Who can afford to live in Taipei?
Taipei was once a place where young adults chased their dreams. But today, Taipei has an older population, and 25 years of urban renewal initiatives have led to spiraling housing prices and an outflow of people. What can be done to revitalize the city?
What is hampering redevelopment of the Xinwei Building with its 500 tiny flats?
Sitting in the middle of Taipei’s affluent Da’an District next to an MRT Station is the run-down Xinwei Building. The old apartment complex is infamous for its tiny flats reminiscent of Hong Kong’s notorious “cage homes”. The government had the building constructed in 1970 to relocate families whose dwellings had been demolished to make way for broader roads. Back then, the building was a dream home for many. Today skyrocketing real estate prices and concerns surrounding urban renewal plans make one wonder whose dreams have come true after all.