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I'm not sure why so many people in this comment section dislike cars. To most people they are a benefit, not a burden. Cars let you have fast point to point tra

I'm not sure why so many people in this comment section dislike cars. To most people they are a benefit, not a burden. Cars let you have fast point to point travel on your own terms, with no waiting times, no dealing with crimes/harassment, protection from weather, the ability to transport cargo/other people, and the freedom to go where you want. I personally love parking minimums and the availability of street parking spaces because they enable this system of direct travel from door to door. It means I am able to lose less time to transit and live a richer life as a result of having fast access to all those destinations. Not all cities have to be the same or follow the same urbanist dictate. People are varied, and carry different preferences. It's OK for some places to elect to have parking minimums and build infrastructure, community, and lifestyle that is car-centric. And as for costs of living - I don't think it is fair to say that zoning is to blame. Zoning is a choice by a community to preserve the lifestyle and neighborhood character they have built, and there's nothing wrong with that. Yes it may be inconvenient for potential new residents, but so what - local government logically should serve its current residents. I don't think that's particularly selfish, since we could just as well ask those seeking out low cost living to be realistic about their options and live within their means. Why is anyone entitled to live wherever they want at whatever cost they want? If someone can't afford to live in San Francisco or other such high demand high cost location, they are just as free to seek out a lower-cost life elsewhere. America has no shortage of places where one can make a living and thrive. Sure those locations may not have the exact job someone wants or the amenities they want or whatever else - but that's life - you don't get everything you want, and expecting otherwise feels like the dictionary definition of entitlement.

tacitusarc 5y ago
Municipal government rarely serves its citizens. Instead, it bows to the will of an entrenched bureaucracy which optimizes, above all else, the form of self-continuation requiring the lowest amount of effort possible. If you have ever dealt with city government in any capacity, you know how little power the elected representatives have when compared with the lifelong bureaucrats. Also, if you don’t think it’s a travesty when someone is forced out of their ancestral home because gentrification raises property taxes and they have a low income, you’re kind of heartless.
MarkSweep 5y ago
I think many American cities are in a sort of local optima with regard to cars. Any change that makes walking more viable will reduce the utility of everyone using cars. Converting the freeway right-of-way to rail would take a long time and make lots of people mad in the meantime. A car can get you places, yes. But it also requires money to purchase, maintain, insure, and fuel. Many people are not great at driving them, killing people in the process. People get fat because they never have to walk anywhere. There is a cost for this convenience. > Zoning is a choice by a community to preserve the lifestyle and neighborhood character they have built, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sure, in isolation it makes sense. But then almost every city says the same thing. Then sprawl is the only choice for new people. And the “neighbor character” you have preserved is “only rich people are allowed to move in here”.

tacitusarc 5y ago

Municipal government rarely serves its citizens. Instead, it bows to the will of an entrenched bureaucracy which optimizes, above all else, the form of self-continuation requiring the lowest amount of effort possible. If you have ever dealt with city government in any capacity, you know how little power the elected representatives have when compared with the lifelong bureaucrats. Also, if you don’t think it’s a travesty when someone is forced out of their ancestral home because gentrification raises property taxes and they have a low income, you’re kind of heartless.

MarkSweep 5y ago

I think many American cities are in a sort of local optima with regard to cars. Any change that makes walking more viable will reduce the utility of everyone using cars. Converting the freeway right-of-way to rail would take a long time and make lots of people mad in the meantime. A car can get you places, yes. But it also requires money to purchase, maintain, insure, and fuel. Many people are not great at driving them, killing people in the process. People get fat because they never have to walk anywhere. There is a cost for this convenience. > Zoning is a choice by a community to preserve the lifestyle and neighborhood character they have built, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sure, in isolation it makes sense. But then almost every city says the same thing. Then sprawl is the only choice for new people. And the “neighbor character” you have preserved is “only rich people are allowed to move in here”.