Make More Land
jefftk.com
Make More Land
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Re: Make More Land
#2The more pressing question: Can we actually still do such projects in western democracies? How long would it take until the last judge has dismissed the plea to save the nearly extinct Californian Pink Stink Beetle that by circumstance breeds in that area? How much more expensive would the project become over its ever longer runtime? What will happen when the seemingly inevitable corruption scandals are brought to daylight?
Re: Make More Land
#3Fun fact, the seaport district regularly floods in storms, and the flood waters are salty.
Re: Make More Land
#4“... allowing people to live closer in is the most powerful way to address sprawl.”
“ The second biggest is that BART doesn't have enough coverage to make living without a car practical in most of the area. ”
I don’t know about the land, maybe it’s a good idea. However, this really comes down to building better mass transit.
“Closer” doesn’t need to mean distance, it could also mean time. Could Oakland be turned into “Manhattan“ with better mass transit?
Re: Make More Land
#5The more pressing question: Can we actually still do such projects in western democracies? How long would it take until the last judge has dismissed the plea to save the nearly extinct Californian Pink Stink Beetle that by circumstance breeds in that area? How much more expensive would the project become over its ever longer runtime? What will happen when the seemingly inevitable corruption scandals are brought to da…
I would not want to take a wager on whether this sort of project could be done in San Francisco. China, I am certain, could do it. If it were an Army Corps of Engineers project on the Mississippi or the deep South, I'd give it 50-50 odds.
We do seem to have no ability to do any sort of large scale projects. They built the Empire State Building in under a year in the 1930s, and meanwhile it's taken ten and counting to replace a bridge where I live today. The technical ability is there, there's just no will to get anything done.
Re: Make More Land
#6The more pressing question: Can we actually still do such projects in western democracies? How long would it take until the last judge has dismissed the plea to save the nearly extinct Californian Pink Stink Beetle that by circumstance breeds in that area? How much more expensive would the project become over its ever longer runtime? What will happen when the seemingly inevitable corruption scandals are brought to da…
The parallel with Mauna Kea is too tempting to not be mentioned!
Re: Make More Land
#7Fun fact, the seaport district regularly floods in storms, and the flood waters are salty.
If you mean in Boston, they actually built all the new buildings in the Seaport on the assumption of floods. Everything on the first floor can be full of salt water and the building will be OK.
Re: Make More Land
#8Seems easier to move companies elsewhere no?
Re: Make More Land
#9Seems easier to move companies elsewhere no?
Or increase remote work.
Re: Make More Land
#10The more pressing question: Can we actually still do such projects in western democracies? How long would it take until the last judge has dismissed the plea to save the nearly extinct Californian Pink Stink Beetle that by circumstance breeds in that area? How much more expensive would the project become over its ever longer runtime? What will happen when the seemingly inevitable corruption scandals are brought to da…
I would not want to take a wager on whether this sort of project could be done in San Francisco. China, I am certain, could do it. If it were an Army Corps of Engineers project on the Mississippi or the deep South, I'd give it 50-50 odds. We do seem to have no ability to do any sort of large scale projects. They built the Empire State Building in under a year in the 1930s, and meanwhile it's taken ten and counting to…
I agree with your general point, but it's worth mentioning 2 points on the Empire State Building example:
1) Depending on where you draw the line for starting the ESB, it was 16 months.
2) Look at building sites in NYC today (which can still build skyscrapers effectively), and compare them with pictures from the 30s. MUCH better health and safety, both for workers and nearby pedestrians. At least 5, and as many as 14, people died during construction.
Some of the reasons things take longer today are actually good!