4 ms·

The US has very little truly mid-density mixed use space. We are not talking about housing projects. Here's Valparaiso Chile[1]. There are very few places in th

by themgt 11y ago

The US has very little truly mid-density mixed use space. We are not talking about housing projects. Here's Valparaiso Chile[1]. There are very few places in the US with that medium level of density (parts of Boston and SF definitely qualify), and they are almost universally very expensive. https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2014/03/26/22/21/valparaiso-299087_960_720.jpg https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2014/03/26/22/21/va...

ktRolster 11y ago
That looks like a place that has all the negatives of the city (small, cramped apartment living spaces) combined with the negatives of the suburbs (too far away from things)
- themgt 11y ago
  Not at all. Standard living arrangement was e.g. some friends who rented a 3 bedroom, maybe 1000 sq ft house for $500/month (total, plus maybe $40/m for utilities). It was under a minute walk from two little markets with fresh produce, meat, cheese and beer. A few minutes walk to multiple bars, take-out food, larger markets and restaurants. Health care is also far cheaper / fewer barriers to access. So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That is simply impossible basically anywhere in the United States.
  - wcummings 11y ago
    >So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That is simply impossible basically anywhere in the United States. I want to live in this magical under-employed paradise
    - bernawil 11y ago
      Comments like those really reinforce to me the notion that Americans really do have it easy. A Chilean from a subpar city like Valparaiso could make maybe like 4$/hr, with similar hollidays as in the US. Would never be able to pay 500$ a month for rent. Also Valparaiso is a "touristic" city, or more accurately used to be one, so not many lucrative carreers to be had -I imagine that the second something pops out there all prices would go up, too. The reason it's medium denisty it's more likely because of the sismic activity in the area.
  - tzs 11y ago
    > So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That's about 1.4 times the median household income in Chile. You can have a pretty good middle class life in the US at 1.4 times the median household income too.
michaelbuddy 11y ago
What?? You can't possibly believe that the us has little mid mix density. Its all over cities. You're just trying to claim that some scheme would work awesome if only we allowed it. Come off it.

by themgt 11y ago

ktRolster 11y ago

That looks like a place that has all the negatives of the city (small, cramped apartment living spaces) combined with the negatives of the suburbs (too far away from things)

themgt 11y ago
Not at all. Standard living arrangement was e.g. some friends who rented a 3 bedroom, maybe 1000 sq ft house for $500/month (total, plus maybe $40/m for utilities). It was under a minute walk from two little markets with fresh produce, meat, cheese and beer. A few minutes walk to multiple bars, take-out food, larger markets and restaurants. Health care is also far cheaper / fewer barriers to access. So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That is simply impossible basically anywhere in the United States.
- wcummings 11y ago
  >So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That is simply impossible basically anywhere in the United States. I want to live in this magical under-employed paradise
  - bernawil 11y ago
    Comments like those really reinforce to me the notion that Americans really do have it easy. A Chilean from a subpar city like Valparaiso could make maybe like 4$/hr, with similar hollidays as in the US. Would never be able to pay 500$ a month for rent. Also Valparaiso is a "touristic" city, or more accurately used to be one, so not many lucrative carreers to be had -I imagine that the second something pops out there all prices would go up, too. The reason it's medium denisty it's more likely because of the sismic activity in the area.
- tzs 11y ago
  > So suddenly someone making $8/hr, 30hr a week can live a quite good quality, car-free middle-class life. That's about 1.4 times the median household income in Chile. You can have a pretty good middle class life in the US at 1.4 times the median household income too.

michaelbuddy 11y ago

What?? You can't possibly believe that the us has little mid mix density. Its all over cities. You're just trying to claim that some scheme would work awesome if only we allowed it. Come off it.