2 ms·

I feel like a huge amount (not all) of NIMBYism is also due to the total disregard for aesthetics or cohesiveness of new developments with existing neighborhood

by yunwal 4y ago

I feel like a huge amount (not all) of NIMBYism is also due to the total disregard for aesthetics or cohesiveness of new developments with existing neighborhoods. Look at new developments in Brooklyn https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62552986/11_Hoyt_rendering_1.0.0.jpg https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62552986/... vs. a Brooklyn Brownstone https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lXakKpLLBt65Mj0q-QKtmnoVLtQ=/0x0:3000x1996/1400x1050/filters:focal(1260x758:1740x1238):format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51938401/brownstone_stock.0.jpeg https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lXakKpLLBt65Mj0q-QKtmnoVLtQ=... If you live on a block with the former, and someone comes in wanting to build the latter, of course you're going to say no. Some might say that this is just a preference for low-density housing, and big buildings will just always look worse to some people, but I disagree. There are plenty of attractive churches, schools, and other high-density buildings that don't look out of place.

orange_joe 4y ago
Kind of an unfair statement because those buildings are actually in downtown Brooklyn, which is a dense downtown in its own right. I don’t think there are many brownstones in that area. The buildings in the more residential areas tend to be far less conspicuous, even if they don’t tend to strictly hew to the styles of early 20th century architecture.
Mizza 4y ago
That tower isn't even the worst example, though. Philly is flooded with this kind of crap now: https://billypenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_0484-1024x576.jpg https://billypenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_0484-10... Really low quality builds, random stupid rectangles, you can hear everything your neighbor does, yadda yadda yadda. The market is so ridiculous, they can build it as cheap as possible and somebody will snatch it up no matter what. A lot of them are quite big and use wooden frames, even though they're not really supposed to, because of a loophole with fire-retardant treated wood. There will likely be some major disasters in the next decade.
xxpor 4y ago
The brownstones were hated when they were built, because they didn't fit in the neighborhood! https://twitter.com/JerusalemDemsas/status/1436366508809150466 https://twitter.com/JerusalemDemsas/status/14363665088091504... Your personal aesthetics shouldn't dictate what others do with their property.

by yunwal 4y ago

orange_joe 4y ago

Kind of an unfair statement because those buildings are actually in downtown Brooklyn, which is a dense downtown in its own right. I don’t think there are many brownstones in that area. The buildings in the more residential areas tend to be far less conspicuous, even if they don’t tend to strictly hew to the styles of early 20th century architecture.

Mizza 4y ago

That tower isn't even the worst example, though. Philly is flooded with this kind of crap now: https://billypenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_0484-1024x576.jpg https://billypenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_0484-10... Really low quality builds, random stupid rectangles, you can hear everything your neighbor does, yadda yadda yadda. The market is so ridiculous, they can build it as cheap as possible and somebody will snatch it up no matter what. A lot of them are quite big and use wooden frames, even though they're not really supposed to, because of a loophole with fire-retardant treated wood. There will likely be some major disasters in the next decade.

xxpor 4y ago

The brownstones were hated when they were built, because they didn't fit in the neighborhood! https://twitter.com/JerusalemDemsas/status/1436366508809150466 https://twitter.com/JerusalemDemsas/status/14363665088091504... Your personal aesthetics shouldn't dictate what others do with their property.