The plague of NIMBY’s may yield if a real plan is put in place to rebuild better. Vast areas could be rezoned for density. A way of addressing the enormous number of displaced people could also address the largest homeless population in the USA. The city that defines urban sprawl could be redefined. How does this play out?
Zoning laws are largely at play. The rebuild could change zoning for density and therefore greatly incentivise change.
The building code has already proved itself as a failure. So preventing rebuilding under the same standard is essential to prevent reoccurrence. This means that rebuilding cannot be entirely strait forward. By allowing densities like New York or Paris, as random examples, you are essentially greatly increasing the property values in these areas. That should help with those that cannot rebuild and it should result in developers buying out a considerable portion of homes. Displacing large numbers of people will never be cheaper or easier than it is right now. All it takes is allowing the height restrictions to change and allowing properties to use every bit of available space like most major cities around the globe. The fire code changes are a given. That is not a real problem for large scale development. It is a major issue for piecemeal and spotty development over time like what had happened. The actual protections and code should not rely on separation and the proximity of foliage. It should rely on non flammable materials and homes that can withstand any blaze by design. The materials should not be single sourced, monopolized, or patented either. The gov should only write standards required, but that should encompasses products available in a competitive open market.
The chief issue is zoning. If the ancient outdated single family home and condos zoning stays, so do all the problems of exorbitant housing costs, climate ruin, and a car centric dystopia. All of these problems are due to a lack of zoning reform to increase density.
Thanks, that’s a really clear and detailed explanation.
Still, though, on an individual basis, I’m not sure how I’d feel if my house had been burnt down and then the government said that I couldn’t rebuild it how it was before.
You are placing yourself above your neighbors. You should be asking his you’d feel after rebuilding when nothing has changed and the same recipe of events will produce the same outcome. Change is required.
I’m not involved at all, just saying that suddenly not being able to rebuild your family home could be quite devastating!
The whole thing is awful for sure. If it happened to me, with my disability, it would be beyond devastating to go through.
I am largely abstracting in a disconnect from my sense of empathy, and that can seem cold. There are many harsh realities that must come from this. Rebuilding might be possible in some instances using updated materials and codes, but I think stuff will play out differently.
It would be interesting to know how many homes were owned by by the residents. I bet at least half or more were not. The opportunity to create the changes and the future we really need is too great to pass up. Creating that future must come at the cost of someone’s present normal. It is a far lower cost to pay for someone that is holding onto nostalgia for a place and time that no longer exists. That harsh reality will take time to sink in and greave. I totally understand that difficulty far more than most. With becoming physically disabled, in many ways I have had to greave my own death, in that I lost most of what previously defined and was important to me.
The best thing possible to help people going through these difficult times of loss is to help them out financially. Zoning changes for density and height greatly increase property values. So whether they are financing or selling, the rezoned property is essentially gifting them a financial buffer without a burden to the taxpayer. The potential for better integrated public transit, cheaper safer housing, and walkable communities could be seen as just a side effect relative to doing everything possible to help those in need. Nostalgia will never recreate the past. Chasing that rainbow leads to heartache.