Western Springs Poll: Is a Tear-Down a Tragedy?

( results: of 1 respondent, 100 percent [1] said he/she likes to picnic in a forest preserve besides Bemis Woods or Salt Creek. No votes for any other options were recorded.)

One of the frequent back-and-forths that I've noticed and read with great interest on this site is the issue of modern architecture (supposedly) encroaching upon the historical character of a Western Springs neighborhood.

Currently, the character of Village architecture might best be described as multifarious, mosaic. Despite residential lots being near-identical rectangular cuts, it's not uncommon to see towering five-bath traditionals alongside two-bedroom ranches or Cape Cod homes, houses worth about $1.5 million next to ones costing a fifth of that. Levittown we are not; you'll find all sorts here!

But, obviously, it's not those big houses that are getting torn down to build new little ones, and herein lies the debate: a little old bungalow from, say, the '20s, gets torn down to put up someone's million-dollar three-story dream house... are we gaining or losing more by this exchange? How about when it slowly happens en masse? What's won, and what is given up?

And if you do think it's unfortunate, is it because you think the old houses were cute or classy, or because the new one looks ugly? And what, if anything, could be done about it? After all, new homes are only built because people like living in new homes... !

Please weigh in below in this week's poll, and again in the comments! We love the debate and discussion that these issues spur!