Punishing Properties: Why building big houses on plots of land meant for smaller ones ruins the appeal of the neighborhood

Another detour? Driving through Prairie Village, I’m now used to seeing dump trucks and construction cones blocking the roads and hearing the construction sounds throughout the surrounding area. During high traffic hours, I’ve had to swerve to avoid more than one truck — making the drive twice as long.

Renovations can benefit communities by allowing older houses to be updated and more people to populate the area. But when building companies squeeze large homes into small plots of land, tearing down trees and clogging streets, it can easily ruin the appeal of modernizing homes and allowing change. Preserving homes maintains the traditional charm of historic neighborhoods.

In recent years, houses have more demand which increases the amount of houses being built in the Prairie Village area compared to previous years, according to East parent and Principal of SFS Architecture Dana Gould. 

As a result, neighborhoods that used to have an early-to-mid 1900’s classic look are now filled with brand-new modern-based houses in spaces between houses that have little similarities, causing these houses to stand out when viewing the neighborhoods. 

While some renovations and rebuilds can be beneficial as they bring change to neighborhoods, they are more challenging to the Prairie Village community as they take away many of the captivating qualities of the houses.

The Prairie Village area is a great location to live in for its history and attractive house designs which is why so many seek it out. Many inhabitants have lived in the same area for years without renovating, giving these neighborhoods an older, more classic look since they were built over twenty years ago. 

While many of these houses are still in great condition, many buyers seek the modern flair when looking for their next home, leading them to demolish old homes and build new ones on land meant for a smaller home. The construction debris harms the environment, and the new homes ruin the overall attractiveness the older houses used to have. 

Building homes on land meant for smaller houses affects the allure these communities usually have — from an open yard space to the privacy gained from having greenery between neighboring homes.

It also harms the wildlife. The Natural History Museum explains how Green Spaces help to better the effects of pollution and how the “Urban heat Island effect” is when heat gets trapped in built-up areas. Explaining why when heat gets trapped in areas with less greenery, it will worsen the pollution in that area.

A considerable amount of landfill waste comes from construction sites, according to the World Green Building Council. They disclosed that around 32% of landfill waste transpires from construction sites and 13% of materials that are delivered for construction sites end up in landfills without ever being used. 

Even if you don’t mind small yards, it can be irritating to neighbors to spend months listening to the new home’s construction. Residents of tighter street areas like culs-de-sac experience increased traffic and struggle leaving and entering their driveways.

Sophomore Helen Jones is tired of her neighbor’s ongoing 5-month construction project. In fact, her brother’s car got trapped in the driveway, causing other issues on top of the constant sound of hammers putting nails down.

Building big houses on plots of land meant for smaller ones ruins the appeal of both the neighborhoods and city of Prairie Village, causing these changes to be more detrimental than positive to the surrounding community. Instead of tearing old homes down and sticking shiny grey castles in their place, our community should preserve the charm that comes with older Prairie Village homes.