> No-one wants to live in a block of flats unless they're too poor to afford a house. I live in an apartment and wouldn't move to house even if I got it for fr

> No-one wants to live in a block of flats unless they're too poor to afford a house. I live in an apartment and wouldn't move to house even if I got it for free. That's mostly due simply to the different environment where you find appartments and houses: almost by definition, the former has higher density. And while I grew up in something like a suburb and can appreciate its advantages to some degree, it would be a sad day in my life when I started to value the comfort of a garden higher than the excitement a city has to offer: theatres, clubs, strange art events by the weirdo crowd this city (Berlin) currently attracts, far more choices for high-quality groceries, et. Plus it sometimes feels like a front-row seat to history. It also helps that apartments are mostly in art deco buildings: heigh ceilings, wooden floors etc. Houses are either new new or (even worse) from the 50s/60s. From my time in the US I remember the rest of the disadvantages: spending an hour commuting, where it takes me 10min on a bike now. Eating out is another 30min drive, and the restaurants, like everything else, look like airport lounges in the middle of a parking lot exhibition. Neighbours that call the police when they see anyone on the sidewalk, because such activity is unusual and suspicious... What I could imagine at some point is a community sort of like the oldschool US towns that still exist here and there, namely a Main Street with a residential area of about a 1-mile radius around it. With a bit of luck (i. e. a few people with initiative) these communities can be lively enough, and the familiarity of a small community compensates for the loss of choice.