Local grieves loss of neighborhood charm after developers push out homeowners: 'Sad that this is the American way now'

A post on the subreddit r/McMansionHell discussed disappointing updates to a residential area outside of Detroit.

"Traditional family homes are being demolished to make way for huge McMansions and Strip Malls in Suburban Detroit, highlighted by their wasteful driveways and gaudy designs," wrote the original poster.

The post prompted outrage, with many taking to the comment section to remember the community that used to be ahead of its redevelopment.

"Such a bummer," wrote one commenter. "Dearborn has great 1950s ranches and bungalows. Lots of personality to a lot of them. I know people want more space but, those houses were already pretty spacious."

Dearborn was known for its traditional and unique homes characterized by 1950s and '60s architecture. Now, the area is welcoming McMansion-style homes to fill the land, which are ostentatious, cheaply built, suck up excessive amounts of energy, and leave little room for nature.

These homes tend to use significantly more energy than average homes because of their huge size, poor insulation, and large window areas. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors explained that the average American home "swelled from 983 square feet in 1950 to 1,500 square feet in 1970 and to 2,349 square feet in 2004."

The supersizing of the American home is attributed to "the expanding size of American cars, meals, televisions and waistlines."

Mongabay further reported on McMansions, highlighting a study that found "wealthy Americans living in spacious houses in upscale neighborhoods are responsible for 25% more emissions on average."

It seems that environmentalists everywhere are dejected by the demolition of old homes in place of new McMansion-style properties. Voicing concern over this trend within communities is a vital way to show support for environmentally friendly alternatives, such as tiny homes or even refurbishing old homes to stand the test of time.

"All those trees gone from the previous lots," lamented one commenter.

What would it take to sell your car and start riding a bike? Shorter commute to work 🚴 More bike-friendly roads 🚵 I'll never leave my car 🚗 I already live the bike life 🚲 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Another said that they were "sad that this is the American way now."

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