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points by CalRobert 3 days ago | 0 comments
They can, and my statement is a bit of a caricature (it's not like I expect the person pouring concrete to be mixing baby formula a year later) but it seems like "but amenities!" is mostly a way to make sure any new arrivals have to pay for things for existing local residents. Development charges are similar.
[–] UpsideDownRide 3 days ago
Land and real estate is not unlimited especially in urban areas. Building companies optimize for profit so they don't have a good incentive to build out public necessities. It will be always a bit of squaring a circle if you want half sensible area development.
[–] youngtaff 2 days ago
Building companies optimise for profit and this results in them constraining demand by drip feeding houses onto the market to push up prices
[–] CalRobert 3 days ago
If maximising profit were actually allowed we’d have far more homes. The current rules make sure builders are -not- allowed to build as many homes as needed.
[–] AnthonyMouse 3 days ago
Building companies optimize for profit which is why they have a good incentive to build things that are in short supply. They build whatever the customer buys.

On top of that, a daycare isn't a type of building, it's a thing you put in the same sort of commercial building you use for any generic purpose.

The requirements are nothing but a type of tax whose revenue is allocated to some de facto government program. But taxes on new development are asinine because they inherently get passed on as higher rents for humans and businesses, and the latter then have to pass them on as higher prices -- or can't afford them and go out of business, which is how you get the high street full of vape shops.

[–] realityking 3 days ago
> On top of that, a daycare isn't a type of building, it's a thing you put in the same sort of commercial building you use for any generic purpose.

That does not seem true. Most (though certainly not all) daycares I see in Europe have buildings that have a layout similar to a school with outdoor areas. A daycare doesn’t need a window front but needs a sandpit.