John Myers
@johnrmyers.bsky.social
Director @yimbyalliance.org • Housing and other infrastructure • yimbyalliance.org
What if the residents of a street could collectively decide to build more homes on it - and share directly in the benefits? That's street votes. In our new paper with @labourtogether.bsky.social we set out how community-led street votes could help Steve Reed build 1.5 million new homes.
Excellent work to map rents/sqm. I find it particularly interesting how much more expensive 1-beds in London are per sqm than 3-beds (presumably driving up demand for HMOs) - but not in Wandsworth or Tower Hamlets, which have been building a lot recently
YIMBY Alliance@yimbyalliance.org · 8mo agoAs a Christmas present to renters, we’ve build a new public zoomable map of rents per square metres in England and Wales! Have fun browsing and please share: yimbyalliance.org/2025/12/18/h...
As a Christmas present to renters, we’ve build a new public zoomable map of rents per square metres in England and Wales! Have fun browsing and please share: yimbyalliance.org/2025/12/18/h...
How much space can you afford to rent? - YIMBY Alliance
A map of rent per square metre for renters in England and Wales If you rent, you probably don’t think in square metres. You think about how many bedrooms and space you can actually get for your monthl...
yimbyalliance.org
‘Freedom is the by-product of economic surplus’ - Aneurin Bevan
Mission‑driven government needs more than ambition: we must rewrite the rules of the game. Today for @britishprogress.bsky.social, Pedro and I show how mechanism design (‘ reverse game theory’) can help the Government shape markets, crowd in investment and deliver radical reform.
This is a must read for anyone who cares about building more homes and other infrastructure. Brilliant work by @anyamartin.bsky.social
YIMBY Alliance@yimbyalliance.org · last yr.NEW amazing article by @AnyaM8_ of @PricedOutUK for @WorksInProgMag: the little-known scheme that accounts for over 30% of Japanese urban development, as well as other countries including Taiwan, Korea and Germany. 🧵
A fascinating and important paper showing how better state capacity (in this case justices of the peace) accelerated the Industrial Revolution. nofuturepast.wordpress.com/2025/05/13/j...
Justices of the Peace: Legal Foundations of the Industrial Revolution
How did local legal institutions power the British Industrial Revolution? In a new working paper, available here in open access, Tim Besley, Dan Bogart, Jonathan Chapman and I show that Justices of…
nofuturepast.wordpress.com
NEW: Government reforms just announced will slash the time to deliver infrastructure! These are big changes:
According to this story, the total cost of the Lower Thames Crossing will be £10bn, and £450m, or 4.5%, is planning - on.ft.com/4jeSUUK via @financialtimes.com An anonymous source says the planning investment will lower the risk of overruns or unexpected costs.
One-third of Lower Thames Crossing budget spent on planning documents
More than £450mn used for obtaining permission for road tunnel scheme
on.ft.com
🚨 We’re hiring! If you're passionate about fixing the housing crisis and want real impact — whether through policy or campaigns — we want to hear from you. Help us build a future with more homes for all 🏘️👇
NEW: we're looking to hire a Campaigns Officer! Do you know someone passionate about housing who would be a great fit? Please send them our way! (link in next post)
NEW | Grey belt: the underestimated game-changer for housing @johnrmyers.bsky.social, Director of YIMBY Alliance, outlines the homes already being unlocked by Labour’s new reforms to low-quality ‘grey belt’ land redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/04/grey...
Grey belt: the underestimated game-changer for housing - Red Brick
John Myers, Director of YIMBY Alliance, outlines the homes already being unlocked by Labour's new reforms to low-quality 'grey belt' land
redbrickblog.co.uk
Average Home Size In US States vs Western European Countries For size in sq Meters see: brilliantmaps.com/home-size...
This is an intriguing addition to the centre-left think tank space, with an impressively dynamic leadership - I will be interested to see the ideas they produce!
