I write about cities, transportation, real estate and urban development. @BuildingSLC | bio pic is uinta mountains in utah
SLC
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People who dont leave the white part of the map cant fathom the freedom you experience on the red land.
It’s yours. Within reason, you can drive, hike, sleep, shoot guns, build fires, swim, run, fish wherever you want.
Federal land is a gift. When it’s gone it’s not coming back
One of the things East Coasters are just totally unaware of is how much land in the west is owned by the federal government, and how many problems ranging from inconveniences to the serious this causes. Because it’s just not a thing in the East.
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Americans waiting to get to the front of the car drive-thru line at a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant.
Salt Lake City, Utah. June 2023
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Workers didn't 'discover' streetcar tracks on State Street in SLC.
They uncovered the remains of a once prolific transit network the city was built around.
Like many other U.S. cities, that network was intentionally buried in an overt attempt to make Utahns dependent on cars.
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A man is free-climbing the Accenture Building in Downtown Chicago.
Video sent from a friend on the 16th floor.
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Me: "Children should be able to walk to their school safely like they did in the past without fear of being run over by a motorist."
Them: "This liberal wants to destroy his city!!!"
Just a very normal response.
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SLC Police just sent out an email encouraging residents to narc on the critical mass bike ride that happens every Thursday night, along with a warning to people on the ride.
This is a threat to one of the best cultural things SLC has to offer and the cops shouldn't ruin it.
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Developers in Portland have built 1,400 new missing middle housing units in its historically low-density residential neighborhoods the past three years alone.
That's like building 11 new apartment buildings into single-family neighborhoods without many people noticing.
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I'M CALLING FOR A TOTAL AND COMPLETE SHUTDOWN ON UTAH COUNTY RESIDENTS ENTERING SALT LAKE COUNTY UNTIL THEIR COUNTY'S REPRESENTATIVES CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.
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If anyone was wondering what's happening in SLC's housing market, things aren't even close to returning to any sense of normalcy. Here are a few examples that highlight what's happening.
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The second ski bus of the morning pulls up to a bus full of people (about 1/3 resort employees), with no room for any of them. The next one is also full.
This is life with 30-minute headways. The cottonwoods are broken.
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Please please consider picking up El Meños (1700 South West Temple in Ballpark, SLC) when you want good pozole or other Mexican food.
The family says it is struggling badly and doing what it can to not close. But the outlook they gave wasn’t good. Help them out if you can.
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Eight out of 10 people living in Utah reside along the Wasatch Front. This map gives you a good visualization of that.
Anyone want to guess what that biggest peak is?
(Map by @MrPecners.) #utpol
ALT Population density map of Utah, rendered in R using the rayshader package. by @MrPecners
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I was lucky to have chosen to go to college in Montana and experience the life-changing awakening that comes from accessing public land.
Growing up in Illinois, it didn't exist. The concept of pulling over on a road trip, shooting a duck and catching a fish because we're on federal land was not on my radar.
Be skeptical of the voices who say federal land is a problem. They likely have ulterior motives. (Especially if they live in Manhattan.)
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If cities are expected to clear streets, they should be expected to clear sidewalks and bus stops.
Why should only car travel be a service when 100% of taxpayers are pedestrians? Have a good night.
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If people in SLC could do me a personal favor, please get takeout from Mahider. I asked the owner if they’d be all right and it sounds like they need some foot traffic.
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The State of Montana made $8.7 million in just three months from allowing adults to consume marijuana recreationally.
That's just in taxes. What could the State of Utah do with an extra $35 million a year?
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Folks, here’s the deal. We have all grown to love the 9th & 9th whale. It’s time for the 9th & 9th whale tail.
900 South 900 West in Poplar Grove.
@slcmayor @slcCouncil, let’s do this.
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An affordable high-rise in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City is nearing completion, with rent for a decent sized space starting at $610 a month.
255 State is one of the best projects in the city right now.
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UDOT wants to turn I-15 in Salt Lake City into a 23-lane car hellhole. That's just 3 lanes shy of the infamous Katy Freeway in Texas.
In spite of everything we know about induced demand as well as climate change, Utah is attempting to expand VMT. They should be stopped.
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The state of Utah wants to spend $217 million PER MILE widening Interstate 15 through Salt Lake City.
$3.7 billion in total on sprawl-inducing, heavily subsidized freeway expansion. And the #utleg is willing to write blank checks to fund it.
sltrib.com/news/2023/09/29/c…
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The amount of land lost to surface parking in Draper, Utah and the 'Silicon Slopes' is wild.
