Montgomery county is one of the worst places in the entire US for housing shortage.

The whole first part of the article tries to highlight the success of the 1972-era zoning policy, but ends up making the opposite point, whereas agricultural land is preventing enough housing being built in the north of Montgomery County, whereas Virginia has successfully incorporated density (and more jobs as a result).

Not sure if that was author's intention, or how game theory is even relevant here. It's just zoning and housing policy and understanding of the zero-sum dynamic for desirable land. Some other examples from the article don't make much sense either (except Houston).

Source: DMV native for 20+ years, also an economist (by education, not profession).

I suspect the publication paid the author to write a very particular opinion, because the article reads more like a NIMBY-defending piece.

I was gonna say - as a Baltimorean MoCo is the last place I would hold up as some triumph of YIMBYism.

All they do is elect Republican governors who kill our transit projects.

They are definitely pandering to central planning supporters, and I don't think the author had to be prodded to support this position given her primary job chasing grants.