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Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

texasmonthly.com

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Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#241

Post by boomboomsubban »

paganel wrote: post #139
ucarion wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is pretty widely thrown around, but it should be noted that the central purpose of Haussmannization was public health and beautification: tearing down the slums, building proper infrastructure like sewers and aqueducts, and pretty parks and streets. The article you link to emphasizes this. The wide boulevards did very little to prevent the Paris Commune, for instance. Napoleon III just wanted to build a second R…

The wide boulevards certainly helped the French Army in drowning the Commune in blood soon afterwards, though.

The Commune was also fairly unique among French revolts as it did not begin in Paris, rather it was Paris reacting to their emperor getting captured in battle.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#242

Post by hannasanarion »

djsumdog wrote: post #209
xg15 wrote: post #111

> But it wasn’t strictly an “everything is bigger in Texas” ethos that caused Houston to sprawl the way that it does. Rather, Cold War–era urban design philosophy in the U.S. prioritized sprawl because older cities that had urbanized pre–World War II—New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit—were seen as being susceptible to nuclear strikes. Less-dense cities such as Los Angeles and Houston were less likely to be…

Let's take a look at Houston on a Nuke Map: https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/?&kt=5000&lat=29.7589&lng...

That's a modern bomb, in the 50s and early 60s, when Hobby Airport (the one in the southeast of downtown) was considered to be in the boonies, the nuclear threat looked like this: https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/?&kt=20&lat=29.7589&lng=-...

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#243

Post by philwelch »

oblio wrote: post #215
luckylion wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to go to the urban center for everyday things though, you go there because that's where the jobs are. When full remote becomes more wide-spread, that might change things rapidly.

It's not only jobs. Do you want to watch theater? Opera? Concerts? Major sports events? Do you want to join a club for an obscure African sport? I could go on and on. There is a reason we've been congregating in cities for millennia, despite having to overcome many diseases which are made worse by overcrowdedness.

Much of that has been largely replaced with electronic media, and what remains is a “once in a while” occasion that people are willing to travel to. These days, much of the time, city-dwellers are the ones who have to travel to suburban venues.

The main reasons for urbanization were always economic and political. Rome was not built for the Coliseum; the Coliseum was built for Rome.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#244

Post by ryanmarsh »

apacheCamel wrote: post #10

>Siena’s history dates back millennia. Houston, meanwhile, was founded in 1836. Every time I am made aware of just how young the US is, it blows me away. I've never been to Europe, I would really love to go some day, but I can only imagine the feeling of actually seeing these really old places/structures in person.

Founded, and floundered, as it was merely a swampy step in between the port of Galveston and places further inland.

Houston didn’t really grow with much rapidity until the mid 20th century.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#245

Post by adrianN »

bcrosby95 wrote: post #172
crispyambulance wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> assumption that _everyone wants to be stacked on top of each other_ It's also an assumption that everyone wants to begin and end every trip, no matter how trivial, with a parking spot. It's an assumption that people will want to drive in traffic for 20 minutes minimum to get to a supermarket, do anything with their kids, or anything outside their property line. The notion of "stacked on top of each other" has unple…

> It's also an assumption that everyone wants to begin and end every trip, no matter how trivial, with a parking spot. It's an assumption that people will want to drive in traffic for 20 minutes minimum to get to a supermarket, do anything with their kids, or anything outside their property line. I wouldn't be surprised to find some suburbs with some of the traits you mention, but it hasn't been my experience with th…

Everywhere I've lived so far, I could reach several supermarkets in a 10 minute walk. 2 miles is much too far for elderly people to walk.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#246

Post by coryrc »

smileysteve wrote: post #223
reddog wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always thought it was funny how whites moving from the city to the suburbs is bad (white flight) and whites moving from the suburbs to the city is also bad (gentrification).

It's surprising that sudden drastic changes in demand have sudden drastic effects on supply?

Supply is not increasing and that's just another self-induced injury by the USA.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#247

Post by mcguire »

abraxas wrote: post #177
maxsilver wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Would you feel "stacked on top of each other" in a Parisian townhouse with a magnificent shared courtyard, 12 foot ceilings, and everything you could possibly want a short walk or subway ride away? No, I wouldn't feel "stacked on top of each other" if I were a multi-millionaire in Paris. But, in the real world, your talking about putting families into 600sqft (at very best) boxes, with audible neighbors on every si…

Nonsense. There are very walkable and affordable cities with pleasant neighborhoods that don't break the bank in all parts of the world (sans North America). Off the top of my head and from first hand experience: - Warsaw - Glasgow - Porto - Lisbon - Athens (Greece) - Berlin - Budapest - Barcelona (OK, this one gets pricey but is superbly laid out)

Upside: an apartment in Warsaw is 2114 Zloty (about $600). Downside: it's 38 sq m (410 sq ft). On the other hand, 650-1000 sq ft apartments go for 4500 Zloty ($1200), so go pack your bags now! (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109102/poland-average-r...) Want to buy? 2000 Euro / sq m. (https://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Poland/Price-Hist...)

Budapest? Average apartment size in Hungary is 77 sq m. Average in Budapest is 57-65 m^2. You Forints go a long way: 2824 / sq m (~$10?!?). I'm in! (https://www.towerbudapest.com/en/property_management/news/an...)

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#248

Post by ryanmarsh »

alpineidyll3 wrote: post #116

These highways suck to drive on and have as much delay as Illinois highways half the surface area. Its one of my least favorite parts about tx. The reason is largely that they just scaled up traffic patterns which are fine for 2 lanes to 6-7 lanes. It's absurd. The local legend in Austin is that the highway designer later committed suicide. I bike to work.

Surely the traffic can’t be worse than the humidity.

Kind sir I call your attention to the condensation on the outside of your car windows.

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#249

Post by xxxtentachyon »

mikece wrote: post #232
kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a reason why the Eisenhower Interstate System signs have the 5 stars of a general.

If I'm not mistaken, the 5-star logo only applies to sections of interstate highway that have at least one mile of level and straight road in any given 5-mile stretch. The idea was that an "Eisenhower Freeway" could be used as an impromptu landing spot for Air Force planes. While I'm sure this ability was tested at the beginning I don't know if there are regular drills and exercises making use of this feature.

I would love to see a plane try to decelerate from 200+ mph with the surface quality changing every 200 yards and with 18-inch-deep potholes every so often. I wonder what sort of maintenance budget the original interstate plan envisioned

Re: Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy

#250

Post by pmontra »

bcrosby95 wrote: post #172
crispyambulance wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> assumption that _everyone wants to be stacked on top of each other_ It's also an assumption that everyone wants to begin and end every trip, no matter how trivial, with a parking spot. It's an assumption that people will want to drive in traffic for 20 minutes minimum to get to a supermarket, do anything with their kids, or anything outside their property line. The notion of "stacked on top of each other" has unple…

> It's also an assumption that everyone wants to begin and end every trip, no matter how trivial, with a parking spot. It's an assumption that people will want to drive in traffic for 20 minutes minimum to get to a supermarket, do anything with their kids, or anything outside their property line. I wouldn't be surprised to find some suburbs with some of the traits you mention, but it hasn't been my experience with th…

Milan, Italy, here. I can reach 4 supermarkets in at most 10 minutes, walking from my home. Of course I never go there by car, it would take more time. Probably it's the same in many areas of NYC or SF (been there some 20 years ago.) But if you move into the suburbs or away from the largest cities even Italy it's a cars only country. Sure, every small town has its elementary school, parks and play areas but you can't live without a car.
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