How to devalue a neighborhood
“What they’ve done in the post-World War II era is they’ve come in and completely devalued this neighborhood by making this a one-way stroad... The consequence is that these places which, at one point, were really nice little homes, now are in disrepair [and] are not well utilized. ”
Changes to land use and street design impact property values and the trajectory of entire neighborhoods—for good or for bad. Make incremental improvements and you’ll see incremental gains for everyone. Take drastic measures like widening roads and leveling productive buildings to create parking and big box stores and you’ll seriously damage the surrounding homes and businesses.
Watch this video filmed in Huntington, WV to see this concept in action and hear Charles Marohn's ideas for reversing the downward trajectory of a neglected street:
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Compact development isn’t just for big cities. Some of the best walkable urbanism in the world is in the smallest towns. And embracing this is the key to enjoying the best of both worlds: urban and rural.