Big fan but I'm sorry, I think this is a terrible idea, a solution looking for a problem that will not do anything to impact the need for new housing. As you've pointed out in other posts: We know how to do this, build the "missing middle" similarly to what was built prior to the 2nd WW.
Firstly, this was a product of issues of the 1930’s…
Big fan but I'm sorry, I think this is a terrible idea, a solution looking for a problem that will not do anything to impact the need for new housing. As you've pointed out in other posts: We know how to do this, build the "missing middle" similarly to what was built prior to the 2nd WW.
Firstly, this was a product of issues of the 1930’s & 40’s & at the time, there was little or nothing in the way of building regulations in most of Canada. Ontario’s Building Code (OBC) for example only came into being in the late 1960’s. Not to diminish the needs of today, but in the late 40’s, between the pent up demand from both the depression & WW-2’s 12% (!) of the population being returning veterans, the shear volume of housing needed to be built was at a level far greater in percentage than the current needs.
Secondly, the fees normally paid to designers will be absorbed by developers with little of no savings to home buyers. The result will be endless soulless tracks of cul-de-sacs that will make Levittown look like Paris.
Third, we don't have a housing crisis we have a resource allocation crisis. With the average new home being significantly larger than those of the 60's, 70's, 80's & even the 90's with average households getting smaller, the result is in many cases we are OVER housing families & soaking up too much resources on too few people.
Lastly, Canada needs more Building Trades, Architects and Engineers. The OAA lists 4,735 licensed Architects in the province, about 1 per 3,380 people. The US it's 1 per 2,760 Sweden has over 12,000 architect or one for every 900! Canada needs more designers & easing licensing for many foreign architects. Colleges need to be funded to increase building trades & apprenticeships & high school students need to be encouraged to consider a trade. Trades are generally future proof livelihoods. AI may be able to help record a Beatles song, but AI can’t install a toilet!
Big fan but I'm sorry, I think this is a terrible idea, a solution looking for a problem that will not do anything to impact the need for new housing. As you've pointed out in other posts: We know how to do this, build the "missing middle" similarly to what was built prior to the 2nd WW.
Firstly, this was a product of issues of the 1930’s & 40’s & at the time, there was little or nothing in the way of building regulations in most of Canada. Ontario’s Building Code (OBC) for example only came into being in the late 1960’s. Not to diminish the needs of today, but in the late 40’s, between the pent up demand from both the depression & WW-2’s 12% (!) of the population being returning veterans, the shear volume of housing needed to be built was at a level far greater in percentage than the current needs.
Secondly, the fees normally paid to designers will be absorbed by developers with little of no savings to home buyers. The result will be endless soulless tracks of cul-de-sacs that will make Levittown look like Paris.
Third, we don't have a housing crisis we have a resource allocation crisis. With the average new home being significantly larger than those of the 60's, 70's, 80's & even the 90's with average households getting smaller, the result is in many cases we are OVER housing families & soaking up too much resources on too few people.
Lastly, Canada needs more Building Trades, Architects and Engineers. The OAA lists 4,735 licensed Architects in the province, about 1 per 3,380 people. The US it's 1 per 2,760 Sweden has over 12,000 architect or one for every 900! Canada needs more designers & easing licensing for many foreign architects. Colleges need to be funded to increase building trades & apprenticeships & high school students need to be encouraged to consider a trade. Trades are generally future proof livelihoods. AI may be able to help record a Beatles song, but AI can’t install a toilet!
Sorry, rant over
no need to apologize, there are some good points there, although I don't think we will get endless soulless tracks of culs-de-sac.