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Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

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Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#3
NotJustBikes are doing some incredible work. It’s really time to reframe how we plan our cities and make the spaces we occupy designed for human scale engagement.

I encourage anyone interested in this video to definitely check out more of their videos, so much valuable insight as to practically how our urban spaces could be incredible to live in.

Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#5
The US system means you can live outside cities (and so avoid paying city taxes) and travel in to enjoy the amenities they provide. The result is a classic "failure of the commons" where contributors move out and people in need move in.

The growth fallacy relies on cities already being short of cash, it is a symptom, not a disease.

Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#6

Can someone name an example of a city that has gone bankrupt due to infrastructure costs that didn't also lose a large amount of its population or lose key local industries?

Detroit? The industry is still there but they've lost 50% of their population. But the whole point of the video is when you build these big suburbs and suburban development patterns you're on the hook for their cost no matter if anyone is living there or not.

Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#8

The US system means you can live outside cities (and so avoid paying city taxes) and travel in to enjoy the amenities they provide. The result is a classic "failure of the commons" where contributors move out and people in need move in. The growth fallacy relies on cities already being short of cash, it is a symptom, not a disease.

Driving feels dangerous. It feels like whenever I commute into the city, there's a motor accident of some kind.

It's not surprising since you're basically forcing million of people to control 2 tons vehicles. Inevitably, for one reason or another, someone's going to make a mistake.

Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#9
post #7

Ponzi Scheme: a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a nonexistent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors.

We need a word that is not intentionally a fraud but is pretty much an example of an unsustainable pyramid.

Re: Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]

#10

Can someone name an example of a city that has gone bankrupt due to infrastructure costs that didn't also lose a large amount of its population or lose key local industries?

Detroit? The industry is still there but they've lost 50% of their population. But the whole point of the video is when you build these big suburbs and suburban development patterns you're on the hook for their cost no matter if anyone is living there or not.

This is an odd example.

Detroit literally lost hundreds of thousands of auto manufacturing jobs.

The companies only remain there in a token fashion.

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