Current building culture and energy-saving ordinance-compliant new development areas

At our former place of residence, there is a so-called railway workers' settlement, planned and built in the 1920s-30s by a well-known architect. Today, everything is a listed building. The plots are also very small. Nevertheless, it is now a wonderfully beautiful settlement with pretty little houses and lots of greenery. Several houses always follow a common architecture with beautiful details. Apparently, this is no longer how things are built today... everyone absolutely wants to express themselves... in my opinion, at the expense of the cityscape.

planned and built in the 1920s-30s by a well-known architect.

Apparently, that’s no longer how things are built today...

I don’t know how it was back then. Today, it seems either a developer builds a housing estate, or each builder builds for themselves (possibly according to a development plan). The developer is interested in profit, not urban development. The builder has no clue, no money, and "logistically" no possibility for the large, coordinated (with other builders) design. That leaves the development plan. Here, a municipality is needed with courage, competence, and the will not to give in to all supposed constraints. In the end, the actually existing new development areas come out of this.

As already said... I’m curious to see how it looks in 20 years, when one or another tree has had a chance to grow a bit.

The development plan remains. What is needed here is a municipality with courage and competence and the will not to submit to all supposed constraints.

Unfortunately, the amateur politicians in the municipal councils either have the aesthetic ideal of "everything looks the same" or consider themselves progressive and then plan a Tuscany quarter. The fact that "villa" and a plot size of 300 sqm contradict each other does not bother them.

The problem is the overly dense development due to plots that are too small and too high plot ratio and/or floor area ratio. On the other hand, without a plot ratio of 0.4 and two floors, I can forget about the usability of 400 sqm. .....

Although it looks terrible, one must not forget that in such new development areas the planting is still missing. With larger trees and bushes in 10 years it will be somewhat better.

Unfortunately, on these small plots just a hedge of 1.80 fits... most people don't really want proper nice bushes or even trees anymore - except for the two spherical acacias symmetrically placed left and right by the front door. Many here in the forum also talk about a garden layout and mean fence and lawn.

I can even half understand it. A garden costs. And with the small plots people prefer to see every sqm as space before "restricting" themselves with plants. I myself don't see it that way, that plants restrict, but for many that's the case. The size of the lawn area counts.

Yes, I also lament the tendency towards sterility in landscape gardening. These pebble stone gardens with little boxwood shrubs, these sealed monster driveways, hardly anyone plants a tree, I mean a real one, a beech or something, flower gardens, herb corners, or even three rows of strawberries, that seems to be completely out of fashion.