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This is not something I see in a city like Chicago. Even with a thinning population in the city proper, there are a wide variety of jobs reaching out from the c

by xigency 12y ago

This is not something I see in a city like Chicago. Even with a thinning population in the city proper, there are a wide variety of jobs reaching out from the city to the suburbs and more than adequate transportation with plenty of "walkable" neighborhoods. This is an interesting idea to explore, and I definitely have seen some more sprawling areas in this country (L.A., San Jose), but New York and Chicago don't fit under this umbrella from my point of view. The article is also a little thin without concrete examples. Looking at other countries, parts of Japan are almost completely connected but this somehow works with the large amount of natural resources they have while also supporting a huge population. Economic measures have to look at more than just the monetary value of things. I know this looks at social and environmental factors, but there are network effects to consider too.

droopyEyelids 12y ago
Thats only true for the wealthiest in Chicago. Consider this map of food deserts. http://www.yogagardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/food-deserts-map.jpg http://www.yogagardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/food-d... Unless you live somewhere nice, you can't walk to the grocery store. Chicago also has, for the most part, segregated neighborhoods for work and living. If you're wealthy, you can afford to live within walking distance of white collar jobs, if not you're stuck. Also, Chicago is a bit of an abnormality in the US for paying some attention to cycling infrastructure.
wsxcde 12y ago
I disagree. If you live in, say Westmont or Downer's Grove and want to get to O'Hare or Midway by public transport, you might as well give up before you start. It's a minimum two hour train journey that involves going all the way to Union station and then to the airport. It's not just the airports. My wife works at ANL. There are exactly two buses a day which go from our place to the lab. And this is after a ten minute walk. If you miss those, you either have to drive or take a taxi. There are no other options whatsoever. Maybe public transport works well in the city, but good luck surviving in the suburbs without a car.
- xigency 12y ago
  Is this a new problem? The article talks about growing cities creating "endless commutes, growing pollution, and unwalkable neighborhoods." For someone trying to commute to the airport regularly, it's best to live in the NW suburbs. But Downer's Grove was established in 1873 so it's not as if this is a new problem. Additionally, I agree that it is not entirely convenient to travel between satellite areas of the city, but there are a number of opportunities local to any one part of the city/metro area. I live in a suburb and recently spent a large amount of time looking for a new job, after living in a small part of California with limited opportunities, and while I didn't have the best time looking for a position as a Software Engineer, it's not as if there weren't jobs in any suburb or downtown that I couldn't achieve. I'm not someone who would look to regularly commute downtown but there are both Metra and L-stations that I could access and it's not as if we don't have roads. This sort of sprawl as an issue seems to be targeted towards growing cities and suburbs that are undeveloped in terms of resources and infrastructure. Many of Chicago's suburbs and surrounding areas have really deep histories and local roots. In this sense they become their own neighborhoods, cities, towns, and villages instead of just rows of houses without sidewalks or an endless stretch of strip malls. I think it's also easy to carpool or work around bus schedules if that's really an issue to a commute, or buying an electric car for short journeys like that. The second city is also in a much better position than many other cities in the midwest. Indianapolis and Minneapolis-St. Paul are a lot harder to get around from outside the city, especially if you don't have a car, so I could understand how moving further and further out could be a detriment.

by xigency 12y ago

droopyEyelids 12y ago

Thats only true for the wealthiest in Chicago. Consider this map of food deserts. http://www.yogagardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/food-deserts-map.jpg http://www.yogagardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/food-d... Unless you live somewhere nice, you can't walk to the grocery store. Chicago also has, for the most part, segregated neighborhoods for work and living. If you're wealthy, you can afford to live within walking distance of white collar jobs, if not you're stuck. Also, Chicago is a bit of an abnormality in the US for paying some attention to cycling infrastructure.

wsxcde 12y ago

I disagree. If you live in, say Westmont or Downer's Grove and want to get to O'Hare or Midway by public transport, you might as well give up before you start. It's a minimum two hour train journey that involves going all the way to Union station and then to the airport. It's not just the airports. My wife works at ANL. There are exactly two buses a day which go from our place to the lab. And this is after a ten minute walk. If you miss those, you either have to drive or take a taxi. There are no other options whatsoever. Maybe public transport works well in the city, but good luck surviving in the suburbs without a car.

xigency 12y ago
Is this a new problem? The article talks about growing cities creating "endless commutes, growing pollution, and unwalkable neighborhoods." For someone trying to commute to the airport regularly, it's best to live in the NW suburbs. But Downer's Grove was established in 1873 so it's not as if this is a new problem. Additionally, I agree that it is not entirely convenient to travel between satellite areas of the city, but there are a number of opportunities local to any one part of the city/metro area. I live in a suburb and recently spent a large amount of time looking for a new job, after living in a small part of California with limited opportunities, and while I didn't have the best time looking for a position as a Software Engineer, it's not as if there weren't jobs in any suburb or downtown that I couldn't achieve. I'm not someone who would look to regularly commute downtown but there are both Metra and L-stations that I could access and it's not as if we don't have roads. This sort of sprawl as an issue seems to be targeted towards growing cities and suburbs that are undeveloped in terms of resources and infrastructure. Many of Chicago's suburbs and surrounding areas have really deep histories and local roots. In this sense they become their own neighborhoods, cities, towns, and villages instead of just rows of houses without sidewalks or an endless stretch of strip malls. I think it's also easy to carpool or work around bus schedules if that's really an issue to a commute, or buying an electric car for short journeys like that. The second city is also in a much better position than many other cities in the midwest. Indianapolis and Minneapolis-St. Paul are a lot harder to get around from outside the city, especially if you don't have a car, so I could understand how moving further and further out could be a detriment.