This interview about how Austin, TX’s massive growth caused a housing affordability crisis is an interesting comparison to what is happening in Sioux Falls right now;
People flock to booming cities for good reasons: jobs, educational opportunities, cultural and recreational activities. But traffic can be a nightmare and housing costs are off the charts.
“Very few, if any, growing cities have given real thought to what they want to be when they grow up,” said Mallach. “They’ve been conditioned to think that growth is good, not growing is bad, so what passes for planning is usually about how to accommodate growth.”
The population of Austin, Texas, has grown more than 33 percent since 2010. The median cost of a house in Austin jumped from less than $200,000 in 2010 to more than $500,000 in 2022.
That, and the Reagan tax cut mentality for the rich, which laid in motion places like Taupeville, executive homes, and not enough time, money, and talent being allocated to continue to build enough middle class homes over the last 40 years in this town.
( and Woodstock adds: “Say, I’m not too sure how germane this is, but I really feel sad for the fine folks out in Sturgis right now with the rain, cold weather, and the recent death of Pee Wee Herman”…. 🙁 ) ……..:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDb00Mx7D7g
“Say, I just got off the bike trail where I saw a dude on his e-bike racing down the trail while smoking some ‘medical’ marijuana, and proudly displaying his open carry”…. “Wow, given all of that and the growing emergence of AI, climate change, the war in Ukraine, North Korea and Iran, and Trumpism, it really makes me opine for the good old days when all we had to worry about was a president in the Oval Office getting a BJ”….. 🙁
It was impossible to prepare for this growth. Apartments construction could have handled moderation. But then came inflation, high interest, and labor shortage. There’s instant jobs at $20/hour but cost of living is doubling annually. There’s no keeping up. This fall will be a used RV price fallout. Post COVID has been a return to air travel vacations. There’s to many RV’s and nowhere to park them. The future is unofficial campgrounds. There’s still recession potential. Bank failures are prevalent. Interest rates were to low to long. I fear a Williston ND environment. Everybody left when demand for sand oil declined. It’s now crime, drugs, hookers, and broken down camper trailers. EV and gasoline cars sound good but can’t hold their value. China has developed the best EV at half the price and twice the range due to sodium instead of lithium batteries. They have standardized chargers and safer batteries. Imagine the roadside junk cars and burning insurance claims.
Generally, stay where you live until real estate tax prices you out. Apartment rents are high. Share with a dozen roommates. Perhaps start looking for a junk RV to park on a city street. Worst case, eat Chinese food and negotiate a space on the floor for after closing time. There will be many abandoned gas stations for encampment.
It’s a scam if you’re charged for an oil change on your EV.
I’ve said this for decades. Fast city growth is encouraged by many but benefits only a few.
Two ways to add population to the City,
1) Add New Political Subdivisions every year, each subdivision has at least 120 residents in each;
2) Attract New Residents from Other States, Territories, Countries;
Now, if we annex at least 10-20 Political Subdivisions each year to be part of Sioux Falls, for every 200 acres of land that is being subdivided into residential or commercial plats, and think of the “Landowners” intent.
The “Landowner” contracts a real estate agent to speculate, assess the value of, and instructs the landowner whether or not to do commercial, or residential platting.
Then, the Landowner takes the advice, hires or contracts a Land Developer to put forth the plan, design the plan, and head before the City Council to convince them to put the plan into effect.
Sioux Falls can only grow as fast, as there are willing “landowners” to agree to annex their 200 acres of land into the city, to which it then becomes sub-divided into plats, of which may be residential or commercial, or a combination of both.
Most of these 200 acres of land outside of Sioux Falls are Homesteads, Farmsteads, or held by Townships.