We examine the impact of city council members with real estate backgrounds on housing supply in California 1995-2019. Using candidate occupation data and a close-elections regression discontinuity design, we find that electing a developer increases approved housing units by 68% during their term. This effect fades after one term, suggesting developers influence zoning decisions more than long-term policy change. Analysis of votes extracted from council meetings shows they are especially effective in securing discretionary zoning approvals. Importantly, we find no evidence of electoral backlash, suggesting voters are generally supportive of housing expansion led by pro-development candidates.

El acceso a la vivienda se ha convertido en un problema mayúsculo. Según datos de los últimos barómetros del CIS y del CEO, el acceso a la vivienda figura entre los problemas que más preocupan a la ciudadanía en nuestro país. Estas preocupaciones tienen bases objetivas. Según datos de la OCDE, en España el gasto en vivienda como porcentaje del total del gasto de los hogares creció 8 puntos porcentuales entre 1995 y 2022.

March 25, 2025 – 14.30h – Room 1030

April 8, 2025 – 14.30h – Room 1038

1 de abril de 2025 – 12h-14h – Sala de Recepcions

This paper explores the electoral effects of Barcelona’s Superblocks pedestrianization policy, a green initiative designed to reduce car traffic and enhance urban environments. Using census tract-level data from the 2023 local elections, we assess the policy’s impact on support for the incumbent mayor. Our findings reveal a positive and statistically significant increase in votes in areas directly affected by the policy, with benefits also extending to neighboring districts. Importantly, there is no evidence that the intervention led to traffic displacement, which suggests that such disruptions did not provoke electoral backlash. Further analysis indicates that the policy’s effects are not driven by concerns over gentrification or mobility disruptions. Instead, the effects are stronger in more educated neighborhoods, pointing to the role of environmental attitudes in shaping political support. These results contribute to the literature on the political economy of green policies, underscoring the importance of localized impacts in shaping electoral outcomes and sustaining públic support for urban climate initiatives.