3 ms·

> - Countries attempting to replicate the American suburban lifestyle Really, where? I thought only fractions of the anglosphere replicated this (like parts of

by klabb3 4y ago

> - Countries attempting to replicate the American suburban lifestyle Really, where? I thought only fractions of the anglosphere replicated this (like parts of Canada). Extremely few Europeans would want that lifestyle, for instance. The trend seems to be moving aggressively in the opposite direction, with large and dense cities attracting the majority of new people.

alephnerd 4y ago
It's not parts of Canada - it's all of Canada. A member of our extended family runs a construction firm in Western CA and they've been building suburban tract housing EVERYWHERE - from Nanaimo to Abbotsford to Edmonton. And the same kind of sprawly suburban tract housing thaat exissts in North America is a popular status symbol in India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and China to name a few. Drive around Chandigarh, Delhi NCR, HMC, or Johor sometime. Also, if talking about Europeans, it's probably good to specify which part of Europe. Milton Keynes, Amstelveen, Dublin, Aarhus, and Espoo all feel very North American suburban in style.
- klabb3 4y ago
  Interesting, thanks for the pointers. Now that I think of it, I think Saudi Arabia and UAE may be added to that list.
  - alephnerd 4y ago
    Yep! They also prefer suburban tract housing. Also in Ireland and UK in my experience (my coworkers in the London office all moved to Reading, MK, Newbury, etc once they started familes). Amsterdam as well after visiting another cousin in Amsteveel, and Aahrus and Espoo to meet a buddy of mine who went to Aarhus Universitet and started at Nokia
    - TMWNN 4y ago
      >(my coworkers in the London office all moved to Reading, MK, Newbury, etc once they started familes This goes back a long time. The stockbroker belt/home counties as where commuters into London live has been a thing for more than a century, since railways then automobiles made this practical. The attitude klabb3 mentioned of "Europeans don't want American suburbs" is, as I think he is realizing, nonsense. No matter where, no matter who, the majority of people prefer detached homes with lawns if they can afford them. (I speak as among the minority who prefers dense living.)
      - klabb3 4y ago
        > No matter where, no matter who, the majority of people prefer detached homes with lawns if they can afford them. Eh. Yes, people want ponies. Suburbia does indeed optimize for this parameter, but they sacrifice almost every other. Single family houses with lawns is nothing new in Europe, but most of them are rural. I'd still defend that for the vast majority of Europeans the attraction of American suburbia is very low. Most choose to live in apartments in dense cities that are most attractive near the center. "Walkable" is a term i first heard in the US, that is quite meaningless in Europe, for a reason.

by klabb3 4y ago

alephnerd 4y ago

It's not parts of Canada - it's all of Canada. A member of our extended family runs a construction firm in Western CA and they've been building suburban tract housing EVERYWHERE - from Nanaimo to Abbotsford to Edmonton. And the same kind of sprawly suburban tract housing thaat exissts in North America is a popular status symbol in India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and China to name a few. Drive around Chandigarh, Delhi NCR, HMC, or Johor sometime. Also, if talking about Europeans, it's probably good to specify which part of Europe. Milton Keynes, Amstelveen, Dublin, Aarhus, and Espoo all feel very North American suburban in style.

klabb3 4y ago
Interesting, thanks for the pointers. Now that I think of it, I think Saudi Arabia and UAE may be added to that list.
- alephnerd 4y ago
  Yep! They also prefer suburban tract housing. Also in Ireland and UK in my experience (my coworkers in the London office all moved to Reading, MK, Newbury, etc once they started familes). Amsterdam as well after visiting another cousin in Amsteveel, and Aahrus and Espoo to meet a buddy of mine who went to Aarhus Universitet and started at Nokia
  - TMWNN 4y ago
    >(my coworkers in the London office all moved to Reading, MK, Newbury, etc once they started familes This goes back a long time. The stockbroker belt/home counties as where commuters into London live has been a thing for more than a century, since railways then automobiles made this practical. The attitude klabb3 mentioned of "Europeans don't want American suburbs" is, as I think he is realizing, nonsense. No matter where, no matter who, the majority of people prefer detached homes with lawns if they can afford them. (I speak as among the minority who prefers dense living.)
    - klabb3 4y ago
      > No matter where, no matter who, the majority of people prefer detached homes with lawns if they can afford them. Eh. Yes, people want ponies. Suburbia does indeed optimize for this parameter, but they sacrifice almost every other. Single family houses with lawns is nothing new in Europe, but most of them are rural. I'd still defend that for the vast majority of Europeans the attraction of American suburbia is very low. Most choose to live in apartments in dense cities that are most attractive near the center. "Walkable" is a term i first heard in the US, that is quite meaningless in Europe, for a reason.