simple, for any workspace (countertop) in a kitchen wider than 12”, there must be no point further than 24” away from a receptacle. This means receptacles are spaced 4’ apart on a kitchen countertop, and any receptacle within 6’ of a the edge of a sink must be GFCI protected.
A blue plastic device box is about $1, a residential grade receptacle costs $1, a wall plate costs about $0.50, and 10’ of 14/2 romex costs about $5, plus $20-30 for 20 minutes of labor. You’re looking at an extra $30-40 cost per additional receptacle, call it $50 with contractor’s overhead and profit.
Which just totally strikes a chord with me as someone from the post 1995 cohort, we are super jaded, nihilistic, and ruthlessly “unpatriotic”.
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