4 ms·
I've come to believe that we're too abstract and afraid to say what we really mean. There are a few things that could be changed that would, IMHO, make a big di
by scythe 3y ago
I've come to believe that we're too abstract and afraid to say what we really mean. There are a few things that could be changed that would, IMHO, make a big difference in the aesthetic quality of new development without the need for "style" arguments.
- Roofs are flat. HVAC equipment is put on the roof. This allows a maximum use of zoned floor area.
--> Solution: write a roof/attic allowance into zoning codes.
- Trees are too small. Developers want to avoid maintenance difficulties with trees, so they plant dwarf varieties that don't provide shade.
--> Solution: fund tree management as a public good. Offer incentives for preserving existing trees.
- Buildings are surrounded by Stepfordesque hedges that look unnatural. Green space is crammed into noodle-shaped setbacks that are too narrow to support anything like a garden. Mulch is everywhere.
--> Solution: replace setbacks wherever possible with access easements and open space requrements.
I couldn't care less what the big famous buildings look like. I don't spend much time near them anyway. That's a high-class problem. No wonder it's a duel between the right and the yuppies.
As to why flat roofs are ugly? I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it has to do with flat-topped things being uncommon in nature. It's a structure made possible only by decently sophisticated engineering, what with the stress on corners and the need for drainage. It makes the occipital lobe think it's missing something.
- somewhereoutth 3y ago"Never enter a pub with a flat roof" (UK) Such pubs tend to be part of (run-down) housing estates (what might be called 'Projects' in the US), with attendant clientele. It's a good rule of thumb if you are unfamiliar with an area!
- wolverine876 3y ago> Trees are too small. Developers want to avoid maintenance difficulties with trees, so they plant dwarf varieties that don't provide shade. In some city, I forget which, I saw a guide to street trees that said that picking the correct trees solves the root / maintenance problems: roots grow neither too shallow or too deep, etc. > I couldn't care less what the big famous buildings look like. I don't spend much time near them anyway. They are part of the visual environment that we live in. The Empire State Building in NY is in the visual environment of millions who don't go near it (in fact, it's hardly noticeable close-up - you mostly see the bottom floors).