Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 308 posts

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#71

Post by zip1234 »

OJFord wrote: post #61
throw8383833jj wrote: post #21

For some reason the vast majority of houses are ugly for the following reasons: the proportions are off. I mean, I understand the need to have smaller lots. But, if you're going to have a small 3K sq ft lot then you need to limit the width of the house to allow at least 20' on each side and raise the height of the house to two stories, if it's more than 800 sq ft. Another big reason for ugliness is the extremely shal…

North American houses from my UK perspective: - Detached no matter the cost - so close they may as well be terraced, but they'll be detached 'gah-damnit'! - Garage in front. I.. ok. Practical I suppose. Bloody ugly. - Fake shutters!! I'm mentioning it last but it bugs me the most. At least have them wide enough that they look like they might be usable. But no, inch-wide 'shutters' on a six-foot window, why not.

Agreed. All of the above. The garage in front thing has a name as well 'snout house' as it looks like it has a snout.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#72

Post by BiosElement »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #48
lliamander wrote: post #2

I've seen some reasonably beautiful, middle class neighborhoods that were designed as recently as the early 1970's, but nothing since then. And while there are many aspects of modern interior design that I appreciate, floorplans tend to be universally terrible for anything designed since then as well. I have yet to walk into a (non-custom) home that was built since the year 2000 that I would ever want to live in.

I live in a solid little house built in 1950. One thing I really notice about an older house like this is that the closet space is quite limited. Apparently people back then didn't have so many clothes compared to now. Overall, though, I do like the hardwood floors, the solidness and quality of build compared to what I see in more recent homes.

Older houses also assumed you had a wardrobe, so likely you were on the cusp of that change.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#73

Post by zip1234 »

rdtwo wrote: post #68
OJFord wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

North American houses from my UK perspective: - Detached no matter the cost - so close they may as well be terraced, but they'll be detached 'gah-damnit'! - Garage in front. I.. ok. Practical I suppose. Bloody ugly. - Fake shutters!! I'm mentioning it last but it bugs me the most. At least have them wide enough that they look like they might be usable. But no, inch-wide 'shutters' on a six-foot window, why not.

Detached makes sense, you need to airgap for noise

Better insulation such as compressed cellulose will beat a 10 foot air gap any day.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#74

Post by mc32 »

tortarga wrote: post #63

As the article hinted at the simple answer is Car Dependency. Suburbs are regulated and built to accommodate cars now and not people. The topic is explored thouroughly on the 'Not Just Bikes' youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes which uses information from urban planning group 'Strong Towns' https://www.strongtowns.org/ .

I like some suburbs. However, not far from downtown San Jose, within the city limits, there is some interesting tract housing developments: they have soundwall like structures surrounding these neighborhoods that are built like a maze. Once in it can be hard to find your way out without GPS to one of the few entrances/exits.

So that’s in a city, not even the maligned suburbs!

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#75

Post by hammock »

jedberg wrote: post #3

> That is why the increasing cost of craftsmanship, while real, cannot account for the decline of neighborhood beauty. It's not the cost, it's the availability. I'm currently in the process of a home renovation. If you want a master craftsman to build you say, kitchen cabinets, you may have to wait years for them to be available. Or you can go to the store and buy custom built cabinets from a factory and have them in…

>It's not the cost, it's the availability. I'm currently in the process of a home renovation. If you want a master craftsman to build you say, kitchen cabinets, you may have to wait years for them to be available.

Crown molding and things went out WAY before any of these supply chain issues you've brought up from the last 1-2 years.

