How do you feel about cookie cutter homes and suburban sprawl?

Question

I personaly hate it. Living in a rapidly growing area in the US, I find so much beautiful land gobbled up by developers. Across what was once a farmland that gave us food is now rows and rows of houses that all look alike, and only those making great money can live there. Developers will stop at nothing to get the land they want, forcing families who have lived on a piece of land for generations to sell, only to see it turn into another Wal-mart strip mall.
So what are some of your opinions on suburban sprawl?

Actually, C H, I live in Raleigh as well, and I hate it. It seems to get worse by the day.

Answer 1

I agree with you. I couldn't live in an area where the houses are practically on top of one another and all pretty much look the same. I need some space, I need some nature around me. I'd rather drive a few extra miles to get supplies, and know I'd be going back home to a peaceful area.

Answer 2

In just the last 4-5 years, I have watched many cow pastures and meadows turned into subdivisions. There was a headline in the paper today that a developer is buying a large parcel of acreage to put in a strip mall. Just down the road from the Wal-Mart.

I also don't care for the cookie-cutter subdivisions, but for some folks, that is OK or all they can afford.

I don't know what you are referring to about forcing families off their land for a strip mall. Eminent domain is the only means I can imagine to force someone off their land. I would be interested in reading the articles of you can cite some online examples.

Answer 3

It's all about what people want. If you want a certain number of square feet in your home, and you only have so many dollars to buy it, often your only recourse is to buy in a big suburban development.

If you wanted something else, you'd settle for fewer square feet and spend the money to have more land or more individuality.

Developers simply respond to the market. We have lots and lots of cookie-cutter developments because those sell. If they didn't sell, developers would build whatever did.

I live in a cookie-cutter development, although I plan on leaving whenever I can afford to. But when I first moved to the area I now live in, my choices were to either rent an apartment, buy a condo, or buy a cookie-cutter house. There was simply nothing else I could afford that was within driving distance of where I work.

Answer 4

Developers don't force families to sell their land. They do it at their own free will and usually make a lot of money doing so. Only the city or state can take away property and then they have to pay the prevailing rate to the owners. This is done "for the common good" such as putting in a freeway or sometimes a large sports stadium that the city believes will bring a lot of tax revenue in.

I don't know the answer to this urban sprawl except to say that if you feel strongly you should let your city councilman know and show up at council meetings to voice your concerns. If enough people did that it would stop.

City councils will do what they think will add tax revenue to the coffers unless citizens stand up and say no, then they will find other ways to build revenue.

Answer 5

I'm with you. I hate it.

We live in Southern California and over the past six years have gone through a development boom. Housing prices soared and building increased to match demand. All the homes look the same, and they are on the tiniest pieces of land. It's rediculous! Now, over this past year the building demand has met a lull and housing prices are dropping. They will never be as low as they were before, but the cost has decreased a great deal. Now we have families moving right and left because they can't afford to own. The realtors were in such a frenzy selling homes that many many people got in over their heads.

What really ticks me off about it all is that there are still contractors out there building!!! Ever piece of land is being eaten up to build homes that there isn't even a market for now.

We bought a little over 6 yrs ago before the boom. We chose to go with an older home, we wanted established trees and such in our yard. Because we went with an older home, we have a nice sized corner lot and there is actually a little breathing room between us and the neighbors. We didn't want anything to do with the newer homes that were being built on postage stamp lots, with barely 6 feet between us and the neighbors.

I just really hate to see all this land eaten up by developers. And for us that's decades of farm land that's dsiappearing.

Answer 6

For many families, the only affordable option is the "cookie cutter" home. At least for the first rung on the home ownership "ladder" as the Brits would say. I've been there, done that. At least now I can afford something in a slightly more bucolic setting.

It IS all about the money -- but that's a two way street. The developers make money off of it, but it is an affordable option for many folks who may not otherwise be able to afford their piece of the "American Dream."

Answer 7

How are they forcing the families to sell? By making them an offer high enough to make them want to move? It's silly to blame the developers for building what people seem to want.

I dislike the cookie cutter neighborhoods, but if other people want to live there, fine. What's the alternative for the majority? Most people don't want urban life, living in a condo or flat. People like me, that like space, have to pay for it. Of course, that just contributes to the sprawl. I live in Raleigh, the entire region around us is sprawled and will need to fill in at some point.

If you can't afford to live in the suburbs where you are, maybe it's time to consider moving to an area with more reasonable prices. The South is affordable for most, consider North Carolina.

Answer 8

I hate cookie cutter homes. I live in Northern Virginia. This area used to be beautiful. Now it's just ugly strip malls,ugly subdivisions, and ugly offices. I miss NOVA.

Answer 9

It's usually either a cookie cutter home or a long commute from a country home.

Answer 10

I despise it. I cannot see why anyone would want to live in such places.

They are yuppie hives, as far as I'm concerned, full of identlical little bees, who all want the same things.

Looking at them, I'm not surprised we have the leaders that we do.