Sunday 5 October 2008

The short-term future of suburban development

Above: ul. Zlota running east from Nowy Podolszyn becomes ul. Raszyńska running west from Zgorzała. To the left of the picture - Zamienie, and in the distance, the new housing estate that's getting closer to completion. The dusty track has been turned into a quagmire further down by all the construction plant moving on and off site.

Above: The western fringes of the same housing development. When will the fields to the left of the picture fill up with houses? It may take a while. As the credit crunch sweeps eastwards, Poland's banks are tightening their home loan lending criteria (tight enough as they were, thank you!). And developers (especially the smaller ones) will find it harder to find cash for new developments. Falling house prices will keep potential owners hanging on, waiting for a better deal. And traffic jams on all the major arteries into town will act as a disincentive to those contemplating a move to the outer suburbs. All in all, after a few years of hectic development around these parts, I predict a slowdown.

Above: The way I prefer it. Single house development, not estates, each one different. The above house, in Nowy Podolszyn, is a modern take on the classic Polish dwór (manor-house) style.

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