Centre for British Progress@britishprogress.org · last yr.💫 We’re launching the Centre for British Progress Our founding essay: Rediscovering British Progress is a case for growth that drives shared progress, rooted in Britain's values and industrial heritage. It all starts with a postcard from 1870 👇 britishprogress.org/articles/red...
💫 We’re launching the Centre for British Progress Our founding essay: Rediscovering British Progress is a case for growth that drives shared progress, rooted in Britain's values and industrial heritage. It all starts with a postcard from 1870 👇 britishprogress.org/articles/red...
NEW: the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the Government’s reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework will produce an extra 170,000 homes, raising GDP by 0.5%!
NEW | Attlee’s secret weapon to build homes: zoning Ahead of today’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, @johnrmyers.bsky.social looks back to the Special Development Orders used by Attlee to supercharge housebuilding: redbrickblog.co.uk/2025/03/attl...
Attlee’s secret weapon to build homes: zoning - Red Brick
Special Development Orders in the Town and Country Planning Act not only show zoning of the past but also look to the potential of the future.
redbrickblog.co.uk
I wrote about the many consequences of housing shortages, with comments from @peterkanne2024.bsky.social, @johnrmyers.bsky.social and others. (In Dutch but Google Translate does a good job.)
De Correspondent@decorrespondent.nl · last yr.De woningnood veroorzaakt wereldwijd tal van andere problemen: de ongelijkheid groeit, de economie krijgt een dreun, de geboortecijfers dalen en het aantal daklozen loopt op. Deze duizenddingencrisis is de wind in de rug voor radicaal-rechts. Maar de enige echte oplossing blijft uit: bouwen.
In Boston, MA today and tomorrow! Anyone want to catch up or suggest someone I should meet?
UK Day One is an inspiring organisation working to drive UK growth and progress. This is a great opportunity for someone enthusiastic to work with the brilliant @jujulemons.bsky.social and @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social, and make a real difference helping the whole country. ukdayone.org/headofopps
Applications for the No 10 Innovation Fellowships are now open!
Where should the new towns go? And why is our thinking on new towns important for more than just new towns? Read my new report for @centreforcities.bsky.social – out today!
Centre for Cities@centreforcities.bsky.social · 2y agoNEW REPORT | Restarting housebuilding III: New towns and land value capture 🏘️ Our latest report focuses on where best to develop New Towns and presents new modelling on the potential land value capture from these developments. Read the full report👇 www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
NEW REPORT | Restarting housebuilding III: New towns and land value capture 🏘️ Our latest report focuses on where best to develop New Towns and presents new modelling on the potential land value capture from these developments. Read the full report👇 www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
Restarting housebuilding III: New towns and land value capture - Centre for Cities
This report identifies possible locations for large-scale urban extensions each with good access to one of 15 big cities by public transport.
centreforcities.org
Huge new announcement: planning applications that comply with the local development plan will bypass planning committees and be decided by officers to speed up building! Deputy PM Angela Rayner said the current planning process is acting like a "drag anchor" on housing. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Planning committees could be bypassed to speed up house building
The move is part of what ministers say will be a "sweeping overhaul" of England's local planning system.
bbc.com
Encouraging that the new Government milestone is for ‘clean’ power, not solely wind and solar. Could pave the way to improving the approval processes for nuclear power, to add jobs and cheaper energy by capturing some of the coming wave of international investment in datacentres and power for them.
A major new report from @centreforcities.bsky.social calls for the Government to take much bolder action on reform to be sure to achieve its goal of 1.5 million new homes this Parliament! (thread)
The UK could accelerate the path to net zero and cheaper energy with better nuclear power policy and regulation. An impressive new report from @tonelangengen.bsky.social @jeegarkakkad.bsky.social at al is featured in today’s Guardian. institute.global/insights/cli...
UKRI is recruiting a Director to lead work on R&D and Place. A great opportunity for an action-oriented leader who wants to tackle the many well-documented issues of the geography of R&D in the UK! careersportal.taleo.net/careersectio...