The cost of trim wood is exponentially more than it was 50 years ago, and on top of that you cant find anyone who knows how to make custom ornamented trim.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#76

Post by ohazi »

OJFord wrote: post #61
throw8383833jj wrote: post #21

For some reason the vast majority of houses are ugly for the following reasons: the proportions are off. I mean, I understand the need to have smaller lots. But, if you're going to have a small 3K sq ft lot then you need to limit the width of the house to allow at least 20' on each side and raise the height of the house to two stories, if it's more than 800 sq ft. Another big reason for ugliness is the extremely shal…

North American houses from my UK perspective: - Detached no matter the cost - so close they may as well be terraced, but they'll be detached 'gah-damnit'! - Garage in front. I.. ok. Practical I suppose. Bloody ugly. - Fake shutters!! I'm mentioning it last but it bugs me the most. At least have them wide enough that they look like they might be usable. But no, inch-wide 'shutters' on a six-foot window, why not.

> Detached no matter the cost - so close they may as well be terraced, but they'll be detached 'gah-damnit'!

The difference between "so close" and "terraced" is hearing your neighbors fucking at night. No thanks.

Agree with you about the shutters, though...

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#77

Post by rendall »

diordiderot wrote: post #54
rendall wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno. East Berlin is pretty soul-crushing, with its block upon block upon block of blocky blocks. Warehouses for humans.

Sad, I thought the whole idea was apartments with parks with 15 minute walk to doctor, school, etc and taking the bus to work

Maybe there are.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#78

Post by VHRanger »

mc32 wrote: post #74
tortarga wrote: post #63

As the article hinted at the simple answer is Car Dependency. Suburbs are regulated and built to accommodate cars now and not people. The topic is explored thouroughly on the 'Not Just Bikes' youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes which uses information from urban planning group 'Strong Towns' https://www.strongtowns.org/ .

I like some suburbs. However, not far from downtown San Jose, within the city limits, there is some interesting tract housing developments: they have soundwall like structures surrounding these neighborhoods that are built like a maze. Once in it can be hard to find your way out without GPS to one of the few entrances/exits. So that’s in a city, not even the maligned suburbs!

Are those single family zoned?

Because if so they're also responsible for housing prices being insane in the area

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#79

Post by yeetaccount »

jedberg wrote: post #3

> That is why the increasing cost of craftsmanship, while real, cannot account for the decline of neighborhood beauty. It's not the cost, it's the availability. I'm currently in the process of a home renovation. If you want a master craftsman to build you say, kitchen cabinets, you may have to wait years for them to be available. Or you can go to the store and buy custom built cabinets from a factory and have them in…

Same reason we don’t have stone masons in every town nowadays. Too much time, too much material, not enough customer volume. Can’t operate with today’s (lack of) disposable income and material availability being diluted by an increasing population.

The standard of living has gone up IMHO bc of increased efficiency in the face of dwindling resources. We don’t all live in stone mansions with servants, but a nice apartment built to code as cheaply as possible with electricity, AC and a roomba is by some measures a better life than anyone on the planet had 100 years ago. As a builder, you make more money too.

Re: Why can't we build nice neighborhoods anymore?

#80

Post by hn8788 »

chmod775 wrote: post #59
bob1029 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quality of interior is so overlooked in these sorts of threads. Yes - from orbit it might look trashy. From the pov where people actually exist, it's got 13' ceilings, plantation shutters, induction cooktop, tesla power wall, gigabit symmetric connection to the goddammit internet, dedicated home office with bookshelves and brick facade, and a monstrous 5 ton air conditioner to keep it all comfy. Oh and the sprinkler…

> From the pov where people actually exist You think if the outside would actually offer something instead of depressing scenery: stores and cafes within walking distance, parks and playgrounds, would people prefer to exist outside a lot more? I could not exist at all in those suburbs. A cafe, various stores, and a supermarket within a 5 minute walking distance is as integral to my lifestyle as owning a fridge. Also…

Every suburb I've lived in in the USA has had everything you've mentioned, except maybe a supermarket, and that's normally only been ~15 minutes by bike at the most. The only ones I've seen that didn't have parks and nearby shops were wealthy neighborhoods, and its because they didn't want poor people to have a reason to walk through the neighborhood. Even a local neighborhood that was off-limits to military personnel because of the high amount of violent crime still had free recreation areas and a locally owned convenience store.
Post reply on HN