Rising childfreedom is an opportunity for urban planning

A projected increase in childfree households means that urban planners need to start rethinking housing, according to a lecturer at Dundee University. He calls it an opportunity for Scottish cities to reconfigure for a more urban design with a central area and good public transport, instead of sprawling suburbia.

Of course it wouldn't be an article about childfreedom without someone else bemoaning the trend and calling for the government to get a greater understanding of why people have fewer children and what can be done to reverse the trend.

I really hope there are more communities for the childfree. No schools, etc. needed so lower taxes. Know about one area in the remote western part of my state that is confirmed retirement community (last I knew had very little job opportunity except for retired people services) and stupid parents have been fighting for years to nudge themselves in and make everyone suffer higher taxes for school and playgrounds. It probably will only take a handful of breeder lovers to change the laws and with so many grandmoos/duhs that feel compelled to be defacto moos/duhs this could easily happen. I'm sure they love the idea of this pristine town with perfect weather being turned into bratsville to appease them. Cue the McMansions and higher taxes.
Since hearing about it I thought it is a possibility once I retire as long as it doesn't turn into breederville.

Being in an area that doesn't have schools or playgrounds nor a bunch of kids sounds like retirement heaven to me. It sounds good to me now except there isn't any industry there and I have to work.

It would be heaven to live in a medium sized town on the coast with good weather and no schools/playgrounds (but plenty of parks and trails) and small independent businesses with no big box or chain anything. I bet there would be little to no littering either.

They need to start rethinking shit in general because nobody can afford houses anymore. They would do well to start building a hell of a lot more apartments or smaller houses, or hell, even lots where people could rent space if they happen to be living in vehicles.

Urban planning that doesn't suck breeder ass might be a concept that gains more ground in other countries, but I can't see it catching on in American because we are so breeder-centric here. Breeders feel they belong everywhere and are entitled to everything - just look at the backlash against anyone who tries to keep kids out of anywhere, like the cafe owners who attempted to impose a minimum customer age who were socially crucified and dragged through the mud int he media. If you were to try to build child-unfriendly living spaces here, breeders would kick and scream until they were allowed in and then it would defeat the entire purpose of the project.

I don't know why anyone would intentionally pander to breeders as far as housing. Breeders are some of the worst fucking tenants you can have. Their kids are loud and bother everyone else in earshot, they often cause damages that far exceed security deposits, they violate lease agreements because they feel rules don't apply to them and it's probably hard to evict them because everyone will feel sorry for the poor widdle breeder and her bastards being tossed out on their asses.

Even if you were to build one parents-only apartment complex for every child-free one to appease the screaming breeder masses, Moos and Duhs would still be pissing and moaning and probably going on about segregation and discrimination and how they "deserve" to be in the nice child-free apartments even though the whole reason they're nice is because they're child-free.

I once lived in a no smoking apartment. Seem to recall hearing about 24 hour quiet apartments more than once. Perhaps combining the two as one apartment-no smoking and 24 hour quiet? No way in hell can any parent claim a child will be quiet. Also, no playground!

My last place was a condo and had no playgrounds or swimming pool. All the units were 2 bedroom but the second bedroom was tiny, more of a office. Every unit had stairs too, even the ground level had 5 descending stairs. The result was few to no kids. Most living there were either middle aged or retired. Too small with kids but perfect for a single or couple. Busy streets nearby are also a big deterrent. It has to be subtle, but a savvy apartment owner can do deliberate things to deter breeders. And the grounds stayed nicely landscaped because there were no brats to mess it up.

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freya
I really hope there are more communities for the childfree. No schools, etc. needed so lower taxes.

I seem to recall that Ellen Walker had an article about how cities change when they become childfree zones. I imagine there are many who would happily join such a community.

The townhouse complex my husband and I lived in before we bought the house, was built on the concept of senior living. The townhouses were two bedroom only, but the problem with seniors is that the majority of townhouses in the complex had massive amounts of stairs. They decided to start renting the units out to younger people, and the whole place became a shithole.

Breeders were stackin' the brats in like cordwood, to the point where I wondered HOW they could live in such small units, with only two bedrooms and so many stairs. The noise factor and lack of privacy became virtually intolerable. There were fights in the courtyard. Toys and debris was being tossed everywhere. I had scored a ground floor unit which was great, but unfortunately, breeders would STARE into my kitchen patio window, to the point where I'd open the patio door and ask them WTF they wanted. It became a living, BREEDING Hell.

