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Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

theatlanticcities.com

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Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#51

Post by wilfra »

bjourne wrote: post #44
wilfra wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good video. I disagree that the government should do anything about it though. What's the alternative, make them homeless? If there is both supply and demand, let people do what they want. If San Francisco allowed this, there would be far fewer homeless people, but the only options they give them are $2,000 a month apartments or living in the streets. So lots of people live in the streets.

No, the alternative is to have the government build subsidized housing and then enact strict price controls so that even poor families can afford to live reasonably. That's how it was done in Singapore for example and is why they can live in "spacious" 30-70 m^2 apartments despite having a higher population density than Hong Kong. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore .

I disagree it is the governments job to give people a place to live. From the sounds of it, Hong Kong already does a lot of this. At some point, people need to take care of themselves.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#52

Post by wilfra »

wyuenho wrote: post #39
wilfra wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're saying housing prices on the mainland are only slightly more affordable than in HK? That's absurdly inaccurate. Housing is cheap on the mainland outside of prime areas of big cities. The job market is another story, the earning power in Hong Kong is much better - along with the other things you mentioned. Many of these people are trying to make a better life for themselves and especially their children. To get…

The median income in HK per household per month is HKD 18000 in 2010[1] (USD ~2300). Everything you can buy in HK is essentially NYC prices. You can't feed your family with this income, so they are living in HK, taking advantage of free education and healthcare. There is also no "Chinese rural areas" anywhere near HK. HK is an island and a peninsula. North of HK is Shenzhen, also a big metropolitan area. There's no c…

Shenzhen is still much, much cheaper than HK. I had a 2 bedroom 90 square meter apartment in Shenzhen in a brand new building and a nice part of town for 3,000 RMB/month. The same in Hong Kong would have been roughly 10 times more expensive. And Shenzhen is an expensive mainland city.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#53

Post by lignuist »

kiiski wrote: post #50
lignuist wrote: post #28

Mongolia's capital Ulaan Baatar is also called the coldest capital in the world. Harsh temperatures during the winters force the poorest people to live in the canalization, where are heating pipes: http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/pictures/mongolian-homeless-l... I think, it cannot get worse than that.

Sure it can. Just make the heating pipes inaccessible.

This would "solve" the problem within one winter...

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#54

Post by rohamg »

derleth wrote: post #8
berlinbrown wrote: post #2

I live in apartment. Not a micro-one. But I imagine you can find solace in just having only the things you need. Why do you need a ranch size home and 20 acres?

> But I imagine you can find solace in just having only the things you need. No. You, maybe, but not me, and certainly not everyone. And that's not even fully addressing the unstated assumption that everything you 'need' would even fit in an apartment, let alone a micro apartment. Getting rid of things isn't always a good thing to do. Having the ability to be fully packed and ready to move in an hour is a tactic, not…

Simple living and minimizing material possessions is absolutely a philosophy, and an increasingly popular one at that. Im not sure how you argue otherwise.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#55

Post by greggman »

bjourne wrote: post #44
wilfra wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good video. I disagree that the government should do anything about it though. What's the alternative, make them homeless? If there is both supply and demand, let people do what they want. If San Francisco allowed this, there would be far fewer homeless people, but the only options they give them are $2,000 a month apartments or living in the streets. So lots of people live in the streets.

No, the alternative is to have the government build subsidized housing and then enact strict price controls so that even poor families can afford to live reasonably. That's how it was done in Singapore for example and is why they can live in "spacious" 30-70 m^2 apartments despite having a higher population density than Hong Kong. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore .

Is that really how it works in SG? I've been told housing prices are outrageous there and if you're too poor to afford public housing you get shipped off to the poor house and are not allowed to leave unless you can find someone to take responsibility for you.

Note: I've only visited SG so this is 2nd hand info through my friends in SG.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#56

Post by EricDeb »

wilfra wrote: post #51
bjourne wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the alternative is to have the government build subsidized housing and then enact strict price controls so that even poor families can afford to live reasonably. That's how it was done in Singapore for example and is why they can live in "spacious" 30-70 m^2 apartments despite having a higher population density than Hong Kong. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore .

I disagree it is the governments job to give people a place to live. From the sounds of it, Hong Kong already does a lot of this. At some point, people need to take care of themselves.

It is absolutely the governments job to give people places to live if they are unable (not unwilling) to do so on their own. The difficulty lies in determining who is truly unable and who is simply unwilling.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#57

Post by greggman »

Japan also has many fairly small apartments.

Here's a few in the 5-6 sq meter range

http://www.chintai.net/detail/bk_C01004728000466001/

http://www.chintai.net/detail/bk_C01004509001707001/

http://www.chintai.net/detail/bk_C01003440000826001/

A bigger list shows a lot more in the 10-12 sq meter sizes

http://www.chintai.net/tokyo/search/ensen/List.do?e=101001&#...

10-12 seems small in my experience but I have many friends in the 14-16 range

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#58

Post by [deleted] »

kevcampb wrote: post #34

Does anyone have any idea of the costs of building vertically? I ask as I generally love the idea of sky-rise buildings and high density housing. To me, Hong Kong feels almost utopian - like some sort of architects' playground. Stick thin apartments rising up through hillsides. Super dense housing, but the ability to travel 30 minutes and be in remarkable countryside. It really is remarkable. I'd love to think this i…

[deleted]

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#59

Post by wyuenho »

robryan wrote: post #42
wyuenho wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The median income in HK per household per month is HKD 18000 in 2010[1] (USD ~2300). Everything you can buy in HK is essentially NYC prices. You can't feed your family with this income, so they are living in HK, taking advantage of free education and healthcare. There is also no "Chinese rural areas" anywhere near HK. HK is an island and a peninsula. North of HK is Shenzhen, also a big metropolitan area. There's no c…

I was thinking in terms of moving instead of commuting. If your job prospects elsewhere are no good though it doesn't really help.

The problem is these people generally have little skills so their job prospects are pretty terrible anywhere. In reality, if you have a stable job, or possibly a family, you'd be living in public or subsidized housing instead of a cage. But that's no longer possible in the last decade since the government had stopped these programs.

Re: Apartments So Small They Can Only Be Photographed From Above

#60

Post by raverbashing »

brador wrote: post #46
jib wrote: post #45

I lived in a 9 m^2 apartment (with some extra storage) for 3 years (cheap rent in Paris was nice). It was mostly fine, except you end up hearing neighbors. If not for that, it was pretty good. It had tradeoffs tho, apartment was next to castle of Versailles so lots of nature near. If you are single and there are outside areas to escape to, small living was ok for me at least. Poverty vs choice of living small makes a…

How much was that and how long ago?

Wow

A student residence house (of course, subsidies, etc) could be had for around 250E, or even around 150E for the smallest rooms (around the 10m2 mark)

Of course, not Paris.

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