Quote:
Originally Posted by Drybrain
The most shack-like building in my neighbourhood has got to be this old house, which is as rough-looking inside as it is outside. It's slated to be torn down for a new mid-rise, I believe. |
One big distinction in Halifax and a lot of cities is owner-occupied vs. rental and then beyond that normal rental vs. property awaiting redevelopment. A real estate and development boom can make the city look worse in some ways even if prices are going up.
Halifax would look much nicer if it had better standards in this area. It has unsightly property type rules that are used rarely but there's not much to encourage or help people to maintain the character of the average houses that make up a large proportion of the inner-city building stock. I would guess that a small nudge in the right direction (some kind of funding or tax break for nicer wood cladding or maintenance and enhancements of traditional vernacular features) could make a dramatic difference over the course of a decade or so. Lunenburg manages to do this and has lower real estate values and rents.