How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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May 09, 2024
acx

The Emotional Support Animal Racket

11 min • 1,438 words • 867 comments • 425 likes • podcast (10 min)
Scott Alexander examines the problematic nature of emotional support animal letters, highlighting the ethical dilemmas for psychiatrists and the system's shortcomings. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the issue of emotional support animal letters, highlighting the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by psychiatrists when asked to provide these letters. He explains the legal requirements, the lack of clear evaluation criteria, and the pressure on mental health professionals to approve these requests. The post explores various scenarios and potential responses, ultimately pointing out that the current system creates a form of gatekeeping that favors those who can navigate the process, resulting in a disguised class system. Shorter summary
May 10, 2023
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Housing Density And Prices

56 min • 7,836 words • 468 comments • 73 likes • podcast (45 min)
Scott Alexander responds to criticism of his post on housing density and prices, refining but largely maintaining his argument that increased density can raise local prices. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his previous post about housing density and prices. He addresses several key points, including whether density causes desirability, the role of jobs and amenities in city desirability, Chinese ghost cities, comparisons to Tokyo, accusations of misunderstanding economics, and opinions from notable experts. Scott refines some of his views but maintains his core argument that increasing density within a city can increase housing prices by making the city more desirable, while acknowledging this effect may be limited or outweighed by other factors in many cases. Shorter summary
May 01, 2023
acx

Change My Mind: Density Increases Local But Decreases Global Prices

11 min • 1,477 words • 746 comments • 161 likes • podcast (10 min)
Scott Alexander argues that increasing housing density in a city may actually increase local prices due to induced demand, while lowering prices nationally. Longer summary
Scott Alexander challenges Matt Yglesias's claim that building more houses lowers local house prices. He argues that while this may be true on a marginal level, looking at the extremes shows a different picture. The densest US cities (New York, San Francisco) are also the most expensive, while the least dense areas have the lowest prices. Scott proposes that increasing density in a city like Oakland would likely increase its prices due to induced demand, as it becomes more attractive to people seeking big city amenities. He suggests that building more houses would lower prices nationwide, but not necessarily in the specific city where construction occurs, creating a coordination problem for housing policy. Shorter summary
Oct 02, 2018
ssc

Highlights From The Comments On NIMBYs

24 min • 3,290 words • 402 comments • podcast (23 min)
Scott Alexander highlights diverse comments on the NIMBY debate, exploring contrasting views on urban living and various aspects of urban development. Longer summary
This post highlights various comments on the NIMBY debate, showcasing the stark differences in people's preferences for urban vs. suburban living. It explores how these differing views can lead to heated debates and misunderstandings. The post also discusses various aspects of urban development, including housing prices, city planning, and economic effects. Scott Alexander emphasizes the need to acknowledge diverse preferences and solve urban problems before advocating for increased density. He also presents counterarguments to some of his original points and additional perspectives on urban development issues. Shorter summary
May 10, 2013
ssc

Raikoth: Cities, Land

11 min • 1,521 words • 37 comments
The post details the housing, urban planning, and land use in Raikoth, a fictional country where people live in yurts and cities are designed for cleanliness and tranquility. Longer summary
This post describes the housing and urban planning of Raikoth, a fictional country. Raikolin people primarily live in yurts, which are cheap, mobile, and adaptable. Cities are designed to be clean, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing, with strict rules against littering, noise pollution, and visual clutter. The country also has vast wilderness areas where people can live freely away from civilization. The post outlines the unique features of Raikothin cities, land use policies, and the option for citizens to live in remote, challenging environments. Shorter summary