i live in a small house but...

image: tiny house blog...Luke Tyler lives in an apartment (a completely misleading word) that is smaller than small; it is tiny. At 78 square feet, Luke has accomplished the seemingly impossible: proved you can live in a walk-in closet.

It may seem as if I go on a bit about downsizing but since I live in a 970 square feet single storey cottage with a husband, two large dogs and two cats, in my opinion, not enough can be said about living with the space we need rather than the space we'd like to think we need. After all, Bermuda is only 21 square miles...

Some years ago, I was involved with the project, Bermuda Homes for People, which sought to build 200 homes - half market, half subsidized - at the east end of the island. At the first community meeting to introduce the concept to the neighbourhood, it was interesting to be told that these houses - the smallest of which, if my memory serves, was 1200 square feet in floor area - were 'too small'. Of course, I was hearing this from people who were unlikely to be the potential homeowners. Needless to say, I received looks of astonishment when I explained the size of the cottage in which I live.

Now it seems to me, if you don't have a house, then 1200 square feet is probably a nice idea. More importantly, though, I have come to the conclusion that 'getting right' the community being built is far more important than the size of the home (except, maybe, if said home is totally lacking in storage space).

But back to Luke. Read his story and see the video in Grist who, in turn, got the story from the aptly named Tiny House Blog. I have to admire the man's ingenuity, not to mention the sheer determination to live in Manhattan. I'd love to spend more time in Manhattan too but, yes, I admit it, I'm not prepared to live in 78 square feet. Luke - more power to you, mate!

homes for the homeless

Yes, Edmonton, Alberta has oil but, still, surely there can be some inspiration in, and aspiration as a result of, this story of a ten-year plan to end homelessness. Bermuda doesn't seem to have a plan much less one with a ten year target.

Read this story from www.edmonton.ca: Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness Delivers Results 

If you think Bermuda doesn't have this problem, just view the trailer for Lucinda Spurling's film, Poverty in Paradise.

more on 'a licence to build' from down under

image: leanne pickettThe Minister for Planning in New South Wales, Brad Hazzard, has adopted a unique approach to encouraging the construction of new housing in this Australian state. His approach? Ask the landowners and developers where they want to build and, as long as it doesn't cost the state anything, he will ensure the selected land is rezoned accordingly.

The identified land may or may not be part of a local municipality's growth plan but that appears to be a pesky detail. Similarly, the existence (or not) of necessary infrastructure is for the developer to sort out.

The full story is here in The Sydney Morning Herald and comes to this blog via The Planning Boardroom.

And to think the UK went through all that trouble to draft, seek consultations on and then publish in final form the National Planning Policy Framework...