Why is housing so expensive? In Broken City, Patrick Condon contends that land has become an asset rather than a utility, which has led to a broken link between shelter pricing and local wages. Condon explores examples of cities that have reclaimed land wealth from speculators, drawing from these places to propose solutions to the affordability crisis. These proposals range from the conventional, such as incentivized construction of affordable homes, to the ambitious, like increased land value taxes. Broken City envisions a future where these efforts result in cities where land value supports housing for the people that need it.

About Patrick Condon

Patrick Condon has over 25 years of experience in sustainable urban design: first as a professional city planner and then as a teacher and researcher. He has been with the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture since 1992. As the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments, he has worked to advance sustainable urban design in scores of jurisdictions in the US, Canada, and Australia. For over 20 years, Condon has worked on a variety of projects and books to contribute to healthier and more sustainable urban landscapes.