Well. Taiwan has very strict land usage that must be efficiently used. North American style suburbs infringe on much needed farmland that could be used for the food supply. North American suburbs are a strain on the energy grid as high rise flats are more efficient. North American suburbs also put an ungodly amount of fresh water onto an utterly useless crop, grass. Grass is useless and is aesthestic only. Taiwan is a country that relies on rainwater for its needs and watering grass is frivolous at best. Itâs wasteful.
Infrastructure costs are higher for low density neighbourhoods. More road upkeep. More roads. More wires. Higher Internet expenses to wire up such neighbourhoods.
Suburban neighbourhoods contribute to major congestion. Taipei is a breeze compared to Toronto, despite similar core and metro populations. Suburbia REQUIRES a car and is not walkable. More cars cause more congestion and more collisions. Cars also require parking, which means MORE land for food is infringed upon. The increase in cars also increase pollution which hurts everyoneâs health. Low density neighbourhoods make transit expensive to run or underserviced.
North American suburbia hurts small businesses as less customers are able to be served. People canât walk or access your business easily and then you end up with Best Buys over Chenâs Computer Shop. And you know Mr Chenâs givin out the deals. Big Box stores increase prices.
Suburbia fosters division in several ways. Less interaction with the people around you creates a sense of paranoia. Since Suburbia is hard to get around for those who donât drive, especially children, (Some) bored children turn to deliquency or unhealthy habits like sedentary video games as there isnât enough freedom to go out for entertainment. When the city centre is an inaccessible 20 km away, youâre going to be bored.
Wooden suburban houses can catch fire and can burn down to the ground. High rises come with fireproofing, concrete and water pumps and a whole host of safety features not found in single-family homes. In a concrete and steel structure, a burned out unit can be cleaned and restored. (This one I have experience with)