How Buildings Learn

In Chapter 6 - Unreal Estate, Stewart Brand scrutinizes sloppy urban planning,  planning laws that restrict rather than allow freedom to organically grow, and the strangle hold the real estate/mortgage market has on our culture.  He starts the chapter by criticizing our "Get Rich Quick" culture and how this phenomenon can negatively effect the structural integrity of a building as well as the life of a building.  He argues that every building leads three contradictory lives - as habitat, as property, and as a component of the surrounding community.  Furthermore, Brand examines the distinction between "use value" and "market value", which to me is a very interesting topic and one I've never considered.  "Market value" is trendy, more stylish and standard at that moment where as "Use Value" is more personal and adapts to a person's personal needs over time.  He asserts that "use value" promotes sustainability in a community and reduces financial burdens compared to "market value" on the opposite end of the spectrum.

In addition,  Brand rips the real estate market and its drivers on the adverse consequences it has on adaptability and sustainability as well as the double edged sword of zoning laws.  He analyzes how real-estate cycles cripple buildings by adapting to potential buyers that may or may not exist and as a result have a strong tendency to head toward demolition. It seems as if we have allowed markets and this skewed version of the "American Dream" to distort reality.  Instead of building communities with a clear vision we build, build, build based off of market trends and we end up with empty buildings and communities without distinctive character.  The issues he brings to light from 30 years ago are eerily similar to what is going on now.  Do we ever learn from our past?