Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods • Hacker News Board

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#251

Post by tlear » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:41 AM UTC

oftenwrong wrote: post #29

rland wrote: post #3

When I visited Japan, I went to an izakaya with room for maybe 9 people in it, it was smaller than my living room at home. I was hungry and I saw the sign lighting the alley about 40 yards off the main road. I was thinking at the time, if I lived in that area, you bet I'd be there a couple times a week to talk to my neighbors. I wanted to ask those inside if they were all neighbors, because they seemed to know each o…

The cities in Japan are, of course, walkable in the extreme, but what really impressed me there was the suburbs and rural villages. Even deep in the countryside many people still can visit local businesses without a car. I think it is not a coincidence that it is so common there to see children walking or biking on their own to school.

It is standard for kids to walk to school. Every elementary school student does it starting grade 1.

If there is a taiphoon passing or blizzard you can give your grade 1 kid a ride. Otherwise it is looked down upon

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#252

Post by b112 » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:43 AM UTC

bobthepanda wrote: post #226

baggy_trough wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I wanted to do was move to a place that had rules which would keep the neighborhood the way I like.

If you're not paying neighbors to keep their land the way you like, why should you have any say in that?

Note that they have a say in what you do with your land, too.

Is it OK for someone to buy the house next door, and build a cafe? What about a night club, which has loud music and closes at 4am?

How about a rendering plant? Or installing a large propane storage facility?

Is there nothing you'd consider unsafe, unwanted, beside the house you just paid $500k for? Which is now worth $200k, and makes it horrid to live there?

These laws, like all laws, are necessary.

Where the problem sits, is when they go too far, or not far enough. There is a sweet spot for everything!

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#253

Post by wastedhours » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:48 AM UTC

toastal wrote: post #31

This ends up being one of the biggest reasons I enjoy living in Thailand. The unplanned layouts of cities makes for a colorful and convenient experience everywhere you go. Most every building in towns is at least two stories with shops under the tenant's quarters. You also can't forget about the prevalence of street carts for food and other small things. It's usually worth exploring alleys as there will be some curio…

> This ends up being one of the biggest reasons I enjoy living in Thailand

Only visited briefly, but was going to post that they seem to get it right in Thailand. Some of the best restaurants are on the porch of someone's house, there's usually some kind of corner shop below most large buildings, most places are walkable or have adapted some kind of small persona transport.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#254

Post by concordDance » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:48 AM UTC

xvedejas wrote: post #237

brobdingnagians wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can anyone explain how the term "Karen" isn't both racist and sexist at the same time? I hadn't heard of it until a few months ago, and now it seems everyone is using it to refer to a certain kind of "middle class white woman". A term like that to describe a certain kind of middle class asian or black man would be very offensive. Are the days where we try to exercise civility and empathy gone? It feels like society h…

I don't disagree that this hazard is real, but I also see the term used in non-racist, non-sexist ways too, sometimes with disclaimers that "obviously this isn't just white women and not all white women are like this". I realize I am likely in the minority thinking that context matters, but I want to provide my sincere stance that I think it's sometimes reasonable to call someone a Karen, assuming proper care is take…

I've seen "nigger" used in a non-racist way (even followed up later with a "obviously this isn't just black people and not all black people are like this"), but still wouldn't recommend its general use.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#255

Post by gcc_programmer » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:48 AM UTC

madamelic wrote: post #2

Mixed use zoning is just about the best case situation for everyone. - Less reliance on cars, which results in less parking, which results in less traffic... it becomes self-perpetuating. - Better walkability - Knowing your corner store clerk or at least having a rapport with them - Healthier citizens, due to them walking everywhere (Go to NYC and see how few overweight people you see... not many unless they're touri…

Europe is as you described.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#256

Post by dotandgtfo » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:49 AM UTC

csomar wrote: post #222

aahhahahaaa wrote: post #13

How did we slip away so far from this being fairly obvious? Cities have worked well this way for hundreds of years. Maybe the industrial revolution made cities too unpleasant? Were we too spoiled by the automobile industry and government roads? White flight from cities into the suburbs?

