this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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urbanism

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32
Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (yewtu.be)
submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
10 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Everytime I think I know all stupid regulations that prevent good city building, a new one comes right around the corner :jane-jacobs-disgost:

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

I lived in one of those beautiful looking Dutch apartments for a while. They kinda suck, tbh. Extremely steep stairs, high ceilings with big windows (have fun heating) and the smallest shitters you can imagine. Friend of mine couldn't even close the door (which lead right into the hallway). The kitchens also usually sucked. The whole look is based on taxing the width of the street-facing side, so these houses are all loong tube-shaped and way too much of the theoretically useful l space is just stairs/hallways. Also, fucking fake fireplaces in every room, cutting off one of four corners, making it even less usable.

Tbf it was all landlord's special extra plus for students but the floorplan doesn't really change in the nicer ones - and it was a bad one. Old Dutch houses may look pretty from the outside but they waste so much space on the inside, it's infuriating

Edit: Also I didn't watch the video, sorry. The power of the thumbnail just compelled me to leave this comment

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

Really depends on your priorities (e.g. aesthetics vs. comfort).

Extremely steep stairs

are quite space efficient, and if you can't walk those, chances are less steep stairs are difficult too. That's why stairlifts exist.

high ceilings with big windows

are the most important feature in an apartment for me. I don't like the claustrophobic feel of modern low ceilings, and windows have gotten smaller in the 50s and are now ridiculously big but without the intricate features or good proportions of pre war buildings, which were perfected over time and make for nice, bright living quarters.

High ceilings are also much more comfortable in the heat of the coming climate, and I don't have the money to really heat my apartment anyway so I use blankets and hot bottles.

I'm absolutely with you on the shitty landlords' special. Fake fireplaces are neither original nor necessary and usually only there to increase the rent.

Also I didn't watch the video, sorry. The power of the thumbnail just compelled me to leave this comment

The video has the single message that enforcing a lot of internal circulation leads to the development of bigger apartment blocks with mostly one bedroom apartments. Allowing a single staircase (which isn't a security risk any more thanks to better fire prevention measures) makes it possible to develop a variety of apartment layouts and generally build more housing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

these houses are all loong tube-shaped and way too much of the theoretically useful l space is just stairs/hallways

I find this really annoying as well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

I'll give it a watch. Thanks, fam.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

these same apartments are everywhere fam

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Not exactly

Another example of an apartment building that's illegal to build in North America

However, since capitalism permeates everything and cars ruined space efficient building and planning practices, USian non-spaces are spreading everywhere. It's just that regulations in the US are exceptionally supportive of capitalist extraction.