General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do we have to "Work so Hard" to make a living? [View all]Kellerfeller
(397 posts)Definitely in the reliability of the cars. I forgot to add that as an enabler for keeping the cars longer, driving up the average age.
I disagree on the some of the points about housing. Originally in America, there was a lot of land and much of the housing was spread out and rural. Buildings began growing vertically, allowing city concentration to grow. And yes, mobility did allow the suburbs to grow.
But if you look at 70-80 year old farmhouses, they were generally pretty small with smaller rooms. The land available was not the issue.
House size began growing as people began demanding larger houses and more room. Many of the older suburbs have very small houses. In the suburbs of Cincinnati I grew up in, most of the 4 bedroom houses were 1200-1400 sq ft. That is unheard of for a new build.