Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

281–290 of 346 posts

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#281

Post by matheusmoreira »

bko wrote: post #107
burlesona wrote: post #44

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…

> 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. I don't think you need a network to begin cleaning up dirty corners. Just pick up garbage you see on the street when you walk around. It has an immediate impact, is easy and doesn't cost anything. Other people may see it and may…

> doesn't cost anything

It costs time.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#282

Post by sam1r »

My thoughts on the subject matter as metaphor:

crawl => walk => jog => run => sprint Gotta learn to crawl before you walk [and so on..]

[crawl]- Pick a new city. Me: Houston. local/inner circle/same street/apartment complex

[walk] - meet new people at work, hang out. It's tough but still possible in really big cities such as HTX.

[jog] - Naturally you will spend more time with those that you are more attractive to. Key word. Natural. If you fake it to make it, you'll probably just end up in the wrong crowd and not realize it. Story of my life. Possibly.

[.. and so on... you'll eventually find something that ticks you off enough to do something about it. At that point, you should just go for it. Considering you've made it this far with several great quality replies on HN.]

^ Having a structure like this beforehand can inevitably point you in the right direction for what you are trying to accomplish.

I hope this message provides some value. Regardless, best of luck!

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#283

Post by anonytrary »

Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer! This is one of the best ways you can incrementally give back to your community. It's a small step, but you will find a network of like-minded individuals and will then be in a better position to take bigger steps. It is hard to change things alone.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#284

Post by 205guy »

Retric wrote: post #88
burlesona wrote: post #44

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…

I mean this in the most objective way possible. The risk with urban improvement is making the area more desirable eventually prices people out of the community. So, the real question is do you help the land or current residents? When you own property it’s seriously worth considering local improvements for several reasons, but it’s also easy to confuse the two. Further, if most people in the community own property the…

There were 2 replies that I want to summarize together: empowering the current residents as part of the renewal, and rent control.

I think as part of the urban improvement is to work with the renters and landlords to let the renters capture some of the rising value, either through some sort of equity rent-to-own, or creative financing that lets the renters find other housing within the neighborhood. Maybe some sort of buy-out conversion from private landlords to private-benefit-corporation landlord (as opposed to public housing).

The alternative is localized rent control, that makes sure that the landlords don't capture the rising value of the neighborhood that is being added by the residents and their work. You also need some limits on redevelopment, so the landlord doesn't just replace the building with something more upscale and manage to replace the tenants as part of that. Maybe allow refurbishing and some new units in exchange for current residents getting rent control.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#285

Post by 205guy »

playingchanges wrote: post #257
burlesona wrote: post #44

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…

This is great advice but wanted to emphasize if you’re looking to make a huge impact with pretty much no money just grab some trash bags and pick a block in need. Trash in the street is one of the biggest problems you’ll see in neglected low income neighborhoods and it just feels so much different when the street gets cleaned up.

I want to second that and add: grab a few tools and do some basic landscaping. Remove weeds and cut grass that is growing over curbs and sidewalks. Make it look tidy again.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#286

Post by peterwoerner »

bluGill wrote: post #227
peterwoerner wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure but the network is the thing which gives you leverage to do more than what you can do by yourself.

The network is best when you start by setting an example and then spread is. "Look, as part of my daily exercise I pick up a bit of trash every day. I'm in better health and look how much better my neighborhood is" This speaks more than someone needs to do something so I'm putting together a group to form a committee. Lead by example.

Yes, although I was thinking more along the lines of we should be neighbourly to each other hand have a good relationship where we say hi and watch out for each other. Giving people bureaucracy won't work. A number of the neighbourhoods where I live have block parties once a year so that people know there neighbours. And once you know your neighbours you can start talking about mutual problems and then things you might be able to do to fix it.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#287

Post by refurb »

andor wrote: post #57
bpt3 wrote: post #38

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.

The density is worse during a pandemic. That's why people are fleeing the cities.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#288

Post by refurb »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #82
Eric_WVGG wrote: post #6

Would you mind linking to the list you’re referring to? My off-the-cuff thought was, “join Transportation Alternatives and push for more bike lanes, public transit, etc.”, as I see automobiles as one of the most significant dangers to both urban areas and even the planet. But when I google "ten most dangerous cities," they seem to list places whose danger is more poverty-driven.

A few major urban areas with high cost of ownership and good alternative options aside, a car is a self-compounding step out of poverty to most poor people and their problem with them is one of cost. To tell these people that cars are their problem is tone deaf at best. They have a million bigger problems.

Exactly. When you're an educated, middle class white person, it's easy to say "ditch the car! just get a place near transit. makes it easy to ride downtown to your office job".

What about the poor people who can't afford to live near transit? Or have jobs nowhere near transit? A car is often a requirement for them. And sure, maybe they can take a bus with a couple transfers, but then their commute goes from 45 mins to 90 mins.

Post reply on HN