Take a hint from Texas, report says

The report, Different Places, Different Means: Why some countries build more than others, compares Switzerland, Germany, Britain and Texas.

The authors, Michael Bassett and Luke Malpass, say the British example could be a case of what not to do.

“The British have a nominally localised, but practically centralised, system of government that does not lend itself easily to housing reform. The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 envisaged a plan-led environment but, and this is crucial, where the public authorities provided many dwellings. As Britain’s welfare state eroded and private builders were expected to fill the gaps, the poor performance of the planning system has come into sharp focus.”

They said there was a “Britishness” about attitudes to new houses and developments that was also present in New Zealand. “People who own homes and live in picturesque British settlements or on the outskirts of settlements often fight tooth and claw to protect what they have at the expense of those who do not.”