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Crowd marching through downtown SLC. #trumpinutah pscp.tv/w/bPRLszFkcmplWld5eW…
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alternate headline: the utah legislature doesnt care what a majority of voters just approved #utpol
Utah’s medical marijuana initiative is about to get swapped out with a compromise bill in the legislature bit.ly/2Pvp8kE
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After a vote in the Utah House, these will be the four flags flying at the Four Corners of the U.S.
(One more procedural vote in the Utah Senate and the state flag is changed.) #utpol
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Salt Lake City is about to become the latest U.S. city to adopt a 20 mph default speed limit on most streets. I can't believe it. #20isPlenty
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This is what it’s like to cross State Street in a marked crosswalk in the center of Downtown Salt Lake City on a Friday night.
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The Salt Lake Tribune's Pat Bagley, a Pulitzer finalist cartoonist who has been drawing Utah since 1979, has moved to Portugal.
Here is the farewell note he wrote when Pat became ex-pat.
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Two hours of public comment.
Ten years of disenfranchisement.
The Utah way.
#utpol
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See what I'm saying? Nothing about this is a political concept. But you attract people who talk about drag shows. Absolutely unhinged segment of society that, understandably, hides their identities online.
nitter.app/TedD812952/status/1893…
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Wrote this in 2021. Things are going to get worse very soon.
Seems worth pointing out this is in SLC proper, at the intersection of two high-frequency bus lines and two blocks from a light rail station.
buildingsaltlake.com/analysi…
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Chris Stewart remains an embarrassment to my neighborhood, my state and my country. #utpol
After serious thought and consideration, I will not vote to certify the election. I believe there are critical questions that need to be answered concerning our Presidential election.
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Just thinking about how Utah believes that on alcohol policy it sits in that sweet spot between 1920s style prohibition and injecting 12 year olds with scotch.
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SLC residents are sounding the alarm as powerful businesspeople partnered with suburban state legislators to strip the city of its ability to plan its own streets.
Instead, it would operate under oversight from the Utah Department of Transportation.
Here's why it's bad. #utpol
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The iconic Garage Mahal is for sale in Salt Lake City.
Now’s your chance to own the American Dream.
zillow.com/homedetails/1788-…
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Salt Lake City has a glut of supply, and it's making it harder to fill new apartment buildings.
As a result, property managers are offering concessions more in SLC than any other metro, according to @zillow.
It's effectively a rent cut. Expect it to continue.
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SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall announces emergency order circumventing state law and requiring students to wear masks in SLC schools and the #utleg erupts.
Gov. Cox to issue executive order circumventing state law to do the same thing? Radio silence.
What could be different?
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NEWS: Salt Lake City is about to open Main Street to people, businesses and music, close it to cars. From Memorial Day to Labor Day. It's looking to do it permanently.
buildingsaltlake.com/main-st…
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Utah is on the cusp of approving a new state flag, which is an insanely difficult thing to do. It's headed toward a final vote (and a procedural vote.)
I don't care for borderline religious symbolism on a state flag, but bees do make the world go round. Good bill, should pass.
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People need to understand how impressive SLC’s farmers’ market is. The scale of it — four Salt Lake City-sized blocks of local food and crafts — is bigger than the best markets in major U.S. cities.
It’s one of the best things the @DowntownSLC does and it’s a gift to the city.
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High school students called for a gun control town hall with Utah’s congressional delegation and say they were rebuffed. So they’re holding one anyways, in the rain, with life-sized cutouts of Hatch, Curtis, Bishop, Stewart and Love. #utpol
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A man died in a 3-bed, 3-bath mid-century house in Olympus Cove and his family went to sell. It was listed at $599,000 ~a year ago and sold for just over $1M.
After getting a new roof, fridge and AC, it's listed again. This time at $1.5M, $839 per sf.
utahrealestate.com/1796050?a…
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The framing that "coal country left behind" bugs me. These parts of the country have for decades willfully fought modernization, instead choosing to try and preserve antiquated economies that the entire world is leaving behind. It is a choice. #utpol
sltrib.com/news/2021/10/18/u…
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People correctly note that much of the nation is experiencing unprecedented housing market conditions. But when paired with local wages, we can quantify affordability or lack thereof.
The median price of a single-family home is now about $525,000.
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I wish I could bookend this with some wisdom or optimism, but I'm at a loss for words. That's generally not a good thing for someone who hustles words for a living.
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bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus bus.
"In Big Cottonwood Canyon, UDOT said it averaged 10,000 vehicles over the weekend where the highest ski season days are between 6,000 to 7,400.
Little Cottonwood Canyon recorded an average of 8,300 vehicles, where the highest ski days were between 5,800 to 7,700 vehicles."
