Comment by thaumasiotes

> My suspicion is San Francisco would love a Beijing-style hukou system. That lets it lock housing (and thus the built character of the city) and control immigration

...how?

Anyone in China is free to move to Beijing, rent an apartment, and take a job there. (And they do!) There are zero controls on movement, residency, or employment. The hukou system would prevent immigrants to San Francisco from sending their children to public school or going on the welfare rolls. Are those things they're doing a lot of now?