As kids grow up, they’ll need to find a nest of their own, and that means building new homes. Some new homes will be at the edge of town. Other new homes might give new life to a spot that has a worn-out building in town.
You know how important it is that we build more homes. But, is your neighborhood the best place for it? It’s a neighborhood with old pipes. It’s quiet, and you don’t want it to change with loud construction. You want to preserve the quality of life you’ve built up. Can’t all of the development and change happen in a different neighborhood?
Some places in a city are better for making more homes for more people. But every neighborhood – including your own – will be affected by changes in every other neighborhood. A fair and functional city is one where every neighborhood will have some buildings that can change as the city around it changes.
Cities exist because people come together. A city works best for everyone even and especially when we disagree and want different things. Modest changes everywhere avoids the unfair high-stakes arguments that pits neighborhood against neighborhood.
You might try to preserve your neighborhood exactly how it is now, but you and your neighbors will have to fight for it. Another neighborhood might have more, louder voices fighting for the same thing, and could force all of the changes to happen to your community. Neighborhoods fighting against other neighborhoods won’t make many people happy.
If most places can’t change their buildings, your neighborhood will still change, and likely for the worse! More people will move into new houses at the edge of your city, or in a neighboring city. They’ll be more likely to drive to what they need, and traffic congestion and pollution will impact your neighborhood.
A bit of change everywhere is the best way to preserve the most of what you like in your neighborhood, with less stress for everyone.