Cities are
Financial
Entities.
Every line drawn on a zoning map is a multi-decade financial liability or asset. We map the gap between aesthetic planning and municipal solvency.
Most urban planning discourse focuses on how things look. We focus on how they pay for themselves. When infrastructure replacement cycles hit, the math dictates survival.
Read the Core Thesis
The Insolvency Equation
Variable A
Linear Feet of Infrastructure per Capita
Variable B
Tax Yield per Acre
Result
If A outpaces B, the municipality eventually defaults.
The Yield Gap
Comparing the property tax yield per acre across different development patterns. Low-density residential consistently fails to cover its own infrastructure lifecycle costs.
Run the Breakeven Calculator| Typology | Yield per Acre | Infra Cost/Acre | Net Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suburban Big Box | $6,500 | $8,200 | -$1,700 |
| Single Family Detached | $9,800 | $11,500 | -$1,700 |
| Missing Middle (4-plex) | $24,000 | $14,000 | +$10,000 |
| Mixed-Use Downtown (3-Story) | $114,000 | $22,000 | +$92,000 |
* Based on median 2023 millage rates and replacement costs for 30-year asphalt and pipe lifecycles. View methodology.
Policy Mechanics
Land Value Capture
When a city builds transit, adjacent landowners absorb the windfall. LVT reclaims this publicly-created value to fund the infrastructure itself.
Read Brief →Parking Minimums
Mandatory parking fundamentally distorts land markets, subsidizing driving while penalizing housing construction and small business creation.
Calculate Impact →Floor Area Ratio
The most critical lever in urban form. Small adjustments to FAR limits drastically alter the financial viability of infill development.
Master FAR →"Growth does not inherently pay for growth. Horizontal expansion without proportional tax yield is a municipal Ponzi scheme."The Growth Ponzi Scheme Analysis
Diagnostic Tools
Stop guessing. Calculate the exact fiscal impacts of policy decisions.
FAR Yield Calculator
Model maximum buildable area and parking requirements against lot constraints to determine project viability.
LVT Shift Estimator
Calculate how shifting from property tax to land value tax affects different land use typologies in your municipality.
Density Breakeven Analysis
Input infrastructure replacement costs and millage rates to find the minimum dwelling units per acre required for solvency.
Transit Project Multiplier
Estimate the surrounding land value uplift generated by BRT or Light Rail investments.