5 ms·

That's essentially the concept of many cities in Europe. I live in Berlin for example and I have almost everything I need within 10 minutes of walking or 5 minu

That's essentially the concept of many cities in Europe. I live in Berlin for example and I have almost everything I need within 10 minutes of walking or 5 minutes of cycling: Supermarkets, pharmacies, doctors, restaurants, electronics stores, schools, kindergardens, ... The downside is that you tend to become used to your small microcosm ("Kiez" we call it) and rarely leave it. I can't recall for example when I went to East Berlin the last time, as distances can still be large and it can take one hour in public transit to go from East to West, depending of course where you want to go. I also lived in Paris for more than 3 years and it also has great walkability, more so than Berlin even because the city center is much more compact (you can cross it by bike from North to south in 30-40 minutes I'd say). The metro is also super efficient, you can get everywhere "intra muros" in 30-40 minutes. If you live outside of the center of Paris (which I also did for a while) it's less ideal though, as the public transportation quickly becomes much more sparse and you will need a car to get around easily. As most people in the Paris region actually live in those areas I'd say there's still much work to be done there.

ansible 7y ago
> The metro is also super efficient, you can get everywhere "intra muros" in 30-40 minutes. Yes. Both times I was there visiting, we didn't bother with even the buses. The Metro was usually a short walk, and a short wait.
- yardie 7y ago
  The metro is like elementary school. You’re a professional when you can hack the metro and buses and get anywhere in <30min. While m pretty god with the former my spouse, who prefers the buses, can get to any part of the city with the least amount of walking.
__Joker 7y ago
I think most of the world lives pretty close except the US. But problem in rest of the world is not that you can't have schools, clinics, entertainment, shopping in a 15 minutes radius but the problem is finding the desired combination when you throw in you and your spouse workplace and the school to which you want to send to your children to.
- hobofan 7y ago
  > the school to which you want to send to your children to That doesn't seem to be something that most people spend a lot of thought on. E.g. in Germany less than 10% of children attend a private school, and with public schools you basically have to send them to your closest one (which isn't a big problem, as the quality of schools inside a city generally doesn't vary too much).
  - LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago
    I thought he meant having them to drive there and back, where at least where i am in .de the kids just walk, or take the bus by themselves. Not even necessarily school buses, just public ones.
  - refurb 7y ago
    This is a uniquely American problem. In Canada, you send your kid to the closest public school. Done. In the US, determining which school your kid goes to is a strategic decision that impacts where you live. This is even true if you live in an area with great schools - you need to find the best.
    - esotericn 7y ago
      In Britain the catchment areas for schools are a massive deal, so it's not just the US.
  - mantas 7y ago
    It's not just public/private school issue. For example here in Lithuania public schools may be specialised too. Science, arts, humanities... Quality does vary a bit too. Quality of classmates vary more than quality of education, but it's essentially part of the same package. E.g. some schools are notoriously bad for historical reasons. When gentrification just starts and better-off people move in, many of them try to send their kids to schools in other neighbourhoods.
LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago
Aren't they working on that with the goal of being ready around 2030? Like described here https://www.societedugrandparis.fr/gpe/carte https://www.societedugrandparis.fr/gpe/carte Looked at that with envy when i first saw that, being stuck with an only half ready rail transit system in my town since the 70ies. But hey, supposedly i'll get an extension about 2032 too! Juhuu!

ansible 7y ago

> The metro is also super efficient, you can get everywhere "intra muros" in 30-40 minutes. Yes. Both times I was there visiting, we didn't bother with even the buses. The Metro was usually a short walk, and a short wait.

yardie 7y ago
The metro is like elementary school. You’re a professional when you can hack the metro and buses and get anywhere in <30min. While m pretty god with the former my spouse, who prefers the buses, can get to any part of the city with the least amount of walking.

__Joker 7y ago

I think most of the world lives pretty close except the US. But problem in rest of the world is not that you can't have schools, clinics, entertainment, shopping in a 15 minutes radius but the problem is finding the desired combination when you throw in you and your spouse workplace and the school to which you want to send to your children to.

hobofan 7y ago
> the school to which you want to send to your children to That doesn't seem to be something that most people spend a lot of thought on. E.g. in Germany less than 10% of children attend a private school, and with public schools you basically have to send them to your closest one (which isn't a big problem, as the quality of schools inside a city generally doesn't vary too much).
- LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago
  I thought he meant having them to drive there and back, where at least where i am in .de the kids just walk, or take the bus by themselves. Not even necessarily school buses, just public ones.
- refurb 7y ago
  This is a uniquely American problem. In Canada, you send your kid to the closest public school. Done. In the US, determining which school your kid goes to is a strategic decision that impacts where you live. This is even true if you live in an area with great schools - you need to find the best.
  - esotericn 7y ago
    In Britain the catchment areas for schools are a massive deal, so it's not just the US.
- mantas 7y ago
  It's not just public/private school issue. For example here in Lithuania public schools may be specialised too. Science, arts, humanities... Quality does vary a bit too. Quality of classmates vary more than quality of education, but it's essentially part of the same package. E.g. some schools are notoriously bad for historical reasons. When gentrification just starts and better-off people move in, many of them try to send their kids to schools in other neighbourhoods.

LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago

Aren't they working on that with the goal of being ready around 2030? Like described here https://www.societedugrandparis.fr/gpe/carte https://www.societedugrandparis.fr/gpe/carte Looked at that with envy when i first saw that, being stuck with an only half ready rail transit system in my town since the 70ies. But hey, supposedly i'll get an extension about 2032 too! Juhuu!