Discover the flaws in North America's housing system that favor static neighborhoods while pushing poorer areas to transform. Explore a compelling vision for incremental change that respects cultural identities and promotes community resilience. Learn about the importance of evolving neighborhoods through regulatory reforms and local engagement. The discussion emphasizes empowering residents to take part in shaping their communities, fostering adaptable solutions to meet local needs.
The flawed housing bargain perpetuates stagnation in many neighborhoods while forcing disruptive change in less powerful areas, leading to increased cycles of disinvestment.
Proposing incremental development as a new housing bargain enables neighborhoods to adapt over time, fostering dynamic growth and diverse, affordable housing options.
Deep dives
The Grand Bargain of Neighborhood Change
A fundamental issue in city planning is the prevailing grand bargain, which allows neighborhoods to remain unchanged while burdening a select few with radical transformations. This arrangement leads to most neighborhoods resisting any change, locking them in a stagnant state, while others face sudden and disruptive redevelopment. The result is a stark contrast between thriving areas and those left behind, often leading to cycles of disinvestment. This situation generates a sense of loss among residents, who frequently prefer the slow decline over the upheaval associated with rapid redevelopment.
The Consequences of Static Development
The rigidity of current neighborhood designs results in neighborhoods experiencing a decline over time, as they are unable to adapt or evolve. Static developments built in mass often fall into disrepair simultaneously, creating high maintenance costs that outstrip tax revenue generated from these properties. This culminates in a fragile and unproductive environment where residents feel demotivated to invest in their homes, fostering a culture of neglect. Ultimately, such environments become targets for land speculators and lead to further disinvestment, decreasing the quality of life for those who still reside there.
Towards a New Paradigm for Neighborhood Growth
Proposing a new grand bargain involves recognizing that every neighborhood requires the opportunity to change while ensuring that no place undergoes radical transformation. Embracing incremental development allows neighborhoods to mature and adapt to local needs, thereby alleviating pressure for sudden, extensive redevelopment. This approach fosters a more dynamic housing market that reflects supply and demand, supporting affordable and diverse housing options. By shifting the narrative around neighborhood growth, communities can create engaging, welcoming spaces that thrive over time, rather than resorting to the all-or-nothing mindset of past paradigms.
In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck explores the flawed nature of North America’s current “housing bargain,” where most neighborhoods are allowed to stay exactly the same as long as some neighborhoods — usually those that are poorer and have less political clout — are forced to radically change. He proposes a new way forward that respects cities as living and evolving systems.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
This Thursday, February 27, Strong Towns will release a toolkit to help city officials welcome incremental housing development. Learn more here.
Become a member to join the toolkit launch livestream with experts Alli Thurmond Quinlan (Incremental Development Alliance) and Eric Kronberg (Kronberg Urbanists + Architects).