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A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

chrisbarber.co

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Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#131

Post by hombre_fatal »

cpursley wrote: post #120
HEmanZ wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would you get groceries tho? Everyone would starve! (Ive had multiple family members who said this after I mentioned I didn’t have a car for 4 years while living in a major city)

When traveling in Eastern Europe I did my best to explain that you literally can't buy groceries without owning a car in most places in North America; people were legit confused by the logistics of it (even villages and single family house neighborhoods have corner grocery stores in walking distances and bus stops).

I wonder how much surplus calorie intake in the US is related to weekly grocery trips where you store hundreds of thousands of calories in your house at any time.

It's one of the first things that stick out when I live somewhere walkable where I can walk to the corner shop for a can of beans and avocados on demand, and I can keep my fridge/pantry quite barren of perishable food.

For example, in the US, even buying a bag of ten apples from Costco means I'm probably going to eat five apples today. Versus picking up one apple on my walk back home when I feel for an apple.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#132

Post by wpm »

rickydroll wrote: post #113
crooked-v wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Market forces shut down development if housing prices drop There's a huge gap there where building housing would still be entirely profitable, if only we didn't have the self-inflicted wound of the permitting and zoning process in most major US being extremely slow and expensive. For example, new row houses are explicitly or implicitly illegal in many cities (and thus all the old ones are extremely expensive), desp…

Multifamily housing is not terribly popular here in New England, mostly because developers are cheap ass bastards and skimp on noise proofing. When my partner was renting in a two-family house, we could hear the landlord's child running, yelling, screaming, and dropping things. It was hell. It was one of the primary motivations for us to get our own house. My only experience with good multifamily housing was in Eston…

Imagine though, some people might not be able to afford a place with more sound-proofing. Mandating it doesn't magically make it free. This is how we ended up in the situation we have in the first place where its too expensive to get a roof over your head because of hundreds of little rules and stipulations. Would I prefer to sleep under a highway overpass or sleep in an apartment where the bedroom doesn't have a window? Would I really care?

And just because you mind living with noise doesn't mean everyone does. Why should we outright ban places like that if there are people who might not be able to afford something better, or don't care and would like to save some money?

Like, your entire comment is part of the goddamn problem. Don't legislate your preferences.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#133

Post by zozbot234 »

Aurornis wrote: post #104
bix6 wrote: post #15

My dream is for my section of my town to ban cars. It’s already heavy pedestrian but if the cars went away (and everyone had to walk or e-bike or mobility scooter in the zone) it would be a utopia. Sure there’d be some issues to address and frustrations but we’d figure it out. The net would be amazingly positive.

> (and everyone had to walk or e-bike or mobility scooter in the zone) E-bikes are very popular where I live. At first it was great to see people of all ages out biking everywhere. But now everyone has started modifying their e-bikes to be overpowered and not require any pedaling. A lot of the cheap e-bikes have trivial procedures to unlock the power limit. Anyone who can search Reddit can figure out what to buy and…

An "unlocked" e-bike is just an e-moped, and should be confined to streets where mopeds are allowed. It's not even clear that such a vehicle can safely share the street with ordinary bikes, let alone pedestrians.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#134

Post by wpm »

amelius wrote: post #5
abraxas wrote: post #2

If I'm being honest, this list is really daunting. I had no idea that so much red tape stood between North America and pedestrian (i.e. human) friendly places.

Every point on that list is going to generate so many objections that it will probably never take off. Therefore instead of making a list it is probably better to start a dialogue.

The list does start the dialogue.

Otherwise it's one side saying "coulds" and the otherside saying "is'" and there not being any movement on anything.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#135

Post by supplied_demand »

hexis wrote: post #85
chaps wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Confirmation bias is a savory drug, friend.

There is a big difference between confirmation and confirmation bias.

