Where Should I Park My Startup?

Something about automobile parking seems to drive otherwise good people bonkers. For example, James Fallows amidst a sensible post about a government shutdown echoes a desire I’ve heard from a lot of people for DC to stop enforcing parking laws:

Spring break is around the corner and you’re ready to chill. But while you’ve been slaving away to pass your midterms, you haven’t made any plans – and you don’t have much money. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

When it comes to being a first-time parent, the prevailing wisdom seems to be that you can read all the books, do all the research and yet … there’s no real preparing for what the actual experience feels like. Which is kind of what makes the whole thing so exciting, not to mention overwhelming.

(cc photo by markjms) Kevin Drum stands up for minimum parking regulations:

W. Bowman Cutter, Sofia F. Franco, and Autumn DeWoody have a new paper titled "Do Minimum Parking Requirements Force Developers to Provide More Parking than Privately Optimal?" The abstract is this:

A few years ago, my parents took a three-week vacation to Israel. They spent more than $6,000. I can’t remember the last time I spent that much money in three weeks; that amount could last me up to half a year on the road. When I asked them what they spent so much money on, their reply amounted to, “Travel isn’t cheap! Hotels, car rental, tours, and airfare all cost money!” To me, that sums up the thinking I encounter every day. “I’d love to travel, but it’s just too expensive,” people say to me. “It costs a lot of money.” But that’s because the travel we are exposed to costs a lot of money.

(cc photo by gracefamily)