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As long as they are still growing, it's mainly a matter of redirecting the growth. Only a stagnant city is "too poor to change"; everything else is just cowardl
by Ericson2314 6y ago
As long as they are still growing, it's mainly a matter of redirecting the growth. Only a stagnant city is "too poor to change"; everything else is just cowardly politics looking for excuses.
Per https://pedestrianobservations.com/2019/09/18/cars-and-trains-urbanism/ https://pedestrianobservations.com/2019/09/18/cars-and-train... we have a lot of bullshit compromise, when the ugly truth is both cars and non-cars are positive feedback loops for which there is no reconciliation.
But this is also an opportunity, provided the government has guts. Do what Barcelona did, and overnight "guerilla urbanism" block roads. Bikeshare, including some cargo wagons to signal a commitment to more people other than single yuppies is also good, and is so much cheaper than subways it might as well be considered tactical urbanism. Do congestion pricing. Tax parking lots.
When property values adjust as everyone tries to get at the high foot traffic, high job density hot area, you are winning.
Finally, we need a national carbon tax / quotas. And as opposed to trying to ration gas to people we should just give them a carbon dividend. That will also suck people out of the suburbs like turning on the electromagnets!
- galangalalgol 6y agoThe last 80 years of growth in those cities has been strictly seaparated residential zones actively designed to discourage foot traffic. Twisty confusing roads with one entrance to a neighborhood, and no sidewalks. Unless the growth includes tearing out old houses how can it fix those problems?
- Ericson2314 6y agoThe last 80 years of residential growth. But what about officespace? If it's all decentralized office parks, yeah that's going to be harder. But if there is a strong "central business district" (America's tend to be denser than Eeurope's for some reason) that can be a foundation to go outword from. Basically infill that with some residential and work outwards from there, redeveloping the burbs only once the core is saturated and there's some momentum.