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I didn't have it out for the DTP from the beginning, honestly. I was excited as anybody to see something new. But as I say in my piece, I'm disillusioned by the
by jzellis 13y ago
I didn't have it out for the DTP from the beginning, honestly. I was excited as anybody to see something new. But as I say in my piece, I'm disillusioned by the inability to work with the existing community -- not just the super-poor people in Downtown, but even the local cultural scene, whose input has largely been ignored.
My anger comes from this: I don't believe that any community built upon going in and tearing out an old one is a good community. I believe the key is integration, not disintegration. Don't tear out the only local mini-grocery and replace it with an expensive gourmet market. Consider everyone in the community, not just the VCs and startup kids you're trying to attract. Especially if you're ambitiously tearing down much of what was there long before you arbitrarily decided to move into the area and start playing Sim City.
I don't think that's too much to ask.
- akanet 13y agoThanks for responding, I appreciate the sincerity. I think most communities that have undergone significant change have done so with some asymmetry in power. If Hsieh deigns to consult with the locals, it will necessarily take the form of charity. How is he to run these negotiations? The local mini-grocery wants to stay, and Hsieh wants it to go. The decision is binary and rests entirely on him. Asking Hsieh to consider everyone's needs is difficult, especially given that he has all the bargaining power. I was surprised your article did not more concretely enumerate the community's concerns. I would hazard a guess that they are not nearly as organized. As for dis/integrating as a viable strategy for improving neighborhoods - I think a lot of us here in SF would be mighty happy with a major, ground-up overhaul to a lot of the city structure. You can't cross a chasm in two leaps, etc.