111–120 of 346 posts
Personally I feel like if I want to try to make even a small impact on the world around me I'd have to make a profound impact on my own life. And I've never been prepared to do this. I could be wrong though.
Invest in opportunity zones, and support legislation, that expands them and their incentives. Push to democratize access to these kinds of funds so that more institutional capital can be built from smaller investors.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In addition to being a quality human in these ways, I'd recommend googling "tactical urbanism." That means: do quick, low-cost interventions in your neighbourhood, like painting a mural on the street, building flower boxes, or creating a pocket park. (Should probably get permission, but for some things, just do it). This all helps attract people to the street and builds a sense of ownership, which encourages folks to…
I could give you my email address if you would like to discuss further. There is lots of good research on all of this.
I’ll leave the comment at that, it’s amusing enough.
Cory Booker as a city councilman did this in miniature. His book describes it. At one point he made his office the parking lot outside a troubled projects building - lots of crime and trafficking were reported there and he wanted to help. So while his office was there (under tents) crime was greatly diminished from the area. It’s at least an example like you’re looking to do. If you had some money, I’d maybe look int…
>So while his office was there (under tents) crime was greatly diminished from the area. It’s at least an example like you’re looking to do. Having a politician who has the police at his beck and call set up shop there seems like it just displaces the problem instead of solving it but I guess if you scope your goal to the neighborhood it does solve it.
If a single party has been running that "top 10 most dangerous cities in the us" city for 30 to 50 years, perhaps try another party? Just a suggestion.
Yes, this is a major problem. One party rule is what we should expect from 3rd world countries like China. Having a single party on the ballot is what I expect from countries like North Korea (which does have voting believe it or not, just with one candidate on the ballot), not America.
Why is this idea so resisted? It doesn't even mean that we need to elect republicans. We can elect the Greens for all I care. However, there is a huge problem when all political positions are held by people that know the same power brokers, the same political party machine, hold the same ideologies, are unwilling to go against their 'side', etc.
Oh and BTW, remember that Hacker News is filled with rational, non-biased people /s.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Automobiles (and their drivers) kill, maim, or injure significantly fewer people than intentionally aggressive individuals in major cities. For example, in 2017 there were 343 murders in Baltimore [0] (which I knew would be on the list before looking for one) vs. 38 fatalities due to car accidents [1]. Here's an example of a list: https://www.statista.com/statistics/217685/most-dangerous-ci... These lists are based o…
I think the point was that a street full of car traffic is much less liveable than a street full of cyclists and pedestrians. Cars are still dangerous and noisy which leads to a stressful atmosphere. Many hide in their cars as if they were tanks, afraid of connecting with anyone outside. What's needed instead is people coming together to form a community.
Stress caused by car noise is way, way down the lists of issues in major cities.
The single best thing you can do is pick a neighborhood - not the whole city - and invest deeply. Get to know everyone in the neighborhood and understand what they want and need, then try to find ways to bring that. When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing. Here’s an examp…
Great site and thanks for sharing!
I like how some comments are painting a rise in wealth in these areas as somehow bad, but are hiding it behind the term “gentrification” and doing cartwheels to make sure the areas stay in poverty but somehow better than before. I’ll leave the comment at that, it’s amusing enough.
Actively participate in government budgeting meetings, and attempt to prevent staffing creep. Bloat/bureaucracy will kill any community ownership that inhabitants might have. Ensure that employees that are not performing are being fired. Speak in meeting about the need to adhere to performance reviews with metrics. If you do not keep our city departments heads in check they will break your city, because their job dep…