One reason is that people want houses and it’s not sustainable.
Well, it’s been sustainable for centuries. It’s not sustainable if we require constant and explosive population growth for the economy, but I’m not sure I want that. I agree it’s more efficient for people to live in tiny apartments in tall buildings. I just think there is more to life than efficiency. I question the economic imperative to have such massive population growth. I don’t think we would need to cram into ever smaller spaces with ever diminishing green areas if we restructured our economies.
For centuries before, living in a single house with children of all ages and grandparents was a norm. American boomers is an outlier, not a norm.
Apartments don’t have to be small. It’s more efficient to stack apartments vertically if you want to build a city. And in the recent years people want to move to the cities cause of socio-economic changes.
Want to live in the house? Move to the village. Want a house in the city? Pay a premium.
Another factor is that people are living separately from their extended families and change what type of building they live in at different points in their lives, for example:
Single adult - rented flat or small house.
Couple - rented larger flat, bought small house.
Couple with kids - trying not to rent, buying larger house
Couple with adult children - no longer need the space, buy smaller house
People also like to have gardens and pets, which is easier in a house than a flat. Ownership is also a factor, owning a flat doesn’t make much sense when you have to pay ground rent and a mortgage.
One reason is that people want houses and it’s not sustainable. Large cities need to go up and living in apartment in a high rise should be a norm.
The problem in the word itself even - housing.
Well, it’s been sustainable for centuries. It’s not sustainable if we require constant and explosive population growth for the economy, but I’m not sure I want that. I agree it’s more efficient for people to live in tiny apartments in tall buildings. I just think there is more to life than efficiency. I question the economic imperative to have such massive population growth. I don’t think we would need to cram into ever smaller spaces with ever diminishing green areas if we restructured our economies.
For centuries before, living in a single house with children of all ages and grandparents was a norm. American boomers is an outlier, not a norm.
Apartments don’t have to be small. It’s more efficient to stack apartments vertically if you want to build a city. And in the recent years people want to move to the cities cause of socio-economic changes.
Want to live in the house? Move to the village. Want a house in the city? Pay a premium.
Another factor is that people are living separately from their extended families and change what type of building they live in at different points in their lives, for example:
People also like to have gardens and pets, which is easier in a house than a flat. Ownership is also a factor, owning a flat doesn’t make much sense when you have to pay ground rent and a mortgage.