Build now, pay (a lot) later: the hidden cost of car-centric development

Schemes such as Garden Towns require expensive off-site road infrastructure and a huge amount of on-site space for cars, says Martina Juvara. It’s time for cost effective alternatives that will help achieve net zero, she argues

Martina Juvara

05 October 2021

Marmalade Lane in Cambridge, where car space makes way for better houses and larger communal space. PIC: David Butler

This is a decade of innovation: big change is awaiting us as technology continues to evolve and the response to climate change starts to gather momentum. Yet most housebuilding companies shy away from trumpeting innovation. They clearly rise to meet challenging government targets, but they do not make their customers aware of the innovation they are providing; energy efficient appliances are often disguised as chandeliers or Victorian-looking A-rated stoves, in developments reassuringly named...