> The solution is to build more, and the success of Vienna does not come from public intervention but from the added supply. Tokyo is another city with famously cheap housing, and the secret is that they make it easy to build.
The other two secrets are tiny apartments (200-400 sqft), and an incredibly reliable public transportation system. Tokyo has a massive sprawl -- people can and do live far from their work. The average one-way commute time in the Tokyo metro area is almost an hour.
400sqft is about 37m2
That’s pretty much the smallest apartment you’ll find in Vienna, and only for individuals living alone. But yes they are smaller than houses but mostly bigger than Manhattan family apartments :)
Every family I know lives in about 80m2 to 120m2 and pays around 1000-2000 euros/month rent. Depending heavily on location and quality of course.
The other two secrets are tiny apartments (200-400 sqft), and an incredibly reliable public transportation system. Tokyo has a massive sprawl -- people can and do live far from their work. The average one-way commute time in the Tokyo metro area is almost an hour.