A different housing crisis

The average life of a residential building is about 30 years, according to a vice-minister of construction. It's a horrible problem if it's true but the figure also opens up a wider discussion about the appalling reality of the construction and demolition of buildings today.

The vice-minister fails to mention that some buildings are being torn down in less than 10 years to make room for new ones. There have also been reports that newly constructed buildings are collapsing due to their shoddy quality.

The demolition of buildings for the sake of making room for new ones is causing a massive waste of resources and producing huge heaps of construction material waste.