I've been fortunate to grow up in a place that has never had ANY restrictions on building. Maybe there are some legal directives, it's just that up until now, there has been 0 enforcement, which essentially allowed land owners / constructors to do their thing.
Despite (because of?) this, new buildings (mostly homes, some industrial), are crazier, uglier, of bad quality materials, which essentially decreased any sense of harmony, not to mention beauty and sustainability.
It's also mind-boggling that during communist times (also effectively no building restrictions), new buildings were better by any standard. Now, during capitalism (or some perverted form of it), it got worse.
For me, as a free market urbanism promoter, I think it's important to understand exactly why all of this happened like this.
I have a theory (hint:1971), but I'm still figuring things out.
This is great. Love what you're doing here Zach.
Excellent article, congratulations!
Let me play the devil's advocate now.
I've been fortunate to grow up in a place that has never had ANY restrictions on building. Maybe there are some legal directives, it's just that up until now, there has been 0 enforcement, which essentially allowed land owners / constructors to do their thing.
Despite (because of?) this, new buildings (mostly homes, some industrial), are crazier, uglier, of bad quality materials, which essentially decreased any sense of harmony, not to mention beauty and sustainability.
It's also mind-boggling that during communist times (also effectively no building restrictions), new buildings were better by any standard. Now, during capitalism (or some perverted form of it), it got worse.
For me, as a free market urbanism promoter, I think it's important to understand exactly why all of this happened like this.
I have a theory (hint:1971), but I'm still figuring things out.