A small group called Portsmouth Now! is getting a lot of media attention for their efforts to halt all real estate development within Portsmouth city limits. The stated purpose is to preserve the city’s “historic character” and stop its ongoing gentrification.
I moved to Portsmouth in large part due to its character and community, and I certainly don’t want to see it turn into Anywhere USA. However, a rash and monolithic response like the one proposed will be a disaster for this city.
Firstly, it will actually speed up the process of pushing out the small-time artisans and culture-makers in favor of high-income vacationers. Why? Because as you restrict supply, you drive up prices. Less housing means more expensive housing. More expensive housing means (in today’s economy) owners who are more likely to spend their time working in the continental or global economy than in the local one. People caring for and investing in the local economy is what makes Portsmouth unique.
The socialists behind this effort would be wise to learn the basic principles of economics before they advocate policies that actually hurt the groups they champion. Does Portsmouth Now! really hate the middle class? If not, why are they trying to make life harder for them by driving up real estate prices?
Secondly, this effort risks sending Portsmouth in a spiral of decline. Right now, the Seacoast – with Portsmouth at its heart – is an increasingly hip place to be. We’re attracting young entrepreneurs and new families. Make no mistake, there is a great global competition going on for talent. My generation is highly mobile and motivated by the ability to customize and improve their environment – just like we’ve grown up doing on the internet. If the Seacoast declares itself frozen in time, if it arrests the process of turning stodgy Northern New England into a vibrant Arcadia, then the youth will go elsewhere and the future of this region will be lost.
This is not the first time the anti-progressives have come out of the woodwork to try to freeze the process of continual change that marks all life on Earth. Rather than trying to mandate everyone in Portsmouth follow their vision, I urge them to proactively get involved in the evolution of Portsmouth to see that it meets their tastes too. It’s easy to pass a law telling everyone else what to do, but much harder to actually take it upon yourself to create the future you’d like to see. If these people still demand a restrictive dystopia where stagnation and decay are the order of the day, I invite them to visit our neighboring states and assess for themselves whether that has been a winning policy for the people who live there.
