Housing Types: Modern vs Colonial

                                                                                                                                                   Belmont

                                              The photo above represents a community in the Belmont area in which Jane Jacobs would refer to as a healthy neighborhood. The community would be viewed as healthy due to the various types and ages of houses that exist there. The photo illustrates a two houses with different architecture and of different ages. The house on the right represents that of a more colonial/historic type architecture where there was perhaps technology and other resources were limited. On the left, this house represents a more modern look. Jane Jacobs principles of healthy neighbors insisted that a neighborhood like this would support a variety of uses and it would mean that different people with different backgrounds would also live there.  According to Urban Space Gallery (2011), "A mix of old and new spaces allowed small businesses to coexist with larger ones and populated a neighbourhood with people of different incomes." And so this neighborhood in Belmont perhaps had people with varying incomes.
 

                                            A neighborhood with solely modern type looking houses would probably be home to only those with a higher socio-economic status while a neighborhood with only historic looking houses like the house on the right would probably be home to those with a lower socio-economic status. "A neighbourhood comprised entirely of fancy new buildings would be accessible only to those who could afford to bear the costs of new construction, thus limiting the diversity of people who could live there," Urban Space gallery (2011).
 

                                            In my opinion, a mix of different types of houses is ideal since it may also contribute to the mixing of people that live there and perhaps decrease the physical disparity between them. The modern type house is important since it would represent some type of development and forward movement of the community. Likewise, the colonial type houses are important since it allows the residents to be reminded of their culture and where they came from.
 

                                            Think about your neighborhood. Are the houses of different ages and types or are they similar in look, whether modern or colonial? How does this add an identity to your neighbor? How does it affect you?

 

 

Reference:

 

Urban Space Gallery. 2011. "Jane Jacobs: Urban Ideas." Urban Space Gallery, Accessed April 08.

http://urbanspacegallery.ca/exhibits/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas