The Victorian terrace: An endangered species again?

Victorian terraced houses have been in the news a lot over the past year. The government is convinced that demolishing them is the solution to the 'housing problem' which affects some areas in the North of England: low demand and consequently low prices. It is typical of our times that the programme is called the 'Housing Market Renewal Initiative', as Stefan Muthesius points out in his article, which considers the state of the Victorian terrace today. The 1960s might at least have preferred 'Housing Renewal'. It also goes by the name of 'Pathfinder', a meaningless moniker chosen to give a positive gloss.