The whale’s share of the price increase comes from the value of the berth, not the ship. But in this gentrification debate, the cost of new berths is less important than the architecture of the ship — and whether they ever served as actual commercial ships. Once populated by converted working boats, the canal now holds an increasing number of floating houses designed to look like oceangoing vessels but with hardly any of the working features of a real boat. For one, the new houses can be much better insulated than the chilly metal-hulled boats that used to line the canals. New construction also allows for a more efficient use of space and more sustainable use of energy.

Source: New York Times November 05, 2019 02:03 UTC