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Are you? California, legendary NIMBYs included, built the most prosperous and popular state in the nation, with its largest and fastest growing companies, with

Are you? California, legendary NIMBYs included, built the most prosperous and popular state in the nation, with its largest and fastest growing companies, with more innovation and scientific discovery than any other part of the country, with by far the best public university system in the country, and with maximal tolerance for immigrants and people with uncommon religious beliefs, sexual and gender inclinations, and approaches to work and life generally. It was historically flexible enough about development to accommodate more people than any other state. I wouldn’t be so cynical as to think that greenfield development in a place where basically no one is now will not win over a substantial part of the population (even if some of the supporters would oppose the project if it was in their own metaphorical backyard). As an ex Californian I know as well as anyone how easy it can be to take the state’s many unique strengths for granted when you live there. But believe me, you miss a lot of it when you leave, and you also realize most other states face similar problems, or will, including with nimbyism, homelessness, addiction, you name it. California is great and retains the capacity to surprise. And I think one of the strongest pieces of evidence for that is even the critics building this development away from everyone else in the state still called it California Forever.

andbberger 3y ago
the californians who made california are mostly dead now, have you been paying attention? prop 13, no housing ever, all transit projects + HSR ruined by local politics and deep suited corruption etc etc. california is circling the drain. think how great california could have been if it hadn't stopped growing and the immense economic output had been harnessed over the past decades. SF would be amongst the largest cities in the world.
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  That sounds like a worse alternate history, there's no way SF could retain what made it unique if it became 'amongst the largest cities in the world'. For example, even if only 10% of new residents insisted on driving a car no matter what for daily transportation, due to whatever personal reasons, then that would still be enough to put the city in permanent gridlock all day.
  - areyousure 3y ago
    In case anyone is curious, private automobile use went up by 13% from 2019 to 2021 (and by even more since 2017). Driving alone is the most popular form of travel, followed by Uber/Lyft. https://www.sfmta.com/blog/how-people-traveled-through-san-francisco-2021-0 https://www.sfmta.com/blog/how-people-traveled-through-san-f...
  - hindsightbias 3y ago
    If only we'd followed the Master Freeway plan: https://hoodline.com/2015/03/panhandle-freeway-revolt/ https://hoodline.com/2015/03/panhandle-freeway-revolt/ Plenty of room. Panhandle upper deck, pave Dolores and GG parks. Bulldoze The Mission and Hayes like the Fillmore was... Plenty of room for flying car landing pads and Manhattanization. Utopia denied.
  - jeffbee 3y ago
    Residents don't "insist on driving" in a vacuum. You build the city you want and people move into it. If you don't build car habitats, you won't get cars. Anyway, SF has desicively destroyed whatever formerly made it unique. The arts community has been extirpated by the housing cost crisis. Even the gay rights activists don't live there any more. The whole city has been hollowed out by Boomers like Cleve Jones who live elsewhere and maintain their vacant pieds-à-terre in prime SF neighborhoods.
  - andbberger 3y ago
    right that's the only way to get around large metros

andbberger 3y ago

the californians who made california are mostly dead now, have you been paying attention? prop 13, no housing ever, all transit projects + HSR ruined by local politics and deep suited corruption etc etc. california is circling the drain. think how great california could have been if it hadn't stopped growing and the immense economic output had been harnessed over the past decades. SF would be amongst the largest cities in the world.

MichaelZuo 3y ago
That sounds like a worse alternate history, there's no way SF could retain what made it unique if it became 'amongst the largest cities in the world'. For example, even if only 10% of new residents insisted on driving a car no matter what for daily transportation, due to whatever personal reasons, then that would still be enough to put the city in permanent gridlock all day.
- areyousure 3y ago
  In case anyone is curious, private automobile use went up by 13% from 2019 to 2021 (and by even more since 2017). Driving alone is the most popular form of travel, followed by Uber/Lyft. https://www.sfmta.com/blog/how-people-traveled-through-san-francisco-2021-0 https://www.sfmta.com/blog/how-people-traveled-through-san-f...
- hindsightbias 3y ago
  If only we'd followed the Master Freeway plan: https://hoodline.com/2015/03/panhandle-freeway-revolt/ https://hoodline.com/2015/03/panhandle-freeway-revolt/ Plenty of room. Panhandle upper deck, pave Dolores and GG parks. Bulldoze The Mission and Hayes like the Fillmore was... Plenty of room for flying car landing pads and Manhattanization. Utopia denied.
- jeffbee 3y ago
  Residents don't "insist on driving" in a vacuum. You build the city you want and people move into it. If you don't build car habitats, you won't get cars. Anyway, SF has desicively destroyed whatever formerly made it unique. The arts community has been extirpated by the housing cost crisis. Even the gay rights activists don't live there any more. The whole city has been hollowed out by Boomers like Cleve Jones who live elsewhere and maintain their vacant pieds-à-terre in prime SF neighborhoods.
- andbberger 3y ago
  right that's the only way to get around large metros