[lukasm]

I really don't understand why people are looking at the wrong problem the whole time. Housing is not a problem, transport is. Commuting from outside London costs more than 500 pounds. UK transport (trains, tube) got the worst price to quality ratio in the world. You can rent a whole house for 1000 outside London, but the cost of transport is equivalent to nice flat in London (plus painful commuting[1]). Many agencies won't let you a flat if you make less than 36k, but that's below average and way below median.

Any regulation or tax will we bypassed. Government should do the opposite, deregulate to reduce the cost of building new houses.

Startup idea: Cheap, sustainable and safe transport for London. Investors are reluctant to buy properties outside London, cause of poor liquidity, hence cheaper and faster transport would solve that problem. Elon! help!

[1] It's not only the time, but trains are so unreliable. 1mm of snow and everything stops. I can't image what would happen if there would be proper winter.

[eru]

You could also just build higher in London, instead of building more around it.

[neverminder]

I agree. I don't understand this reluctance to do so. I think it has a lot to do with good old british resistance to change and sticking blindly to some ridiculous traditions (2 taps in the sink I'm looking at you)

[lukasm]

Sure, but the problem is with tube. It already works on its limits and higher destiny would require better city transport.

[eru]

Higher residential density wouldn't add that much strain---the destinations (ie workplaces) still have the same density, it's just that commuters don't travel as far on the tube.

So you could make the system more intense, and less extense; concentrate the investments in tube upgrades on the centres.

[lmm]

It's impractical to produce new transport routes without government powers (e.g. compulsory purchase). And demand rapidly absorbs any new supply. e.g. Crossrail will bring new areas into commuting distance when it opens in 4 years - but house prices in those areas have already spiked up to match.

[d0]

Transport in London is cheap and easy. The problem is if you have to commute great distances. A shit bike can get you around most places and as someone who walked to and from work every day for a bit (10 mile round trip daily), it's actually pretty good.