You’re probably exactly right for the places you’re thinking of, but neither of those things have to be hell. Apartments originally were spacious places like the home-sized ones, the justification for their existence being that you get to live in the city centre rather than that being the only selling point.
If you want to see good examples of big cities with nice levels of public space, look at urban design in south korea and china
Oh I guarantee I’m not. Garage full of tools, mechanic in my spare time, dirt biking, drumming in bands, recording bands, gardening, collecting video game consoles and records, amateur car racing, home audio setup etc…and all from my house. (Besides car racing, lol)
Any time I had to be in an apartment was torture, awful loud annoying neighbors (like myself, ha!!), no space, junk appliances I can’t replace or fix, people parking in my spot, no garage… I guess I’m just super unique but I love to do a ton of stuff which does not fit apartment living. Oh and, wasting rent money on something you don’t own. May as well burn cash. I feel sad for people sitting on their laptop for 15 hours a day and thinking that’s living. But if they’re happy , sure!
Honestly? We should discourage continued population growth and transition to a sustainable way of living (I especially mean not depending on economic systems which rely on eternal population growth and which focus instead on long-term stability).
In the current real world? You build vertically as much as is reasonably comfortable and expand outwards by investing in public transit and in housing growth outside of city limits. At the same time, start seriously working on point number one.
I live in a city because searching for affordable housing doesn’t leave much choice. Waiting lists are months or even years long, so when a spot opens up, you take it.
I lucked out massively by landing the neighborhood I got. Traffic has its moments (mainly when events are going on at the local arena), but not any worse than I’ve experienced elsewhere outside the city. The walkability is a huge plus that outweighs it anyway, and is something that I never had in the suburbs.
It’s not heaven, but it’s certainly not hell. That said, I didn’t have a choice, and that’s the real issue at the heart of it all.
Apartments and big cities are hell. People shouldn’t be shoved together like sardines.
You’re probably exactly right for the places you’re thinking of, but neither of those things have to be hell. Apartments originally were spacious places like the home-sized ones, the justification for their existence being that you get to live in the city centre rather than that being the only selling point.
If you want to see good examples of big cities with nice levels of public space, look at urban design in south korea and china
Oh I guarantee I’m not. Garage full of tools, mechanic in my spare time, dirt biking, drumming in bands, recording bands, gardening, collecting video game consoles and records, amateur car racing, home audio setup etc…and all from my house. (Besides car racing, lol)
Any time I had to be in an apartment was torture, awful loud annoying neighbors (like myself, ha!!), no space, junk appliances I can’t replace or fix, people parking in my spot, no garage… I guess I’m just super unique but I love to do a ton of stuff which does not fit apartment living. Oh and, wasting rent money on something you don’t own. May as well burn cash. I feel sad for people sitting on their laptop for 15 hours a day and thinking that’s living. But if they’re happy , sure!
What do you do when your population outpaces your land mass?
What Drusas said
Honestly? We should discourage continued population growth and transition to a sustainable way of living (I especially mean not depending on economic systems which rely on eternal population growth and which focus instead on long-term stability).
In the current real world? You build vertically as much as is reasonably comfortable and expand outwards by investing in public transit and in housing growth outside of city limits. At the same time, start seriously working on point number one.
Agreed on it being a hell. People shouldn’t be shoved together too, but thing is that they chose to.
They chose to? All of them?
Most people live the life in front of them. Few people live the life of most resistance.
People live in cities because that’s what society demands so that they can be “productive” and not starve to death. Or they’re born there. Or or or…
It’s easy to ignore the realities of others.
I live in a city because searching for affordable housing doesn’t leave much choice. Waiting lists are months or even years long, so when a spot opens up, you take it.
I lucked out massively by landing the neighborhood I got. Traffic has its moments (mainly when events are going on at the local arena), but not any worse than I’ve experienced elsewhere outside the city. The walkability is a huge plus that outweighs it anyway, and is something that I never had in the suburbs.
It’s not heaven, but it’s certainly not hell. That said, I didn’t have a choice, and that’s the real issue at the heart of it all.