Builders Aren't To Blame?

“But builders aren’t entirely to blame for this scenario. Antiquated zoning laws (and planning boards that uphold them) also play a part. When builders find themselves handcuffed to standard lot sizes, minimum square footage requirements, and high land costs, the tradeoff is often building to a lower specification to arrive at a pro forma that pencils. The solution ends up being a lumbering stock plan with a brick front, vinyl siding, and little to no side yard.” – Jenny Sullivan in “Is The McMansion Dead?” Builder Magazine - November 2009.

The title of the article caught my eye. “I sure hope so” was my immediate response. Obviously there’s much more to the article than this single paragraph. But it seems to me that this is an excellent example of where we’ve gone wrong. If more of us paid attention to the Triple Bottom Line instead of just the Bottom Line, we wouldn’t have to suffer through statements like this one. Just do the right thing.