Chris Elmendorf
@CSElmendorf
The law prof at UC Davis, not the developer in San Diego. Dad. Denizen of San Francisco. Patron of Amtrak. Tweets are my own, not statements of UC. (he/him)
I think AI is a challenge for teachers as much as for students. In my classes, I’ve been experimenting with semester-long projects where each week students have to read and make progress on a custom question, and AI is their tool rather than their substitute for thinking.
This is the central problem with higher education in the age of AI. We can't require students to do take-home writing assignments (e.g. term papers) any more, because most will cheat and have ChatGPT or Claude or Grok do the writing. But we can't teach critical thinking,…
In 2019 I wrote about SoCal unions openly, proudly using CEQA to delay thousands of homes. Pure shakedown artistry that, hopefully with the new reforms, is now over (at least for residential infill projects)
Labor leader objects to CEQA reforms that "undermine enviro standards that are important & that give us leverage." Um, if they were actually important, they wouldn't give you leverage. 1/2
See screenshots for thoughtful replies by @JWMason1 to my 7-item test of issues that divide YIMBYs from the left / "groups" wing of Dem Party in CA.
Inspired by this great pod ⤵️ , in which another nationally prominent progressive says, "of course I agree w/ state & local YIMBYs on 99% of their agenda," here's a seven-item test. 🧵. 1/10
Echoing @CSElmendorf recommendation to buy @YAppelbaum fantastic new book exploring how the ease of mobility in America allowed the nation to become prosperous but the policies of the past half-century have diminished this dynamic, which I reviewed for @BooksinFive below! 1/5
Deadline to apply for these roles is Sunday, July 27 (less than a week away!) — time has never been better to try to unlock supply constraints on energy, housing, healthcare, state capacity, etc.!
Highly recommend applying to our two new Abundance and Growth roles at @open_phil ! We are looking for up to 4 new team members including specialists in areas like energy, housing, clinical trials, etc. as well as broader generalists to help us direct $120M+ in the coming years
Weakening city council members ability to veto land use changes is the best argument *for* the charter revisions. The reforms will lead to much more meaningful democratic input and responsiveness to a broader public.
The Charter Commission’s Final Report significantly weakens the City Council’s role in land use decisions. This shift toward executive control undermines democratic oversight and meaningful public engagement. I stand with my colleagues who are fighting back. Our statement below:
Keep your eye on Hypertext for six great essays about abundance over the next two weeks! We will hear from @mattyglesias, @frankjdistefano, @CSElmendorf, @ProfSchleich, @henrymjtonks, and @OliviaWKosloff on how we should think about partisan politics and ideological factions 🧵
Yup
SF creates technology for the entire world, and the only way to keep the $ in the hands of the workers and make it awesome for everyone is to build housing. Landlord NIMBYs like Aaron Peskin will hide behind "hate tech people" but we can't let them They're going to blame tech…
The Charter Revision Commission just approved the 5 questions that will be on ballots for NYC voters this November! This includes 4 housing questions, which would collectively represent a huge step forward for affordability in New York. 🧵
I do feel bad for Breed who I think got a raw deal in a lot of ways but Lurie is very impressive
NEW POLL: 73% of San Franciscans think Mayor @DanielLurie is doing a good job ‼️73%‼️ Some highlights via @sfchronicle @DanielleEchev 🧵
housing feels like a perfect case of punctuated equilibrium right now. a slow-moving crisis that exploded around COVID with decades of policy proposals being dusted off in a flurry of action
New: A 50-year-old federal rule has stifled affordable housing. Congress may finally, at long last, do something about it vox.com/policy/420254/…
Most recruits are 21 when they step onto Parris Island. Paul Douglas was 50. A professor, politician, and patriot, Douglas left behindb a life of comfort in 1942 to enlist in the Marine Corps-becoming the oldest recruit in Parris Island history. From enduring boot camp without…
Meta pays hundreds of millions for top tech talent while we shut down the high-skilled immigration pathways and research institutions which create them
This under-construction 7-bedroom, $14mm mansion did not have to pay any affordable housing fee. If you built a five-unit apartment of the same size, it'd need to pay a $360,000 affordable housing fee. How do five small homes neg. impact affordability more than one mansion?
The zero-sum trap: the more people believe that wealth, status, and well-being are zero-sum, the more they back policies that make the world zero-sum. marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolu…
One reason San Francisco has so many empty storefronts? We require too much ground-floor retail—even when there’s no demand for it. Seattle took the opposite approach: it reduced its retail space by 1.5 million square feet over the past four years, converting it into new…
San Francisco has high retail vacancies -- why? It's not just COVID recovery and remote work. It's also SF's uniquely strict planning codes, mandatory ground-floor retail in new buildings, and inflexible rules on re-use. But we can fix it, here's how: growsf.org/research/2025-…
I feel so lucky to be an American, a country that transcends the stupid tribalism of assuming ones community based on mere accidents of birth.