The Future of Cities
medium.com
The Future of Cities
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Re: The Future of Cities
#2While I'm glad that this topic is getting addressed, that video was pretty difficult to watch. I know it would be unwise to spend extensive amounts of time on each topic in the video, but the way it was cut made it hard to think about the topic before moving on to the next part.
Otherwise, this topic is likely what I want to focus my career in at some point, understanding how to improve the ways cities run, given how they are more and more the drivers of not only the economy, but a lot of the culture and thinking generated in the world. (As someone who grew up in global cities such as Singapore, Paris, etc., I always felt that these cities had more in common with each other than with other cities in the countries they are in.)
I'm making my way through Jane Jacob's Life and Death of American Cities right now, and it has definitely changed a lot of my thinkings of how cities should be designed (more mixed-used, parks are not necessarily ideal, etc).
I wonder how a company could be created to tackle the issues cities are facing these days, working with local governments (or without if need be).
Re: The Future of Cities
#3While I'm glad that this topic is getting addressed, that video was pretty difficult to watch. I know it would be unwise to spend extensive amounts of time on each topic in the video, but the way it was cut made it hard to think about the topic before moving on to the next part. Otherwise, this topic is likely what I want to focus my career in at some point, understanding how to improve the ways cities run, given how…
Philadelphia was the best-designed city, basically ever. Perfect grid, even spacing between residences, businesses, and parks, and you know what ended up happening? Nearly everybody piled up along the waterfronts, because that's where the action was.
London, meanwhile, had never really been planned at all, and even well-intentioned planning often ended up straddling the line between disaster and farce.
If you want to laugh a lot and learn about ways that London has been "developed" over the years, check out this guy's videos:
Re: The Future of Cities
#4While I'm glad that this topic is getting addressed, that video was pretty difficult to watch. I know it would be unwise to spend extensive amounts of time on each topic in the video, but the way it was cut made it hard to think about the topic before moving on to the next part. Otherwise, this topic is likely what I want to focus my career in at some point, understanding how to improve the ways cities run, given how…
Philadelphia was the best-designed city, basically ever. Perfect grid, even spacing between residences, businesses, and parks, and you know what ended up happening? Nearly everybody piled up along the waterfronts, because that's where the action was. London, meanwhile, had never really been planned at all, and even well-intentioned planning often ended up straddling the line between disaster and farce. If you want to…
I agree in spirit with you, but we should strive not to be reductive about the role of planning in cities. Slums are also unplanned.
Re: The Future of Cities
#5Earlier quoted context omitted.
Philadelphia was the best-designed city, basically ever. Perfect grid, even spacing between residences, businesses, and parks, and you know what ended up happening? Nearly everybody piled up along the waterfronts, because that's where the action was. London, meanwhile, had never really been planned at all, and even well-intentioned planning often ended up straddling the line between disaster and farce. If you want to…
I agree in spirit with you, but we should strive not to be reductive about the role of planning in cities. Slums are also unplanned.
I guess I wasn't clear. My point is that planning isn't perfect, and will never solve all problems.
An example from my hometown of Ithaca NY: this tiny valley was never built with cars in mind, and because there is a lake to the north and steep hills in every other direction, there are only about 6 ways in and out of Ithaca. Usually this isn't a problem but certain times of day the traffic comes to a complete stop as there is no physical way to relieve the congestion. If major charges to roadways were made, it could fix some of the congestion issues, but since nearly all travel through Ithaca revolves around The Commons (literally: one-way streets move traffic counterclockwise around the popular pedestrian mall), it could have a devastating effect on local businesses.
I am convinced that no single entity is capable of creating and executing a plan that improves an urban area in any more than a limited portion without significant and unforeseen consequences.
Speaking of slums: the original plans for public housing projects in big cities like New York failed to account for the lack of maintenance or the effects of drugs being sold or used on the premises, which matters a lot because one prolific drug dealer can drastically reduce quality of life for everybody in the building, especially if they are smart or small-time enough to avoid police interference, thus allowing dealers to become de facto authorities in the projects. That is an example of a planned (but unexpected) slum.
Re: The Future of Cities
#6While I'm glad that this topic is getting addressed, that video was pretty difficult to watch. I know it would be unwise to spend extensive amounts of time on each topic in the video, but the way it was cut made it hard to think about the topic before moving on to the next part. Otherwise, this topic is likely what I want to focus my career in at some point, understanding how to improve the ways cities run, given how…
It is my understanding that cities have been where culture, trade, and politics happen at least since the bronze age.
Re: The Future of Cities
#7I agree, could not watch it past 3 mins - too many editing gimmicks, looks like edutainment nonsense with many fluffy short statements and low actual information density. This video editing talent is wasted for such a topic, would be better used in a music video. Also the author really must hate music.
Re: The Future of Cities
#8"We do damage to nature...and we do less damage to nature when we occupy less of it." Edward Glaeser is the man.
Re: The Future of Cities
#9> For a rich white dude up in a 50th floor penthouse, “the future of cities” might mean zipping around in a flying car while a robot jerks you off and a drone delivers your pizza.
The guy must think people of color are incapable of attaining that level of wealth.
Unintentional racism, but racism all the same.
Re: The Future of Cities
#10While I'm glad that this topic is getting addressed, that video was pretty difficult to watch. I know it would be unwise to spend extensive amounts of time on each topic in the video, but the way it was cut made it hard to think about the topic before moving on to the next part. Otherwise, this topic is likely what I want to focus my career in at some point, understanding how to improve the ways cities run, given how…
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