The difference is that confirmation requires evidence. If you had any evidence you would have provided it.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#136

Post by CGMthrowaway »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #127
CGMthrowaway wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don't need to "ban" cars, removing parking minimums effectively does this in a friendlier way while allowing for some vehicles (only the most necessary) and vehicles where they are most needed (businesses will still build parking, just not a "required" excessive amount). In fact removing parking minimums would probably do 50% of the work of this whole list. Combine that with mixed-use zoning, more units per lot (i…

Since they specify a section of their city, I think they just mean fully pedestrianizing that section by blocking off some streets with bollards, letting people roam the full street, letting restaurants put out tables. While you're talking about how to transform a city more systemically. It is kinda crazy to see parts of cities where hundreds of people are confined to sidewalks on a Friday night waiting to cross a st…

>fully pedestrianizing that section by blocking off some streets with bollards, letting people roam the full street, letting restaurants put out tables.

Which is nice, but having experienced that in multiple cities, doesnt truly contribute in a larger meaningful way to "making it easier to build beautiful and walkable places" in the same way

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#137

Post by hombre_fatal »

amelius wrote: post #5
abraxas wrote: post #2

If I'm being honest, this list is really daunting. I had no idea that so much red tape stood between North America and pedestrian (i.e. human) friendly places.

Every point on that list is going to generate so many objections that it will probably never take off. Therefore instead of making a list it is probably better to start a dialogue.

Most people aren't aware of the red tape. The decisions were made before they arrived and now they are seeing the results of it without knowing that the red tape is why things are the way they are.

Like why can't they walk to a cafe. Why a bar needs 100 parking spaces. Why parking dominates their city. Why they can't find a small lot. Why they can't build up to the edges of their own lot. Why they can't find a small house. Why housing prices only increase.

Most people don't realize that a place in Europe they might idealize is illegal to build in the US, and the closest they've experienced it in the US is walking around Disney World.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#138

Post by zozbot234 »

SoftTalker wrote: post #78
eptcyka wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My anecdotal experience visiting LA and SF in 2022 was wild - homeless and mentally ill people yelling, being a public nuissance, defecating on the streets, multi-story tents on the same block as the Hollywood stars. It bewildered me that the same state that houses Apple and Google can’t afford to help these people. Whilst I am empathetic and understand that these people need help, I wouldn’t let an 8 year old roam t…

Those people are there because of the help. Every time a municipality expands support for the homeless and addicted they get more homeless addicts. Surrounding areas will in fact put people on buses and ship them out to towns where there is more support.

This is why Housing First is such a brilliant idea. Give them help, but require them to be stably housed (i.e. on a viable path out of long-term homelessness) before they can access the help.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#139

Post by hombre_fatal »

mikewarot wrote: post #52

My town has some people obsessed with "walkability" and the want to take the ONLY alternative to I 80/94/6/US 41 down to one lane each way... People will die if they get there way, as ambulance and fire vehicles become mired in congestion. Not to mention that the weather for walking is only present for about 20 days per year. Walking everywhere isn't a practical for most people in the Calumet Region of Indiana. There…

Cars cause congestion for emergency vehicles.

A dedicated bus lane or a dedicated cycling lane on the other hand keep a lane free for emergency vehicles to drive in.

I think pretty much anyone who is pro-walkability would hop onboard a car-free lane for emergency vehicles which is a strictly better solution than the status quo where ambulances compete with cars to get people where they need to go.

Re: A list of changes to make it easier to build beautiful and walkable places

#140

Post by zozbot234 »

mikewarot wrote: post #52

My town has some people obsessed with "walkability" and the want to take the ONLY alternative to I 80/94/6/US 41 down to one lane each way... People will die if they get there way, as ambulance and fire vehicles become mired in congestion. Not to mention that the weather for walking is only present for about 20 days per year. Walking everywhere isn't a practical for most people in the Calumet Region of Indiana. There…

Congestion is the result of having too many cars on the road. The only viable solution to having too many cars around is replacing some of the cars with alternative modes of transportation that are more scalable and less congestion-prone. It's not rocket surgery.
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