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Sidewalks went out of fashion because developers thought they took away property sq footage. So a 5000sqft SFH lot became 4800 sqft. But then homeowners realize

by yardie 5y ago

Sidewalks went out of fashion because developers thought they took away property sq footage. So a 5000sqft SFH lot became 4800 sqft. But then homeowners realized if kids don’t have sidewalks they’ll play in the streets. If they could get away with it developers would drop sidewalks completely. It’s only because cities and towns started mandating it that they became fashionable again.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>But then homeowners realized if kids don’t have sidewalks they’ll play in the streets. Which was considered fine at the time and depending on where you live is still fine.
- bluGill 5y ago
  In most suburban streets it would still be fine. Though parents are more paranoid than in 1960. However suburbs need buys roads all over (many are stroads, but the fact of car living means you need busy roads to get around)
Sharlin 5y ago
Wait, do you mean that building sidewalks is the developer's responsibility? Do you mean like greenfield development on wholly privately owned land? Around here it's the municipality's job to plan and build (with subcontractors of course) transport infrastructure in new developments, just like power/water/etc infrastructure.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  In many places afaik, sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner.
  - olyjohn 5y ago
    In a lot of places, that means you only have to build a sidewalk when you're doing some kind of construction on the property. In some Seattle neighborhoods (mostly suburbs), you'll have neighborhoods with 20 houses in a row, and only the 5 or 6 newest houses will have a short sidewalk that is only the length of the property. So you're bouncing back and forth between sidewalks and ditches. Sidewalks just start, end and go nowhere.
    - Sharlin 5y ago
      That’s crazy.
- bluGill 5y ago
  The developes are planning and building roads too.
  - Sharlin 5y ago
    An alien concept but sort of explains some things.

by yardie 5y ago

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

>But then homeowners realized if kids don’t have sidewalks they’ll play in the streets. Which was considered fine at the time and depending on where you live is still fine.

bluGill 5y ago
In most suburban streets it would still be fine. Though parents are more paranoid than in 1960. However suburbs need buys roads all over (many are stroads, but the fact of car living means you need busy roads to get around)

Sharlin 5y ago

Wait, do you mean that building sidewalks is the developer's responsibility? Do you mean like greenfield development on wholly privately owned land? Around here it's the municipality's job to plan and build (with subcontractors of course) transport infrastructure in new developments, just like power/water/etc infrastructure.

wolverine876 5y ago
In many places afaik, sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner.
- olyjohn 5y ago
  In a lot of places, that means you only have to build a sidewalk when you're doing some kind of construction on the property. In some Seattle neighborhoods (mostly suburbs), you'll have neighborhoods with 20 houses in a row, and only the 5 or 6 newest houses will have a short sidewalk that is only the length of the property. So you're bouncing back and forth between sidewalks and ditches. Sidewalks just start, end and go nowhere.
  - Sharlin 5y ago
    That’s crazy.
bluGill 5y ago
The developes are planning and building roads too.
- Sharlin 5y ago
  An alien concept but sort of explains some things.