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It is a mistake to assume that because cities were the most efficient way to organize people in the past, they will continue to be so in the future. Given the

It is a mistake to assume that because cities were the most efficient way to organize people in the past, they will continue to be so in the future. Given the trend towards remote work, socialization and shopping, there is a lot less of a need for density. Instead of asking "how can we make the city of the future" we should instead be asking "how can we create a habitats for humans that promote happiness, health, harmony, and do so in a way that is economically and ecologically sustainable." I believe that people are happier when they have a sense of connection and belonging in their community. Cities discourage this. I believe people are happier in environments that feel more natural and alive. Cities discourage this too. I believe people are happier when they have a sense of personal space and privacy. Another mark against cities. Cities make efficient use of space, density lets you produce buildings cheaply in terms of living units/dollar, and they are more efficient in terms of distributing goods and services. I believe that alternative building techniques can mitigate much of the cost of reduced density. I also believe that by integrating permaculture based agriculture into the landscape design you can mitigate some of the efficiency losses in terms of distributing the most important good - food. You could further reduce the distributional inefficiency using a system of neighborhood based co-ops - I'm sure people would adapt to quite easily to the reduced selection of snacks and processed food.

TillE 10y ago
> environments I live about three minutes away from a large park near the center of a large city. It's a great place to walk around. When I lived in American suburbia, it was nothing but houses unless you drove a few miles down a main road.
- zardo 10y ago
  This commentor is definitely not proposing traditional suburbs. Integrated permaculture would mean living in an edible garden for one. I agree that we need more local control of food, the American diet is killing and sickening more people than tobacco ever did. The incentive is to hack our brains with foods that activate reward centers, rather than helping people to live healthy lives through nutritious food.
Jemmeh 10y ago
All of these issues with cities can be addressed. In many cities they aren't being addressed currently...but they can be. Natural/alive areas -- parks, and greenery on sidewalks. Space and privacy-- better materials can be used to filter out more sound, which is the usual big complaint. Community-- Intentionally building public spaces where people are likely to convene and meet, hold events, and even shop is good for both business and allowing people to get to know each other.
stank345 10y ago
> I believe that people are happier when they have a sense of connection and belonging in their community. Cities discourage this. > I believe people are happier in environments that feel more natural and alive. Cities discourage this too. > I believe people are happier when they have a sense of personal space and privacy. Another mark against cities. I strongly disagree. I grew up in a rural area with the nearest neighbor a quarter mile away and there was just no one around. There was no community to speak of (at least that I felt). I felt very disconnected as a teenager and was basically trapped until I turned 16 and got my driver's license. I now live in a major, walkable city and much prefer it. There are universities, the arts, amazing restaurants, and all of it is accessible via subway/bus/train (we don't have a car, just use the occasional ZipCar when we need it). For green spaces, we live next to a park. We live on a side street that is very quiet, so no noise pollution issues. Our neighborhood is very residential but is close (a few blocks away) to night life. I really can't imagine a better setup.

TillE 10y ago

> environments I live about three minutes away from a large park near the center of a large city. It's a great place to walk around. When I lived in American suburbia, it was nothing but houses unless you drove a few miles down a main road.

zardo 10y ago
This commentor is definitely not proposing traditional suburbs. Integrated permaculture would mean living in an edible garden for one. I agree that we need more local control of food, the American diet is killing and sickening more people than tobacco ever did. The incentive is to hack our brains with foods that activate reward centers, rather than helping people to live healthy lives through nutritious food.

Jemmeh 10y ago

All of these issues with cities can be addressed. In many cities they aren't being addressed currently...but they can be. Natural/alive areas -- parks, and greenery on sidewalks. Space and privacy-- better materials can be used to filter out more sound, which is the usual big complaint. Community-- Intentionally building public spaces where people are likely to convene and meet, hold events, and even shop is good for both business and allowing people to get to know each other.

stank345 10y ago

> I believe that people are happier when they have a sense of connection and belonging in their community. Cities discourage this. > I believe people are happier in environments that feel more natural and alive. Cities discourage this too. > I believe people are happier when they have a sense of personal space and privacy. Another mark against cities. I strongly disagree. I grew up in a rural area with the nearest neighbor a quarter mile away and there was just no one around. There was no community to speak of (at least that I felt). I felt very disconnected as a teenager and was basically trapped until I turned 16 and got my driver's license. I now live in a major, walkable city and much prefer it. There are universities, the arts, amazing restaurants, and all of it is accessible via subway/bus/train (we don't have a car, just use the occasional ZipCar when we need it). For green spaces, we live next to a park. We live on a side street that is very quiet, so no noise pollution issues. Our neighborhood is very residential but is close (a few blocks away) to night life. I really can't imagine a better setup.