Why can't Amsterdam (5000 people / km2) be as dense as San Francisco (7000/km2)?
Why can't San Francisco be as dense as New York City (11000/km2)?
Why can't New York City be as dense as Barcelona or Seoul (16000/km2)?
These are the most productive cities, with the most opportunities, and more people want to move there. Why should they be forced to live in less desirable places?
You're still doing it...obsessing over a tiny amount of places.
"The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation — the national housing agency — said in a June report that close to 19 million housing units will be needed by 2030."
Widen your view! These 19 million homes aren't going to be built in 1 or 2 cities.
People cite these cities because they are recognizable, but the hallmarks of the housing crisis are felt all over. Prices are rising even in cheap places like the midwest, because even in those places the rate of new construction is not high enough to meet demand, so prices rise as people bid on limited inventory.
Exactly, and that was the only point I was trying to make: it's a widespread issue. Some people are so stuck in the giant city "NIMBY" narrative that anything outside that narrow scope simply doesn't seem to exist (or matter).
Why can't San Francisco be as dense as New York City (11000/km2)?
Why can't New York City be as dense as Barcelona or Seoul (16000/km2)?
These are the most productive cities, with the most opportunities, and more people want to move there. Why should they be forced to live in less desirable places?