Tag: housing

Chinese Housing Market: Trying to Figure it Out

Housing in China is a really hot market. Prices are skyrocketing. Yet there are some very curious trends. More farmland is being converted to tall apartment buildings, but when finished are hardly occupied. In fact at night there are few lights on, and few people live there. What is the point of all these empty apartment buildings? Meanwhile housing prices continue to rise, becoming more out of reach to the average Chinese family. Speculation abounds.

Scarce Parking Spots in China

Parking Costs in China's large cities is becoming prohibitive. And so it should. Too many cars in a city reduces the quality of life for everyone.

Parking Costs in China's large cities is becoming prohibitive. And so it should. Too many cars in a city reduces the quality of life for everyone.

Anyone who has recently visited China and Beijing knows that there are too many cars on the streets, thus clogging the free flow of traffic. Gone are the days of riding a bicycle. Public transit is the only way to get around, but buses are just as slow as cars. Beijing has started a lottery for potential new car buyers, which helps. The solution may lie in a scarcity of parking spaces. If you have no parking space you have no place to park your car.