[svnt]

This argument is tired and simplistic. Zoning and other homebuilding laws also prevent large-scale tragic disasters that occur because of self-interested corner-cutting and profiteering.

Many people died on a regular basis because of the unregulated living spaces you’re fantasizing about.

[diordiderot]

Uncharitable strawman

[svnt]

This is a great study on people actually dying because of these problems, temporally located many decades after the most egregious problems had been prevented: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965780/

There are similar studies for traffic and pedestrian issues due to poor zoning.

The idea that somehow one builder in competition with other builders with no enforcement is going to make appropriate safety tradeoffs everywhere they need to is untenable.

[diordiderot]

Zoning is not construction regulation. I don't think OP meant don't build housing with fire escapes or certified electricians.

To the traffic point I believe you may have what young urbanists uncharitably called car brain.

Less zoning -> more density -> fewer cars -> fewer deaths. Pedestrian safety a lagging effect unfortunately

[svnt]

OP: “Zoning laws mean you can’t just build large volumes of cheap accommodation.”

Building codes prevent cheap housing more than zoning laws. It sure seemed like a marginally-informed rant to me.

I live on a street that attempted to convert grass-roots to a bike greenway. I don’t think I have car brain. Zoning is useful, but imperfect. It sounds like we’d agree to be against nimby residential protections of high-end housing, but that’s not what OP said. I didn’t realize OP’s post was just a dog whistle.

[diordiderot]

> Building codes prevent cheap housing more than zoning laws.

IMHO dense housing is cheap housing. Zoning groups(verb) anti-density regulations like lot setbacks & height restrictions