Today, Explained How to fix blue cities
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Dec 23, 2025 
Ezra Klein, a journalist and co-author of 'Abundance,' teams up with Katie Wilson, Seattle's mayor-elect and former community organizer. They dive into the 'abundance' agenda, discussing its transformative potential for housing and governance. Klein emphasizes the challenges blue cities face in addressing housing shortages due to legacy regulations. Wilson reflects on her mayoral campaign, spotlighting affordability and the urgent need for bold leadership. Both highlight the importance of connecting with voters' material concerns to foster trust and drive change.
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Make Government Goal-Oriented
- Abundance argues Democrats should prioritize building tangible things—housing, clean energy, transit—over procedural constraints.
- Ezra Klein frames the problem as making government goal-oriented so it can deliver promised outcomes quickly.
Too Much Money, Too Few Homes
- High housing costs in Democratic-run cities reflect underproduction, not unique demand.
- Klein contrasts places like Austin and Houston that build more homes with SF and LA that don't, causing affordability crises.
Procedures Can Become Obstacles
- Progressive reforms that increased citizen voice created procedural layers that now slow building.
- Klein says special interests learned to exploit those rules, requiring institutional renewal to build faster.