In an innovative twist, the latest version of the Cities: Skylines 2 video game has introduced an extreme solution to address the housing crisis: eliminating multiple ownership. This concept, proposed in a virtual environment controlled by artificial intelligence, offers a radical new perspective on the issue of access to housing, reflecting the real challenges of urbanization and real estate speculation.
AI as an answer to real estate speculation
In Cities: Skylines 2, players build and manage their own cities, facing real problems such as rising property prices due to high demand. As the virtual cities grew, the game's artificial intelligence detected thathome prices were skyrocketing, becoming unaffordable for many of the virtual citizens. As a solution, the AI implemented a drastic measure: prohibiting players from owning more than one property.
This decision not only eliminated the concept of renting, but forced virtual citizens topurchase a single home to live in. As a result, property prices dropped significantly, allowing more people to afford to buy a home.
A viable solution in the real world?
While this measure is extreme and clearly designed for the gaming environment, it opens a debate about the relationship between multiple ownership and real estate speculation. In many countries, the mass purchase of homes for rent has driven up prices, limiting access for those seeking a first home. Although the Cities: Skylines 2 solution is not directly applicable to reality, it serves to illustrate how ownership dynamics can influence housing affordability.
The latest version of Cities: Skylines 2 not only offers entertainment simulating urban management, but also invites reflection on how some of the most pressing issues affecting the global real estate market could be managed.