We did try putting up privacy screens, but the management told us to take them down. They were violating some sort of rule, and then the construction started. We got the fuck outta there, and bought our house in the country, with a rather large piece of land around it.

When I informed the manager that we were leaving, she asked me, "WHyyyyyyy?" And I told her that we couldn't stand it there anymore. She told me that my husband and I were their best tenants, and our house looked like a "House Beautiful" magazine, blah blah....it didn't work.

I'm fortunate in the sense that most of my neighbors don't have kids, or kids living at home. I have one family of fuckers living kitty-corner to me, but other than that, nobody else around us has loaves.

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mumofsixbirds
When I informed the manager that we were leaving, she asked me, "WHyyyyyyy?" And I told her that we couldn't stand it there anymore. She told me that my husband and I were their best tenants, and our house looked like a "House Beautiful" magazine, blah blah....it didn't work.

Typical. You were the best tenants and they took you for granted, refusing to let you install privacy screens and generally giving the impression they didn't care about your concerns. If you are happy with a customer, you ought to cater more to what they want, or at least try to attract other customers which are similar - especially if your business involves your customers interacting with one another.

My grandmother had a similar problem with the housing changing character and making it much less congenial for her. When she moved in, it was an assisted living facility for the elderly. Then at some point they decided to also open it up to mentally disabled people who needed assistance. I don't think she would have minded younger people with physical ailments, but the new tenants caused a lot of disruption, from increased noise to broken things in common areas to intimidation and physical assault. Of course when she took up a lifetime tenancy she had no idea it would change like that, and she was in no condition to move by that point. It was probably done out of a shortage of places for tards, because it's not as if there aren't waiting lists of elderly people who could have filled the building.

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mumofsixbirds
When I informed the manager that we were leaving, she asked me, "WHyyyyyyy?" And I told her that we couldn't stand it there anymore. She told me that my husband and I were their best tenants, and our house looked like a "House Beautiful" magazine, blah blah....it didn't work.

So happy for your move, your house sounds soooo much better.

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yurble
I don't think she would have minded younger people with physical ailments, but the new tenants caused a lot of disruption, from increased noise to broken things in common areas to intimidation and physical assault. Of course when she took up a lifetime tenancy she had no idea it would change like that, and she was in no condition to move by that point. It was probably done out of a shortage of places for tards, because it's not as if there aren't waiting lists of elderly people who could have filled the building.

This smacks of elder abuse and seems like it should be illegal. Who in their right mind thinks it is acceptable to put mentally disabled people with the elderly? Would they put the mentally disabled with babies in the hospital? Hope that no one was hurt, it isn't as if the elderly can defend themselves as easily as able bodied of a younger age can. Many probably have some physical limitations or might be frail.

This post is for everyone but Mo6B would take an interest in it. Even single family homes can be breederized.

You all have read what I write about Jupy T, the smelly super loud doctor BIL I have. Recently his father passed away and his mother is happily living in a personal care home she likes. Now it is time to sell their childhood home and there is a huge fight about it. Since I have some experience with renovation, I offered to take a look at it.


The house is a small ranch house built in 1956 that looks almost like a mini Frank Lloyd Wright house. It has casement crank out windows that are less common and more expensive, later you will see why I mention this. With the right color scheme and landscaping, it could be a really nice house, at least from the outside, for 2-3 people and could get a good price for it quickly if it were better taken care of during it's life.


Unfortunately, The T's were major breeders with 4 kids for a total of 6 people in a 3 bedroom house. They planted hedges around the property line and they are half dead and ugly. The T's had a boat for the whole family, it takes up all of a 1 car garage and since Mr. T was too cheap for a marina, the boat stayed in the garage and the car stayed outside so Mr. T. was driving a rusty Plymouth most of the time. When Jupy was a boy, they planted a tree in the backyard but it is so huge now that it destroyed the main sewer so it had to be replaced for $7000. But Jupy insisted the tree stay and it is ugly and the roots take over the backyard (should have been removed when the sewer was replaced). Mrs. T. insisted all their kids be "professionals" and so all went to college and they spent so much on college, Mr. T was too cheap to install central air conditioning. Instead, someone installed 3 room air conditioners and in doing so, damaged 3 of the windows and set them in plywood (ugly!). I did not get inside, but the backyard floods and there must be mold in there.


