Re-thinking the checklist

The Winnipeg Free Press announces a new infill project “check off all the boxes.” The new 50-plus apartment community is at least well within city limits. 

But there are a lot of things missing from that checklist. New builds of today must feature more than nice looks. 

Any multi-unit residential building whose list of features does not include the following most certainly cannot be said to “check off all the boxes.”

• secure, indoor bike parking with fixit stand and wash station
• proximity to public transit stops
• compost disposal (whether take-away service on onsite facilities)
• heating/cooling via heat pump, geothermal, solar, wind, or some kind of renewal energy
• high insulation value

Human beings tend to chose the path of least resistance. It’s high time developers build housing that makes environmentally friendly living the natural choice, not an uphill struggle.