By: Izzy Cheung, staff writer
As populations rise and cities grow more condensed, the need for space around the world is only becoming greater. More and more post-secondary students are splitting large houses with many roommates or opting for smaller apartment units. However, the suburban housing dream is still prevalent — after all, who doesn’t want their own spacious, unobstructed plot of land? A study conducted showed that millennial and Gen Zs’ saving habits are geared towards home ownership. Unfortunately, it can be a little unrealistic to expect to live in your own massive house these days.
I was taught the importance of owning a home relatively early on. Teachers in my career planning classes stressed the importance of saving up for a house rather than an apartment. Despite a house being evidently pricier, they emphasized that buying a house came with “ownership” over the land it resides on. Buying a house is essentially buying a space that can be altered to your liking. I remember being told that living in an apartment meant, despite owning your own unit, you would still be sharing spaces with others in your building. Because of this, owning a large house in the suburbs may feel ideal compared to living in a townhome or apartment. Being out in the suburbs also may feel like it’s better for the planet, as you’re farther away from all the pollution and congestion of the city. However, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Our infrastructure doesn’t reflect and support our growing population anymore, making apartments a more reasonable option. The suburban housing dream may seem ideal, but it comes with its own share of unwanted price tags. A study determined that urban areas such as cities had smaller carbon footprints than more rural or suburban housing areas. They noted that those who live in cities have reduced emissions due to their “transportation, heating, and cooking” habits. With places such as restaurants, grocery stores, and general shops being more accessible in urbanized areas, there’s less of a need for cars and cooking. Individuals may choose to walk down the street to pick up takeout rather than fire up the stove to make their own meal. With everything somewhat within walking distance, urban cities provide more opportunities to reduce emissions produced by cars.
The farther away from these urban hubs you are, the less likely you are to feel connected to the city. Looking at the Lower Mainland as an example, we can see that Skytrains only run as far as King George and Lafarge Lake. Moving away from these hubs results in longer wait times for buses, and longer bus rides into the city. Because of this, those who live farther away will resort to driving as their means of transportation which makes for higher emissions produced by those living in more rural areas. The farther you are, the cheaper the land becomes, which is why many may prefer heading east to settle down. However, when you find yourself driving back and forth to get to the hubs for school, work, or a night out, you may encounter added costs that aren’t monetary. “Home” should be something that makes us all comfortable, being a place we can de-stress. Just because it’s not what we were taught to aim for, doesn’t mean that any home we have is lesser — especially in this economy.
