# Which is the most important when it comes to new housing?

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2022-07-14

architecture, art-and-beauty, design, environment, housing, housing-affordability, sustainability

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If you can't see the Twitter poll below, [click here](https://twitter.com/donnelly_b/status/1547268634661322754?s=20&t=p6Tvuq9hsn_CUmQ0kO6KaQ):

https://twitter.com/donnelly\_b/status/1547268634661322754?s=20&t=p6Tvuq9hsn\_CUmQ0kO6KaQ

At the time of writing this post, affordability was number one, followed by design and beauty, and then sustainability.

Some of you were right to point out that these options are not always mutually exclusive. Affordability and sustainability, for instance, can be mutually reinforcing.

Building in walkable and transit-rich neighborhoods where parking is not needed is both good for overall affordability (parking is usually a loss leader) and better for the environment.

But in other cases, sustainability costs more. Triple-glazed windows might perform better than conventional double-glazed, but they're also more expensive.

Now, as a general rule, I believe in working hard to find the mutually reinforcing opportunities. How can we check all of the boxes and not have to compromise?

But sometimes there's no other option. So it is interesting to see how people answer the above question. Not surprisingly, affordability is top of mind.

Which would you pick?

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/which-is-the-most-important-when-it-comes-to-new-housing)*