5 ms·
My view of a high-quality outdoor space is one where humans can be without the need to pay, with the ability to sit, and some space for play or leisure. We sho
by techsupporter 5y ago
My view of a high-quality outdoor space is one where humans can be without the need to pay, with the ability to sit, and some space for play or leisure. We should also plan for pets being present because no matter how many signs you put asking people to not bring their dogs, cats, turtles, or ferrets, people will bring them. So let's not assume otherwise. A water fountain would be great, a public restroom (like a Portland Loo) even moreso in larger areas.
This same space should also have as much of its volume as possible given over to natural surfaces. Grasses and hardy flowers, in particular. We don't need a rose garden. Most plant species native to an area look quite nice if not mowed down or stunted with pesticides.
We should encourage property owners to give over some of the massive amounts of space currently used for automobile operation and storage to these public spaces. Eliminate parking minimums so that grocery and other big box stores in urban areas are able to rip up the artificial paving and return that space to natural use, for example. Make more planter box seating in movement rights-of-way. Unused parcels owned by governments should not be fenced off but have some furniture plopped down and an "everyone welcome" sign placed here.
I also want people and their cities to think about more than just downtown. Comparatively few people live in "actual" downtowns. We need to deal with that, too, so that downtowns are not just clusters of tall office buildings that empty out at the end of a workday. Nothing says that Downtown cannot be a vibrant neighborhood of its own, arguably even easier than trying to kickstart other neighborhoods. But just saying "putting green space in downtown is difficult" misses the many, many other areas of most cities and towns.
(I'm sure someone will come along and say "but you can't possibly do this because the homeless" so yes, this does mean we are addressing environmental concerns at the same time we are addressing human concerns.)
- jonahbenton 5y agoEvery so often I come across the well-intentioned phrase "encourage property owners to <do something that sacrifices property rights>".... Quite literally the entire history of "rule of law" in human societies can be summed up as a less-expensive-than-violence program of defense of rights of property ownership. The only kind of encouragement property ownership will sacrifice rights to is that which comes from an army. Still, tho, good ideas, cheers.
- JumpCrisscross 5y agoTax breaks for land so converted would keep property owners in control while encouraging the desired behaviour.
- dan-robertson 5y agoWhat is the difference between the current American urban planning system where certain property is restricted to certain purposes and eg developers must devote certain amounts of land to parking lots and the proposal of the GP where some land must be devoted to certain “green space”? (FWIW I mostly disagree and think the city or some trust should just own that green space.) It seems to me like you’re ranting against the status quo and not anything particular about the parent comment.
- kyralis 5y agoThis is fundamentally false. Witness the many conservation easement programs, or the agreements that have made possible many trail systems. There are absolutely systems of encouragement - many of which may not even be economic! - that cause property owners to accept restrictions on their rights. Not to mention the many laws that fundamentally restrict property rights, from zoning to noise ordinances.
- adrianN 5y agoProperty rights haven't been absolute in a long time. We have all kinds of laws and taxes that regulate and incentivize what exactly you can and can not do with your private property.
- dan-robertson 5y agoI don’t know how to square this description of high quality outdoor spaces with your claim above that it exists in the suburbs of American cities (is this your claim?), and my understanding of American cities. Is there some specific place you have in mind? Or is “high quality” relative with you describing an unattained ideal here and the reality further above?
- tharkun__ 5y agoDogs? Public spaces? Water fountains and such? Horrific! I will never ever use a public water dispenser ever again after seeing that woman let their dog drink from one. He basically licked the whole thing from left to right. Public anything is basically burnt for me (not just by that incident) because you never know what pigs were there before you.
- guythedudebro 5y agoYou sound like the type of person that should stay inside regardless
- tharkun__ 5y agoWhat I was referring to is this type, which is all over NA: https://guernseypress.com/resizer/wqzY3eM03C94C0m8mSZP_zKpXIs=/1200x0/filters:quality(100)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-guernseypress-mna.s3.amazonaws.com/public/U3NTYOAXVRCDZJFXDT4JSEP2LI.jpg https://guernseypress.com/resizer/wqzY3eM03C94C0m8mSZP_zKpXI... Now imagine that the dog literally licked the part that the water comes out of all over. I'm totally fine with dogs. I'm totally fine with dogs licking their owners and anyone that wants them to. Heck I have nothing against dogs licking my hands. But I absolutely cannot understand how I am downvoted for an unsanitary practice that nobody has a chance to do anything against. The next poor guy going to the fountain 30 seconds later will have no idea. Would you find it OK if I went and spit on the nozzle before you went? That's the equivalent.
- guythedudebro 5y agoYeah, that's a dick move from the dog owner for sure. But, it's both not out of the realm of something you should probably expect from public features and also probably not harmful enough to swear off of them.
- goatse-4-u 5y ago.
- ben_w 5y ago