could we sell off Clapham Junction's air rights?

[miklcct]

Why should ugly decks only be built over stations, if air space is the thing and aesthetics clearly count for nothing, to developers? Why not build rafts over the main lines eg to Woking? There has been a small one at Wimbledon for years. Why not over roads? Motorways are a waste of valuable retail or housing space after all. There is one at Hatfield over the A1(M). If aesthetics count for nothing. just build rafts over peoples houses, which is just more wasted air space. An amazing lack of ethics, integrity and quality of life considerations. Moral bankruptcy at its best. Of course property developers don't even know what that type of bankruptcy means, being the moral and ethical vacuum that they are.

Houses should be bought by developers to be re-developed for high rise buildings.
Shopping mall design nowadays can have a reserved space for a motorway to pass through it.
Urban railways should be converted to underground railways if possible.

 

[Bald Rick]

Well 20,000 flats at ~150 square metres each is about 3 million square metres

That would be big flats!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Houses should be bought by developers to be re-developed for high rise buildings.

Shopping mall design nowadays can have a reserved space for a motorway to pass through it.
Urban railways should be converted to underground railways if possible.

One day you will understand that the UK isn't Asia and that things that work there won't necessarily work here.

 

[HSTEd]

One day you will understand that the UK isn't Asia and that things that work there won't necessarily work here.

Well I can certainly get behind burying railways and roads if possible.

But mainly to remove such infrastructural impacts from the landscape.

 

[Irascible]

Well I can certainly get behind burying railways and roads if possible.

But mainly to remove such infrastructural impacts from the landscape.

Bury towns too then - unspoiled, um, farmland to gaze over when you leave your dwelling every day.

Can be quite hard to notice railways & less major roads if you're not looking for them ( at least if the area has a lot of hedges ). Motorways not so much.

 

[paul1609]

One heck of a lot of people don't actually find this an issue, or are happy to live with it.

A lot of these things are better tried in store, including clothes and shoes, or inspected in store, like plants.

I don't want to risk buying shoes which do not fit on my feet, have the wrong shape or bottom thickness, etc., and risk 2 weeks of round trip time and return postage to return and rebuy another pair.

I needed a new pair of walking boots so travelled on a 25 mile bus and rail trip to the nearest branch of a major retailer in Canterbury. It was a repeat purchase so more or less definate. The stock the shop held of any walking boots in my size was pathetic but never mind they could guarantee next day delivery to my home of practically anything. After a day wasted came back home and bought boots on line for next day delivery, haven't been to Canterbury since.

 

[option]

In terms of building a deck, it's a lot easier if the site is mainly storage, as at Hudson Yards in New York

Construction at Hudson Yards

Giant cranes and boring machines work in tight quarters with the Long Island Rail Road’s 24/7 operations at the LIRR west side storage yard to construct the platform that will support the office towers, apartments and shopping center of a new neighborhood being constructed by the Related...

www.flickr.com

Of course, that project also made sense as it was infill in Midtown Manhattan.

 

[Bald Rick]

In terms of building a deck, it's a lot easier if the site is mainly storage, as at Hudson Yards in New York

Construction at Hudson Yards

Giant cranes and boring machines work in tight quarters with the Long Island Rail Road’s 24/7 operations at the LIRR west side storage yard to construct the platform that will support the office towers, apartments and shopping center of a new neighborhood being constructed by the Related...

www.flickr.com

Of course, that project also made sense as it was infill in Midtown Manhattan.

And, relevant to this thread, the most expensive ‘real estate’ development in North America - ever. A development at Clapham would be half as large again.

 

[The Ham]

That would be big flats!

Indeed, my 3 bed house is about 90m2, and whilst that's towards the smaller end for that type of property (no ensuite, no downstairs loo, stairs in the lounge) 150m2 of property would be worth a whole lot more than £500,000 (it would almost certainly be more than that at Woking, maybe more even in Basingstoke, let alone Clapham Junction).

 

[nw1]

One heck of a lot of people don't actually find this an issue, or are happy to live with it.

The other issue is : do people really want to be stuck in bubbles in their homes, long after Covid has peaked? Many people appreciate socialising, and many people appreciate a change of scene rather than stuck looking at the same four walls 24/7 - haven''t we had enough of that in the past 18 months?

I suspect once Covid is no longer a significant risk there will be a big movement to return to normal life. Isolation causes mental health issues, and if there is no longer a good reason for isolation, will people tolerate it? Quite apart from the huge job losses, and all that entails, from downsizing retail and office working.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The rise of 'Buy Now Pay Later' services makes this inconvenience almost totally go away too.

And credit cards which are nothing new.

The other issue is : do people really want to be stuck in bubbles in their homes, long after Covid has peaked? Many people appreciate socialising, and many people appreciate a change of scene rather than stuck looking at the same four walls 24/7 - haven''t we had enough of that in the past 18 months?

I suspect once Covid is no longer a significant risk there will be a big movement to return to normal life. Isolation causes mental health issues, and if there is no longer a good reason for isolation, will people tolerate it?

Yes, I want to socialise with people. I hate shopping, however, so I won't be doing any of that!

 

[camflyer]

Why should ugly decks only be built over stations, if air space is the thing and aesthetics clearly count for nothing, to developers? Why not build rafts over the main lines eg to Woking? There has been a small one at Wimbledon for years. Why not over roads? Motorways are a waste of valuable retail or housing space after all. There is one at Hatfield over the A1(M). If aesthetics count for nothing. just build rafts over peoples houses, which is just more wasted air space. An amazing lack of ethics, integrity and quality of life considerations. Moral bankruptcy at its best. Of course property developers don't even know what that type of bankruptcy means, being the moral and ethical vacuum that they are.

Air rights is one of the main reasons why the Hong Kong MTR actually makes a profit.

 

[Ken H]

The other issue is : do people really want to be stuck in bubbles in their homes, long after Covid has peaked? Many people appreciate socialising, and many people appreciate a change of scene rather than stuck looking at the same four walls 24/7 - haven''t we had enough of that in the past 18 months?

I suspect once Covid is no longer a significant risk there will be a big movement to return to normal life. Isolation causes mental health issues, and if there is no longer a good reason for isolation, will people tolerate it? Quite apart from the huge job losses, and all that entails, from downsizing retail and office working.

they dont want to pay ££££ a year to be stuck in a sardine can 2 hours a day either. For many jobs, commuting is just a waste.