I have recommended that Jupy and his sisters, in order to sell the house in reasonable time, have the tree removed and the stump ground down, have the hedges and excess vegetation removed (I can do that, but I will have to get a "Fukushima suit" because of all the hogweed and poison ivy), have central air conditioning installed, have the damaged windows replaced and I will paint the outside, as it needs Benjamin Moore badly. It will probably be a $10,000 investment.


Jupy and his sisters are fighting over this house. They want to not put any money into it, sell "as is" because some family will buy a fixer upper because that is what their father did. They also say selling is no problem because "it is in a good school district and people will live in a shack to have their kids go to Smartway school district". I have tried to talk to them and they just say "jupy or one of the sisters will handle it" and his sisters got bitchy with me so I am not going to help them. Meanwhile, the house deteriorates and that's not fair to the neighbors, who are older and no longer have the kids (though they may have been breeders in the past)

As my mom, a breeder, says to me I should "stay out of it" but it seems as if that house is saying to me "please, please make me a non-breeder house like the FLW houses are." I still have some hope maybe the T children will turn it over to my sister and me, because she ends up solving their problems.


P.S. I have feeling Frank Lloyd Wright was not a kid architect. If you visit the Fallingwater house, kids under 12 are not allowed. Not only to preserve the house, but the place is ripe for PNA opportunities. "Oh, I looked away and he jumped into the creek to be swept away"

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freya

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yurble
I don't think she would have minded younger people with physical ailments, but the new tenants caused a lot of disruption, from increased noise to broken things in common areas to intimidation and physical assault. Of course when she took up a lifetime tenancy she had no idea it would change like that, and she was in no condition to move by that point. It was probably done out of a shortage of places for tards, because it's not as if there aren't waiting lists of elderly people who could have filled the building.

This smacks of elder abuse and seems like it should be illegal. Who in their right mind thinks it is acceptable to put mentally disabled people with the elderly? Would they put the mentally disabled with babies in the hospital? Hope that no one was hurt, it isn't as if the elderly can defend themselves as easily as able bodied of a younger age can. Many probably have some physical limitations or might be frail.

It was a case that a few people had been pushed (I don't know if it was temper or just pushing past people moving slowly), and the elderly had retreated from using the common areas because they didn't feel comfortable in them anymore. My grandmother was already in the situation where she didn't feel fit enough to leave the apartment without someone accompanying her, so it was mostly the noise that affected her. I don't think she was afraid personally but she was upset by how the tone of the building had changed.

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yurble

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freya

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yurble
I don't think she would have minded younger people with physical ailments, but the new tenants caused a lot of disruption, from increased noise to broken things in common areas to intimidation and physical assault. Of course when she took up a lifetime tenancy she had no idea it would change like that, and she was in no condition to move by that point. It was probably done out of a shortage of places for tards, because it's not as if there aren't waiting lists of elderly people who could have filled the building.

This smacks of elder abuse and seems like it should be illegal. Who in their right mind thinks it is acceptable to put mentally disabled people with the elderly? Would they put the mentally disabled with babies in the hospital? Hope that no one was hurt, it isn't as if the elderly can defend themselves as easily as able bodied of a younger age can. Many probably have some physical limitations or might be frail.

It was a case that a few people had been pushed (I don't know if it was temper or just pushing past people moving slowly), and the elderly had retreated from using the common areas because they didn't feel comfortable in them anymore. My grandmother was already in the situation where she didn't feel fit enough to leave the apartment without someone accompanying her, so it was mostly the noise that affected her. I don't think she was afraid personally but she was upset by how the tone of the building had changed.

She deserved to be upset. And elderly people being pushed is no good. Sorry she had to deal with this.

Another thing I notice about breeders: They often have extra energy guzzling refrigerators keeping something like a nut roll cold (and beer for the duhd). Mrs. T must have done a lot of freezing food as I found out they have 2 freezers and an extra refrigerator. Fortunately, the power is still on but since Mrs. T has been out of there almost a year I am sure the food has expired. Let's just hope it's still frozen, still going to be a mess to clean up. Classic breeder moms always spent a lot of time in front of the stove, cooking big meals for big families.