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This is off-brand, but Salt Lake City's Lee Isaac Chung just won a Golden Globe for his movie Minari, which also premiered at @sundancefest. That's something we should all be proud of.
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Folks, here’s the deal. I have griped about the 300 West cycle track, but you need to give @slcmoves kudos for the changes they’re making.
✅Street trees.
✅Continuous sidewalks.
✅2-way cycle track.
I biked to Home Depot, Costco and Lowe’s last night. Progress. Well done.
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I think I detest the idea of going to a minor league baseball game in the suburbs just as much as people in the suburbs detest coming to the city for a game. Nevertheless, I won't go.
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Yalecrest and other wealthy SLC neighborhoods are actively sounding the alarm that, unless you support them, the city might allow less expensive homes to be built in more expensive areas.
Hell of a place.
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Has anyone *not* realized UTA's executive director is a total G? Gotta grab a beer with Jay Fox soon.
ALT Total G Jay Fox, executive director of UTA, takes a selfie in front of a regional train, perhaps pondering how he'll sign onto LinkedIn and create a post powning anyone choosing to get stuck in highway congestion because they drove in a snowstorm in Utah.
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Somehow it was only this week when I realized that "protect property values" means "don't make houses less expensive," and I needed to say that out loud.
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The 999 ride attracts hundreds or even thousands of people every single week of every the year.
It's a free event that brings the community together.
Are there dirtbags that show up? Yes. But mostly it's a big cluster of small groups of friends riding bikes around town.
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Interesting topic below. SLC is seeing strong out-migration. Is it COVID transplants fleeing after getting a taste of Utah? Locals driven out by rising cost of living? A combination or something else?
I didn't find it hard to make friends and have fun in SLC as a non-LDS, fwiw.
Noticing an interesting trend developing-
Covid transplants leaving Utah in droves. If you’re young, ambitious, single or not Mormon it can be a very difficult place to make home.
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A Wasatch County state representative just said that people riding bikes is the major cause of traffic on Utah roads. (This is a lie.)
He is trying to make it illegal to ride outside a bike lane or path if one is available.
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This is the strangest stat about our governor and I think about it all the time. Do the math on the amount of time with family lost to drive 200 miles a day for work. It's mind-boggling.
For 7 years as Lt. Gov I drove 60,000 miles a year, commuting 200 miles round trip everyday to preserve that connection. I promised the people in rural Utah I would continue to spend as much time there as possible. I intend to keep that promise. 9/
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I've never seen a better match between person and car.
Oh lord, Elon superfans on X are making it into the real world.
"I'm sorry Elon said some things that hurt your feelings."
Classic. That's literally the go-to line from Elon fans to any critique of him.
It sounds just like the audio from a South Park clip laughing at Tesla drivers. How do you caricature at this point?
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Our daycare just called and said they won't actually be having an infant class we got into. Do you think the waiting list is very long for the neighborhood Fun Time Kidz Care?
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If SLC wants to become family-friendly, it needs to stop ignoring the fact that families dont feel safe in places that were created for them.
It cant keep pretending that open drug markets, prostitution and human 💩 in parks & on trails is OK. It's not and it needs to change.
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Utah legislator from Draper: 'Why won't the most liberal city in Utah just agree with the most conservative state in the nation?'
'We've stripped Salt Lake City residents' voice from Congress and dangit if we won't keep doing it on state matters.' #utpol
Having spent years in local government I’ve seen this pattern many times where SLC Mayors like to unilaterally pick fights with the legislature leaving other cities to do damage control. That antagonistic approach makes working with the #utleg on important issues more difficult.
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Artist Judy Calhoun is documenting the scene at #SaveBearsEars gathering. It’s part of her “This is what democracy looks like” series. #TrumpinUtah
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Here's an assortment of existing missing middle homes in Salt Lake City's Yalecrest and Wasatch Hollow neighborhoods, which are some of the most vocal opponents to allowing this type of development today.
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One thing I think a lot of people enjoy about city living that we've either erased or never built in SLC is the urban village.
These are the mixed-use and walkable community nodes where the scale of buildings creates a kind of living room for residents and visitors. I want more.
ALT Picture of people dining in the West Village of New York City.
ALT A photo of an evening on Division Street in Portland, Oregon.
ALT A picture of Larimer Square in Denver, Colorado, one of the oldest modern streets in that city.
ALT A photo of a street in Pilsen, a neighborhood of Chicago.
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It’s so shitty how Salt Lake City lets builders turn sidewalks into a dumping ground.
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Concerned citizens: 'They're going to wreck the character of our charming city!'
The character:
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Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman, March 17, 2020: “I think a week from now people are going to say, ’What were we thinking with that coronavirus thing?’” #utpol
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