urbanMSP

Rising rents are forcing small old shops that have benefited from rent control to close shop in the historic center because rent control will be ending.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/world ... phone&_r=0

And it is not a sudden end, they'd been warned 20 years ago rent control would end.

Here's a Streetfilms video on the "superblock" system they've started implementing in a couple parts of the city, repurposing most of the street space in certain neighborhoods to be for pedestrian or bicycle use, but leaving narrow lanes or shared-space treatments for car access:

https://vimeo.com/282972390

Barcelona seizing vacant apartments:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... nd=premium