A Denver resident describes watching their neighborhood transform as $300k homes get bulldozed and replaced by $3-4 million mansions. The "slow strangulation" has accelerated since 2022, pushing out long-term residents who can no longer afford the area. The author bought a home they could barely afford, only to watch surrounding houses demolished for "land yachts" that price out the community.

Identifying as a classical liberal, the author argues decades of blocking organic growth created pressure for radical change rather than gradual development. Rather than freeze the status quo, they want zoning reform that makes building smaller, more affordable homes financially viable for developers. The math currently favors McMansions because single-family zoning prevents lot splitting at current land prices.

Denver's "Unlocking Housing Choices" plan proposes three approaches: limiting home sizes while allowing more units, permitting large backyard cottages behind existing homes, and offering density bonuses for deed-restricted affordable units. The author is warmest on the backyard cottage approach, which preserves neighborhood character while adding housing. They also want streamlined permitting for the housing types the city explicitly wants to see built.