I commend David Listokin and David Hattis for their tremendous
efforts in exploring the
very messy subject of building codes and their impact on affordable
housing and, for that
matter, all development. Scholars such as Listokin and Hattis
who investigate the structure
and operations of building codes—as well as our colleagues
in code organizations such
as the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards,
Inc. (NCSBCS),
International Code Council (ICC), and the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA),
and predecessors such as Francis Ventre and Charles Field—have
all contributed to scholarship
that attempts to go beyond anecdotes. Indeed, the critical need
to go beyond anecdotes
is the ultimate goal of this conference. Ironically, however,
I would like to structure
my comments on this article around five specific anecdotes presented
in the literature.
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