Perhaps their are 2 different solutions: the city warrens we hear about, with lots of homes close together (like 'projects'?), but also the rural solution -- homes on main roads with wells and and septic systems (or outhouses?!?), so the infrastructure is small and sustainable.
Actually, a lot of areas are running out of building space and townhouses and closely-packed ‘villas’ are being built instead of McMansions.
Yea, don’t get me wrong, he’s got some good points and so do you and he’s correct about the upsy daisy of the cost of maintenance, etc. I like your “rural” solution. So much so that the retirement “cottage” we bought in a rather, “blue collar” neighborhood near a very small town is on a half acre with septic and its own water well. (I intentionally seek out “blue collar” because this is in West Texas and those neighborhoods are safer, every one’s armed, no one theives......they borrow, and they know how to fix stuff when I don’t).
I’ve somewhat studied on this problem of US cities and their development/re-development and “undevelopment” (Detroit), and its huge and largely a creation of Big Money Developers and millions of acres of cheap land. I mean really, compared to Europe or Asia, this country simply isn’t “filled in”. I don’t know what the solution is, but the best one I’ve seen is in Illinois/Ohio where basically companies involved in manufacturing anything moved out with their headquarters staff and plants to small towns located near Interstate Highways and rail connections to escape Chicago’s taxes, etc. So basically, these become like Company Towns with good schools, ease of access and usually within 1 to 2 hours from a major Metro area if someone wants to see a Play or go to a museum.
I would “guess” that’s going to be what the future looks like because these companies want to attract the best young talent they can and the youngsters, after college and particularly if married and in a family-way, won’t locate in or near the Urban school districts.
Exactly.
No matter what type of development it should be pay as you go, not the Ponzi model we have been using where cities are welfare recipients of the Feds and State government ... by design