Interfering with how people want to live borders on stalinism.
I wouldn't have one of those cluster mansions myself (and they're all over Atlanta), but I don't want the idiots on the city council telling me that I HAVE to live in an 800 s.f. box . . . even if (or especially if) it has red Hardi-Panel siding!
Just for the record, our first house was an architect-designed, 820 s.f. passive solar contemporary. But WE chose to build that way, nobody told us to.
I can't say I'm really keen on government planners driving this nonsense. Interfering with how people want to live borders on stalinism.HUH? Where is this mandated? And how would this be different than other government regulations (such as minimal lot size requirements, and federally-funded lending programs) that encourage people to build big houses?
I agree. But in many locations zoning doesn't allow you to build smaller even if you want to. This, to me, is a problem and counter to property rights.
I'm with AmericanMother 100%
After all, I am CONSERVATIVE in the old sense. My wife and I raised two great kids in a 890 sq ft. 2-bedroom one-bath HOME (not house). Both seem to be reasonably well adjusted 20-smethings who are graduating from "elite" schools (with no obvious ill effects from liberals).
We invested (spent) our money on other things besides square footage. BUT, it was our CHOICE. I don't mind others choosing differently, but the government shouldn't be subsidizing their mortgage either.
My two cents.
Oldplayer
This is what happens when architects think they are urban planners.
Urban sprawl is the natural outcome of freedom of choice, and a person has a right to a large home if he wants.
Where will these people store all their Birkenstocks?
I own a home not much bigger than that, but it's in a nice neighborhood in which many of the homes are much bigger and more expensive.
I think neighborhoods zoned for much smaller and less expensive is a great idea. I saw it in Germany when I was there, clusters of garage-sized homes, well kept with nice vegetable gardens.
The problem with cheap homes now, because society has become so coarse it seems they will attract slob people.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's in a modest neighborhood. However, these modest working class people had pride in their house and yard, kept it all up nicely, and didn't need a home owner's association breathing down their necks to force them to do it. They just did it.
Recently, any place I have lived that wasn't high priced or forced to behave by an HOA has been inhabited by its share of pigs and slobs. Pigs and slobs commit and attract crime, and ruin it for the decent people.