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

Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

culdesac.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 384 posts

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#121

Post by trevortheblack »

I live 5 miles from the location and have visited the Tempe area many time for recreation.

While there isn't much in the way of infrastructure at this part of Tempe at the moment, it's close enough to the main boulevard, called Mill, and close enough to downtown phoenix.

The entire Phoenix area is quickly becoming a popular place to live and lots of tech is moving here. Phoenix is, _in general_, a decent third or fourth choice across a ton of different metrics. Tech jobs, decent university system, growing economy.

Yeah, the weather can be downright terrible, but lots of people from CA are moving here during the pandemic. Indeed, Arizona State University (based in Tempe) is a tremendously popular school for high schoolers from CA.

I'm going to recommend investing in real estate to everyone I know in the area.

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#122

Post by Wowfunhappy »

ethanbond wrote: post #116
notJim wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m skeptical that all planning is necessarily doomed to fail. Towns already do a considerable amount of planning via their zoning rules, and subdivisions are planned as well. The example here just seems like a subdivision, but planned for walkability rather requiring you to drive. Where did the place you lived in go wrong?

Well… most towns/subdivisions with zealous planning suck. The best cities in the world appear to be very organically grown. Maybe this is an illusion?

Well Manhattan, for example—obviously at first it developed organically, but the upper part of the island was largely planned, with a strict grid system of streets and avenues and a large park in the center!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaIOfgz8FVY

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#123

Post by trevortheblack »

aeharding wrote: post #34

Is Tempe/Phoenix any good for getting around without a car? All I know about is the sprawl and hostile road design.

Entire neighborhoods are set up in a grid formation with each "block" being a mile on the side with housing and parks in the middle. You'll almost always need to travel a "block" or two to get to anything of interest.

Big problems being

1. Distance

2. Heat (120f+ 50c+) in the summer

3. Very car centric city, everyone is driving fast so the sidewalks are narrow and the cars are loud

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#125

Post by sammalloy »

browningstreet wrote: post #57
GavinMcG wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having lived down the street from this site, I'm also skeptical. Tempe has some bike infrastructure, but the high temperatures four months of the year and the spread-out nature of the larger Phoenix metro makes a car a priority for most people, and cities (including Tempe and neighboring Mesa) design around that. There's a bike path to the west of this site that runs north-south but terminates after only a couple mil…

I went to ASU (in the 90s) and my family is still in the area, and I typically (and perhaps stupidly) visit in June... and when I go back to the old "neighborhood" I always see a ton of people riding their bikes around in the June heat. With an e-bike, 2 miles is nothing.

> With an e-bike, 2 miles is nothing

I have friends who only travel by e-bike. The maximum distance they will go is about eight miles, but they average about six miles a day in hot weather. Their batteries are removable so they can go something like 40-50 miles a day if they needed it. My point is that they don't travel very far in their respective communities.

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#126

Post by nick007 »

Super excited for this, and I am planning to relocate from SF to Tempe for [mostly] this reason. It's about time there was a truly novel offering in the world of residential living, and the Culdesac crew are doing in in the right way! Been a huge fan from the sidelines ever since their YC days.

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#128

Post by sammalloy »

kevinpet wrote: post #56
criddell wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One-bedrooms start at $1250 / month. Can a community be designed so that the people working there can also afford to live there?

People need to get off the notion that those working the most entry level jobs should be living in the newest housing.

> People need to get off the notion that those working the most entry level jobs should be living in the newest housing.

The infrastructure in the US is old and dilapidated. Newer housing is energy efficient, safer, and more conducive to modern living requirements (high speed internet, solar, heat and cooling), regardless of what kind of job a person keeps.

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#129

Post by milkytron »

tseing wrote: post #111
milkytron wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very similar situation here. Master planned community with meh build quality, but our neighborhood is designed to be transit oriented. We don't have a lot of amenities within the community, mostly just a bike trail, and a light rail stop. Hopefully some retail and a grocery store open up nearby soon, because about 500+ units are all being built within a quarter mile. And well over 1000+ within a half mile. The bike t…

Where is this, if you don't mind me asking?

Lakewood, Colorado

https://westlinevillage.com/

Re: Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US

#130

Post by nathanvanfleet »

Sort of neat I guess. Seems like a community type thing, similar to Facebook campus. But also somewhat harrowing that this could catch on and you have entire neighborhoods that are self contained and corporate owned. Maybe living on a lord's land was something that just stopped for a little while.
Post reply on HN