Snow covers downtown rooftops and open spaces in Flensburg, Germany.
Land value taxes would incentivize development on valuable urban land, discouraging surface parking lots and other forms of land use that generate relatively little value.
  • Cities and towns across the country are struggling with underused land and a shortage of housing. 
  • One relatively simple policy could address both problems and help solve the affordability crisis. 
  • Land-value taxes would more efficiently and equitably rebalance real estate.

Cities and towns across America are dealing with either an abundance of underused land or a shortage of housing — or both.