Not convinced, plenty of countries (e.g. UK) don’t have such stringent don’t have strict zoning laws and also don’t have $4 food
America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
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Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#62It probably isn't as simple as the writer thinks. Houston, for example, has no zoning laws and no $4 lunch bowls.
You are oversimplifying the writer's position. They mention zoning as one reason but also other regulations, health codes (minimum sink counts!) and other things like parking minimums (which houston has had, though they've been removed recently in a lot of cases), reliable and ubiquitous public transit, etc.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#63It probably isn't as simple as the writer thinks. Houston, for example, has no zoning laws and no $4 lunch bowls.
Or basically all of Europe. Haven't seen $4 lunch bowls (adjusted to local wages) anywhere. Spending "nearly an hour a day cooking" is the norm in most countries here. Eating out is expensive anywhere.
This is not true. The UK has a £3.85 meal deal that is a sandwich + a snack + a drink. It's hugely popular.
Germany has the Döner Kebab, it's now about 5-9€, but the have cheaper options available too. Again, hugely popular.
I'm sure most European cities have these.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've lived in various European cities where I was not able to vote for various reasons. Such as living hotel long-term, living in a holiday home, being semi-homeless, sub-letting, crashing on someones couch. Seasonal workers, migrant workers or people with unstable employment are typically in this situation. No, I was not able to vote.
...and sorry: Thats absolutely OK. I do not want strangers stopping by for 3 - 4 years to be able to influence the politics of my country? Thats totaly understandable? I would never to ask to vote at a remote place where I do not live permanently, yet where I even not a citizen?
That is OK but OP should not be complaining about people not being engaged with local politics if you are excluding a large part of the people living in the city from voting.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#65I serve as a planning commissioner for my city, and my city just recently tried to overhaul our zoning code to allow for more affordability and better economic outcomes for our citizens and future as a city. Here is what I have learned: In the US, few people participate or care about local laws, zoning, and elections, or even understand why participation may be important. In a citizen ballot to determine if we should…
Protests come when people are pushed into a corner with little other choice. Participation is more prevalent when people have free time in their lives. Our economics has systematically squeezed free time out in favor of more work to most of our workforce, and particularly hard for young people. One reason so many local city policies favor the old, is that they're retired and have the time to participate
I don't think economics have squeezed out free time -- phones squeeze out all our free time.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you not register to vote or something?
I've lived in various European cities where I was not able to vote for various reasons. Such as living hotel long-term, living in a holiday home, being semi-homeless, sub-letting, crashing on someones couch. Seasonal workers, migrant workers or people with unstable employment are typically in this situation. No, I was not able to vote.
Ok. That's by design.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#67America is going in the opposite direction with instant food delivery. Your $11 meal is delivered to your house within 30 minutes. But, there's a service fee of $5, a delivery fee of $6, and a 20% gratuity.
(And it's cold.)
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've lived in various European cities where I was not able to vote for various reasons. Such as living hotel long-term, living in a holiday home, being semi-homeless, sub-letting, crashing on someones couch. Seasonal workers, migrant workers or people with unstable employment are typically in this situation. No, I was not able to vote.
I don’t want someone drifting through town in the local motel to be able to meaningfully vote to change the city I am rooted in.
I'm talking about people who live in the city for years.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#69The key point here (and biggest advantage of Japanese cities) is that nearly every building is mixed-use by default, regardless of local density levels. This post does a great job illustrating the difference this makes: https://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.htm... For comparison, even our best-case scenarios for urbanism here in the states (like NYC) have incredibly convoluted zoning rules, which i…
> The key point here (and biggest advantage of Japanese cities) is that nearly every building is mixed-use by default,
Also, Japan generally has good mass transit throughout their cities, which essentially doesn't exist in the US. Less mass transit -> more cars -> need for parking -> larger buildings with setbacks to include parking -> less density -> less mass transit... Land use and transportation systems in the US have been co-evolved to the present sub-optimal state we have now.
Re: America could have $4 lunch bowls like Japan but for zoning laws
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've lived in various European cities where I was not able to vote for various reasons. Such as living hotel long-term, living in a holiday home, being semi-homeless, sub-letting, crashing on someones couch. Seasonal workers, migrant workers or people with unstable employment are typically in this situation. No, I was not able to vote.
What do you think makes someone who’s pretty much just passing by entitled to push their opinions on the locals who’ve lived there their entire lives? Especially when that person likely won’t suffer the longterm consequences of it
Not talking about passing by, talking about people living there for years.