• NuanceDemon@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Unfortunately it’s zoning that caused most of this issue. Not size. Dense residential was disallowed for not entirely un-racist reasons, so it spread out enormously instead. On top of car companies lobbying in various ways to make cars essential.

    • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      People also spread out because they could - most people would prefer to have a house with land rather than live in a tiny apt

        • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I stay home because I can, and it’s awesome. All my cool stuff and my family is here, but if I wanted to get out and do stuff it’s a short car trip to numerous options for cool stuff to do.

      • n2burns@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Suburbs are subsidized by urban areas. Zoning in North America means medium and high density can only be built in limited locations, meaning demand often outstrips supply, increasing the price. The decision of “house with land” vs “tiny apt” isn’t a direct comparison and price influences people’s decisions. If these perverse incentives weren’t in place, more people would consider living in higher density areas with more amenities vs having lots of land and being far away from everything.