They’re also usually cheaper per unit than lowrises, where they’re built. The location is just great, and the savings on transport adds up to more than building upwards costs, which is why it’s economical for residents to buy them, even when there’s no view. (Once you looks at supertall and maybe superthin buildings that changes, though)

If disaster resilience is your concern, that’s fair, although it’s not really a degrowth thing.

As for how they were originally funded, idk. Don’t think they ever really asked residents what they wanted back then. Now there’s much more accountability, which is good but has drawbacks and costs.

That could be. I mean, it was a democracy, but post-WWII it was much more about prominent members of the community who commanded the trust of whatever faith or industry group. Before then there was some upheaval, and I’m less clear on the zeitgeist.

Then again, people definitely wanted handouts in a way that’s passe now. In Alberta there was “purple gas”, which was artificially cheap but only farmers were allowed to burn it, and that’s how they got the agricultural vote. Invisible public works projects wouldn’t have helped with that.

Low taxes are like a religion here. I kind of feel like if we were starting over, we’d stick with outhouses forever because nobody wants to raise the tax rate for silly things like “sanitation”.

So now they have much more stringent standards, which in turn means projects are more expensive. Add onto that the growing complexity - installing a water main down a street in 1980 when you have overhead hydro lines and no other utilities to work around is much easier than installation in a crowded right-of-way with buried gas, hydro, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and existing water main that needs to continue to service residents.

That makes me wonder how things will look in another century or whatever. If we’re paying for debt accrued by the original designers, are we subsidising the future by building neat and well-though-out infrastructure now?

I mean climate, but not specifically global warming, just the fact were a planet with finite resources.

I’m arguing with a degrowther elsewhere here, but you’ve clearly thought through all the details. On a planet with a growing population, is less architecture really how that should look? When I think degrowth, I think forcing people to be poorer, basically, but they’ll still need a place to live. In the long term, I expect housing prices will start to collapse as population goes into decline, and a lot of our more outlying settlements will become ghost towns, but work will continue in core areas.

Bold of you to assume any of them are looking past the next quarter or two. Long term survival is secondary to immediate profits, line must go up.

The way around it is transit-oriented development.

“The new inventory tends to sit on the market,” he said.

Because they are too small, and poorly built, a huge liability waiting to happen with no reserve funds to deal with it. Never, ever, buy a new or preconstruction condo, they are basically kickstarter housing.

there are over 100,000 empty in Ontario.

These idiots who keep telling us housing is priced by supply and demand need to fuck off.

“The cost that is associated with policies at all three levels of government has made it that we can no longer build what people can afford,” she said.

Ontario is rife with billionare developers in Vaughan.

But the real point is we cannot build housing relying on private industry any more.

Everyone’s saying housing is too expensive, groceries are too expensive. Everything is too expensive. Which is more likely, that all of those many things are ALL too expensive, or just one simple fact, you make too little?

Just bind wages to a real cost of living.

Doug got rid of all trades inspectors from 2018, so any asshole with a home Depot credit card is now doing plumbing and electrical.

These are Ontario Tofu Dreg projects, years from now they will cost us a fortune to demolish.

that’s not right someone is at the wheel, he’s got his parachute already

It’s right. Sure, some people have parachutes. Some people have things that look like parachutes but aren’t, or parachutes that don’t steer properly. Doesn’t mean the plane is crashing on purpose, and not because we’re just dumb, even if that’s a more comforting possibility.

It wouldn’t be any cheaper for the government, at least if the government is following the same rules.

Could they build houses? Sure. Will they? BCH is already starting up. Will it solve this particular problem? Not directly.

maybe you are right, seems i got lost, this is canada’s space.

in america we do have someone at the wheel actively crashing the plane.

sorry for butting in though

The market can stay irrational longer than you can remain solvent.

Like. Since all these Ricky dinky pieces of shit started being out I’ve firmly believed they were a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. I feel like the whole fucking real estate market is.

Sooner or later the chickens will come home to roost.

Bkawwwwww

The absolute gall of you, talking about solving problems. Are you even thinking about those poor rich folks out there?

That guy is a moron. I’m not sure he’d know a wheel from his foot. He’s just the symptom of a system that’s in a death spiral.

Which I’m sorry about. Hopefully we’re there as a place to go when things get really bad.

Actually no. This one might not have anything to do with them; few people benefit from homelessness, and the article itself mentions some nebulous thing about the laws governing developments in Vancouver.

I bought a condo that was part of an HOA. 5 year old construction. Purchased right before covid hit. Within the first year I had a chandelier fall out of the ceiling with no provocation, which I had to pay to fix. Then my 2nd bedroom started leaking from the roof and window during rain. A fucking 5 year old roof should not be leaking. The best part, I couldn’t pay to get the roof fixed because it was on the outside of the house and those repairs had to go through the HOA. During covid, I’d be in my garage making art, and people would drive through the cul-de-sac asking if any of the condos were for sale. It was my sign to get out. I hated it so much, still couldn’t get my roof fixed, and I still managed to sell it and make 20K profit. Much of the newer construction is absolute trash. Also, fuck HOAs.

If they need ALL the excess value and leave nothing they will have nothing.

Where is your source for this statement?