General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A solution to affordable housing... that Americans just don't seem to like. [View all]LisaM
(27,848 posts)I live in a newish apartment building, one bedroom for two people. They closed the mall next to me and other pedestrian-accessible stores. They are slashing local bus routes in favor of light rail that takes longer and drops you off farther than the buses used to. The nearest real park is over a mile away.
This is not a great way to live and if I wanted to raise a family it would be impossible. Our apartment is small. We have been trapped here during Covid. The nice shopping mall that was a huge amenity when I moved here is being torn apart for ice rinks and more ugly apartments.
The solution is lower the population and taking advantage of building housing in cities that got emptied out as people filled up the coasts - where it's beginning to become unliveable because of climate change anyway.
If you want us to live like Europeans, then give us neighborhood bakeries and pubs and big public spaces and lots of sidewalks and balconies and a means to get around easily and safely.
I am doing the right thing by living in a small space but the community is not helping by taking away walkable shopping and safe local bus routes. I am always curious whether those who are huge proponents of small spaces live that way themselves.
And a yard, even a small one, for the pandemic would have been heaven.