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Beyond architectural style, what makes for a more attractive, higher value neighborhood? Let's have a look at some of the things that we have known for decades, centuries, yet still chose to ignore. Thread.
Everyone knows green space increases value, but it has to be high quality green space, it has to feel ”built up”, tight, cared for. The "Tower in a park" kind of green, like the urban parsley between parking lots and next to roads actually decrease the value of nearby properties.
One well placed pocket park increases the value of a neighborhood more than access to a far larger but poorly laid out park. This holds true for all kinds of properties, private homes as well as offices or public buildings.
The same holds with water. A canal, a beachfront, a river, hugely increases the value of a neighborhood, more than any other premium. Not all towns have access to the sea but the vast majority of human settlements are at last near or on rivers, where canals can be dug.
If a canal can't be dug, a single fountain, drinking faucet, is also hugely cost effective, if beautiful and well made. It can be wall mounted to save on space. Or even a simple hand pump. Water attracts people: a sure and easy investment for any builder or developer.
In the same way, a single green point, a natural focus, a well placed tree, can add far more value to the neighborhood than what it costs to plant and to maintain.
Proximity to cultural and historical heritage buildings & sites, has a high premium. Not all neighborhoods have preserved architecture but developers can "rebuild" historic landmarks, or preserve as much old architecture as possible to raise the value of all surrounding property.
The more fine grained and walkable the streets are, the more attractive the area becomes, again leading to higher values. People attract people, cars do not.
Zoning also affects values. Single use zoning tends to have far lower values than mixed use areas. Homes mix well with shops, restaurants, institutions, even light manufacturing and workshops. Create opportunities for people to work, play, pray, where they live.
The same added value of a variety of activities available applies to transit. Get rid of the motor vehicle and make room for the water taxi, the horse cart, the barge, the bicycle, the light rail, the tram, the subway, even the funicula. The more choices, the higher value.
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