The Great Highway Vote Returns — Plus Pied‑à‑Terre Scrutiny, Compass in Congress, Sagrada Família Displacement Risk, and Etsy’s AI Exodus

San Francisco’s coastal road, New York’s luxury‑home debate, scrutiny of private real‑estate listings, a controversial final phase at Barcelona’s celebrated basilica, and a platform identity crisis for handmade sellers: here’s what happened this week and why it matters.

San Francisco: The Great Highway Back On The Ballot

Voters in San Francisco will again decide in November whether to reopen the Great Highway to weekday vehicle traffic. A new ballot measure would restore weekday access to the coastal thoroughfare — a change supporters argue improves traffic flow and access, while opponents warn it could threaten Sunset Dunes Park and erode a waterfront space many residents value for recreation and habitat.

The debate has become a proxy for neighborhood identity: some residents favor restoring car access and commuter convenience; others prioritize open space, safety, and climate resilience. Campaigns on both sides are framing the choice as fundamental to how the Sunset neighborhood uses its waterfront.

New York: Pied‑à‑Terre Proposal and Preliminary DOF List

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed pied‑à‑terre tax has drawn new attention to luxury second homes after a Department of Finance webpage publicly listed names reportedly tied to high‑end units. The preliminary list included public figures such as Anna Wintour, Cynthia Nixon and Taylor Swift, along with several city council members; the DOF stressed the list is provisional and not final.

Etsy's identity crisis is driving artists away from selling goods on the platform.Photo by Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The disclosure intensified debate about fairness, transparency and the political optics of taxing expensive second homes as New York seeks new revenue sources and housing equity reforms.

Real Estate Platforms Under Scrutiny: Compass, Zillow and Private Listings

Compass was summoned to testify before Congress amid questions about whether its partnership with Midwest Real Estate Data’s private listing network reduces competition and curtails transparency. The inquiry reflects growing concern over so‑called pocket listings and private networks, and comes as Compass and Zillow continue to contest how homes should be marketed in an already tight housing market.

Barcelona: Sagrada Família Nears Completion — At What Cost?

After more than 160 years, Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família appears closer to completion, but plans for the basilica’s final Glory Facade and sweeping staircases have provoked controversy. To build the dramatic entrance, city plans may require demolishing nearby apartment buildings, potentially displacing nearly 3,000 residents and igniting tensions between heritage preservation, tourism, and community rights.

Etsy: Artists Flee as AI Listings, Knockoffs, and Mass Production Surge

Etsy — long known as a marketplace for handmade and independent crafts — is facing an identity crisis. Sellers report an influx of AI‑generated listings, copycat items and mass‑produced products that undercut authentic creators and make it harder for original work to reach buyers. Many artists say they are leaving the platform or diversifying to other channels as trust and discovery erode.

Why it matters: From local ballots to global heritage and the future of creative marketplaces, these stories highlight tensions between development and preservation, public transparency, and the evolving rules that govern digital and physical marketplaces.