Mike Falkenheim, Economist

Dear County Board,

I wanted to share my support for the missing middle proposal outlined in the Phase II publications, and also share some thoughts on both the impacts of the proposal and the politics of this issue in Arlington.

I am an economist by training, with 22 years of experience working on federal policy. On this topic I am speaking as a resident of Halls Hill and not on behalf of any organization. I wish that every public policy issue I encountered were as simple as this one.

With this proposal the county has the opportunity to improve housing outcomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing regulations that are currently stopping the market from producing the types of homes that people most want. There is a wide body of evidence showing that zoning restrictions result in unnecessarily high house prices and environmental harms associated with urban sprawl. Economists across the political spectrum support zoning reform.

The feedback process and the nature of local politics is amplifying the voices of a vocal high-income minority that opposes this policy, over the voices of a less vocal majority that supports it. Because of this bias in participatory politics, I believe that you should look at the results of the last election to gauge where Arlington residents stand on this proposal. Although Plan Langston attracted a lot of virulent opposition in public meetings, that anger did not translate into a change in voting patterns, even among precincts adjacent to Langston Boulevard. I see the Missing Middle policy as facing a similar dynamic.

This particular proposal has been endorsed by a diverse set of organizations including the local chapters of the NAACP, Sierra Club and the Chamber of Commerce. I think that we can make the proposal even stronger by raising the height limits and getting rid of parking requirements altogether.

Best wishes,
Mike Falkenheim