by Joan Huston

Created on: August 19, 2009

It is an undeniable fact that the average house size in the United States has been growing exponentially since the 1950's. The typical newly constructed single family home in America is more than double the size of houses constructed fifty years ago. According to National Public Radio, the average house built in 1950 was only 983 square feet. Fast forward to 2004 and you will see an average square footage of 2,349. The trend for everyone to own personal "palaces" has resulted in modern homes that are entirely too large. Larger houses have a negative effect on land use, the environment, and the sense of community that is so vital to neighborhoods and families.

As houses become bigger, the amount of land needed to build upon also grows. Large lot development devours land at a voracious pace as subdivided parcels have grown from a quarter of an acre to up to five acres per lot. This type of sprawling development must occur on the outside of established communities, often on what was once farmland. These exurb developments place financial strain on local utilities, services, and schools as they try to adapt to the sudden boom in population and families expecting services. Traditional land development patterns are cast aside as rural swiftly becomes suburban too quickly for amenities to catch up. The result is an uneven land use pattern that segregates an entire portion of the community away from employment, entertainment, and services.

The environment has also suffered as a result of the American desire to build bigger. As mentioned above, larger houses call for larger lots to surround oneself with a manicured grass lawn. As the footprint of the house increases, so does the eco footprint. The land use pattern encouraged by bigger homes creates developments that require residents to be dependent on their automobile to get to places where they work and recreate. Larger houses require more natural resources for heating and cooling because of the sheer amount of space that must be altered by a climate control system. Modern houses are full of wasted space in the form of cathedral ceilings and unnecessary rooms that only function to suck up heating and cooling efforts. The materials necessary to build houses, e.g. siding and asphalt shingles, are usually toxic and are rarely biodegradable.

As people are sequestering themselves in their one personal fortress, they are blocking out the rest of the world. This idea in itself is not necessarily a bad thing; however, people have stopped being active participants in their own communities. In order to build a dream home, people move out of towns and away from community groups. Many developments require a substantial car ride for a resident to be able to attend fund raisers, local government meetings, and other events vital to identifying with one's community. Bigger houses also allow family members to avoid each other since they all retreat to their own corner to lead a solitary lifestyle. Families are no longer forced to interact with each other when children don't share rooms or bathrooms and everyone has their own television.

At 2,349 square feet for the average family of three to four people, houses have become too large. This irresponsible development of status symbols has a lasting effect on responsible land use, the environment, and the sense of community as we know it. No one is advocating that we as a culture go back to the small houses of the 1950's, but a little restraint and common sense needs to be injected into the development trends of our day and age.

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