No. It's an inferior solution to someone having a car and driving around for shopping. Most people here seems to draw from their experience traveling to a place for a short period of time. The reality is that living near a small business (especially restaurant/cafe/bar) is crappy. You'll have people walking around, being noisy, drunk people, people parking in front of your drive way because the didn't see the signs,…

It's a bit crappy for people living in the immediate vicinity but that's just a tiny fraction of the people who get value from nearby local businesses. The housing prices also reflect that and it's usually cheaper rent if you're above/next to a popular grocery store, bar or restaurant.

I am extremely biased as I'm in my mid twenties and don't even have a driver's license as the only time it comes in handy in Oslo is if you're moving furniture.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#257

Post by tlear » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:50 AM UTC

tayo42 wrote: post #84

rland wrote: post #3

When I visited Japan, I went to an izakaya with room for maybe 9 people in it, it was smaller than my living room at home. I was hungry and I saw the sign lighting the alley about 40 yards off the main road. I was thinking at the time, if I lived in that area, you bet I'd be there a couple times a week to talk to my neighbors. I wanted to ask those inside if they were all neighbors, because they seemed to know each o…

> since I don't know any Japanese, but of course Japanese hospitality is top-notch I'm actually really surprised you're saying this. Maybe your Asian? There were a few izakaya I wandered into and got welcomed with a harsh no gaijin. I loved most of my trip to Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka) but that was jarring and off putting.

It is not Asian/non Asian thing. It is language thing.

Some shops do not want to serve you if they can’t speak language. Uncomfortable for them, you and other customers (that is their thinking), they might not even have menu you can understand and they speak no English except Hi bye

It is also possible you wondered into a snack shop which is kind of like hostess bar but not. Basically part of the service is a conversation which is hard to do if you do not speak the language.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#258

Post by habosa » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:53 AM UTC

When Americans talk about how great European cities are, they are often talking about exactly this. Mixed-use neighborhoods full of charming small businesses and dense housing within walking distance to daily needs.

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#259

Post by barnabee » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 8:58 AM UTC

madamelic wrote: post #2

Mixed use zoning is just about the best case situation for everyone. - Less reliance on cars, which results in less parking, which results in less traffic... it becomes self-perpetuating. - Better walkability - Knowing your corner store clerk or at least having a rapport with them - Healthier citizens, due to them walking everywhere (Go to NYC and see how few overweight people you see... not many unless they're touri…

As far as I can tell, "zoning" is just a bad idea. There's no such thing in the UK [1] and it still surprises me that it's quite a common approach. (As a kid I thought it was a game device employed to make urban planning in Sim City manageable. I still wonder if that series of games hasn't increased its prevalence.)

Instead, in the UK you require 'planning permission' to change the land use of any building. This is discretionary and may refer to some overall plan realting to the feel, density, etc. of an area but is not prescriptive over specific types.

As a result I don't know anyone in this country, urban or rural dwelling, who can't walk to a shop or a pub, though I'm sure some such unlucky places exist.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoning#United_Kingdom

Re: Put tiny businesses back into residential neighborhoods

#260

Post by b112 » Fri, Jul 24, 2020, 9:04 AM UTC

xvedejas wrote: post #237

brobdingnagians wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can anyone explain how the term "Karen" isn't both racist and sexist at the same time? I hadn't heard of it until a few months ago, and now it seems everyone is using it to refer to a certain kind of "middle class white woman". A term like that to describe a certain kind of middle class asian or black man would be very offensive. Are the days where we try to exercise civility and empathy gone? It feels like society h…

I don't disagree that this hazard is real, but I also see the term used in non-racist, non-sexist ways too, sometimes with disclaimers that "obviously this isn't just white women and not all white women are like this". I realize I am likely in the minority thinking that context matters, but I want to provide my sincere stance that I think it's sometimes reasonable to call someone a Karen, assuming proper care is take…

The problem is, people used to have non-gender, non-racial terms for people. For example, a person might be called an 'asshole' or 'bonehead', and this could be a person of any colour, any sex, age, etc.

Yet now, it seems all sorts are labeling people based upon sex, colour, ethnic background, etc. It is, quite literally, the definition of sexual, racial, age discrimination. It is linking "external characteristic" with "way a person acts".

I don't care what anyone's political stance is, but if you are using terms like 'Karen', you are 100% contributing to sexism, racism, etc.

Just call someone what they are. "Asshole" has worked fine for millennia.