i mean, i just find it hilarious that TOD has become this buzzword that by default connotates high rent/small space. i understand new construction will always command higher prices, but where is it written the spaces need to be the size of shoeboxes? is anyone even stopping to ask what it is theyre being sold? and how has seemingly everyone forgotten in this debate virtually any existing building in Edgewater is TOD by virtue of the fact that the entire neighborhood is well served by transit and most buildings dont have much parking? my 1920s era 12 flat is about as TOD as they come...the red line goes straight through the alley. but i guess it dosent have stainless appliances, subway tile backsplash, edison bulbs strung outside, or a doorman so its not "hip"
speaking of aesthetics and the homogenization of tastes, this was a pretty good article. i susect a lot of this plays into why people are willing to pay more for a packaged lifestyle that arrives pre-assembled. they see the reclaimed wood, the fixie in the lobby, the hanging terrarium, and the other touchpoints that signal cultural capital and say to themselves "yes, this is where i belong"
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/3/123...gentrification