Scarcity of residenceaffordability crises and “nimbyism” (people opposed to construction near where they live) a growing problem in many countries, but how glaring Things got even worse in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Forty years ago, the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland had approx 400 houses per thousand inhabitantsat the same level as European countries.

Not surprisingly, the same pattern is reflected in house prices has increased most rapidly in most English-speaking countries since the global financial crisis than anywhere else.

There seems to be a deep-rooted reluctance urban density in the culture that distinguishes these countries from others. Three different factors are at play here. The first is a shared culture that values ​​privacy owns a homeeasier to come by in single-family homes.

A new YouGov survey confirms this: when asked whether they would like to live in an apartment in a 3- or 4-story building, British and Americans say “no” between 40 and 30 percent respectively, while that continental Europe supports.

The cumulative impact of this breed preference over the centuries is enormous. On set from OECD, 40 percent of people live in apartmentsand the average of European Union is 42 percent. But that figure has fallen to 9 per cent in Ireland, 14 per cent in Australia, 15 per cent in New Zealand and 20 per cent in the UK.

This brings us to the second problem: planning systems. Never mind that England has a discretionary approachwhile others use zoning.

Finally, we have a natural paradox: The English language planning framework attaches great importance to conservation environmentbut a preference for low-density development fuels car-dependent sprawl.

In the end, whether it is solving the housing crisis or protecting the environment, the answer to so much misery in the Anglo-Saxon world is shed our privileges on the department.

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