I really really like the way that new housing is built here. I don't even know if this is specific to my little corner of Germany or across the whole country. Around here (the south west) plots of land for housing are bought on an individual basis by the people who want to build the house. This results in many single-lots being sold and built on demand.
In Canada, at least southern Ontario, Land is generally purchased in huge areas by development companies, who then build a whole bunch of houses and sell them off.
This contrast in how land is sold really changes the way towns evolve. My village/town has about 3500 people and is pretty old. There is some growth around the edges as old farms stop running andnew housing areas are built. We purchased a plot of land and built in just such an area.
Here is what the whole village looks like from up the hill.
Now here is an aerial view of my subdivision. Notice the lack of straight lines in the roads and the fact that there are still lots of empty lots. This is not "the middle of nowhere" at all. We have public transport (buses and a train station) and are 10km down the road from Tuebingen, a major university town.
This kind of area is really the kind of things people in my life-position can afford to build in. It is all young families in this area.I was online the other day and saw this photo of housing in Markham, Ontario. Just north of Toronto. This is typical of housing in the area. It is pretty much what would be affordable to me had I chosen to stay living in southern Ontario.
To be fair, housing in Ontario is somewhat less expensive that Germany, but not that much really...Still it could be worse. Check out Mexico city. This is a real photo...
OK, that is low income housing, but still.... wow.n
3 comments:
That picture from Mexico hurt my eyes.
Fraser, is your house attached to a couple of other houses? Was this someone who bought and built 3 homes and sold them?
My house in indeed in a row of three.
However, we purchased our land and contracted the builder on our own. our house was build over a year after the other two in the row.
There are quite a few semi-detached houses standing where the second house is not built yet. They only build them once someone has purchased the land.
very interesting post...one blight that does plague germany (and switzerland for that matter) is the large communist block housing concept. southern germany, however, does a much better job of controlling this. you are indeed a lucky man!
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