The emotional attachment to old homes can obscure the benefits of new buildings, which consume less energy and provide more amenities for residents.
As housing prices continue their astronomic rise and the supply of housing remains inadequate, writes M. Nolan Gray, "Americans are paying ever more exorbitant prices for old housing that is, at best, subpar and, at worst, unsafe." Despite sentimental attachments to old homes and historic properties, Gray argues that new construction is objectively better: safer, more cost-effective, and more energy-efficient than older houses. Gray points to lead house paint(legal until 1978), lead pipes(common until the 1980s), faulty electrical systems, and poor accessibility as some of the issues that should make older homes less desirable. Modern homes provide mandatory safety features such as sprinkler systems, use less energy for heating and cooling thanks to improved insulation and HVAC technology, and include amenities like larger bathrooms and in-unit laundry.
Despite this, cities across the country make it difficult or nearly impossible to redevelop old housing stock, often in the name of affordability or historic preservation. "Between apartment bans, strict density limits, and minimum parking requirements, taking an old home and turning it into an apartment building, or even two or three modern townhouses, is in many cases illegal," asserts Gray.
By contrast, Japan takes a different approach to redevelopment: the average home in that country is demolished after 30 years, with 87 percent of homes sold being new, while a steady supply of newly constructed homes keeps Tokyo affordable for its growing population.
FULL STORY: Stop Fetishizing Old Homes
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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