3 ms·
As an “urbanist”, the kind of “dense urban construction” I would like to see is (some proportion of the) suburbs currently full of single family detached homes
by jacobolus 8y ago
As an “urbanist”, the kind of “dense urban construction” I would like to see is (some proportion of the) suburbs currently full of single family detached homes on large lots replaced by 3–6 story timber-framed apartment buildings / condos near transit and zoned to allow ground-floor retail. Ideally with narrower roads, fewer parking lots, more public green space, and more land outside of cities left as forest.
Many of the densest neighborhoods in the world have no buildings taller than 5 or 6 stories.
But I would be surprised if a 40-story apartment building and the infrastructure to service it required more concrete than housing the same number of people in a low-density suburb. Consider all of the sidewalks, sewers, parking lots, concrete foundations, elevated highways, bridges, .... involved in building and servicing a low-density car-commuter neighborhood.
- abalone 8y agoThe “one plus five” buildings you’re talking about typically have concrete first floors.[1] You make good points about sidewalks etc. but at the same time that stuff needs to be built bigger and stronger and renewed more in dense urban areas. All I’m arguing for is let’s run the numbers. Don’t just assume city living is more ecological because it’s denser. [1] http://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-one-plus-five-is-shaping-american_27.html http://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-one-plus-f...
- Kalium 8y agoThe technology now exists to construct buildings in excess of 80 meters entirely out of wood. With that in mind, it's now possible to construct dense urban areas without relying on carbon-emitting concrete or steel going into the structure. Only wood, which is a carbon sink and can be sourced sustainably. Given that this is fairly well-known - and that the impact of concrete on the environment well-studied - what is it that leads you to think that the numbers have not in fact been run?
- abalone 8y agoI would not say any of that is fairly well known. Nor that it’s clear whether you’re claiming the general consensus urbanist vision is all wood, or that it’s concrete but the emissions are ok because they’ve been “well-studied”.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]