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Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

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Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#2
I noticed this pattern of development in my town of Livingston, in Scotland. it's a "new town" i.e. was planned and built in the 50s to support the postwar boom. It is one of the few places in Scotland that were designed as suburbs around a big shopping mall, which makes it a distinctly soulless and culture-lite town.

The channel this video is from is out of this world. It redefined how I think about the cities and towns we live in and what is the objectively correct way to build them - with waaaaay more mixed use walkable residential.

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#4

I noticed this pattern of development in my town of Livingston, in Scotland. it's a "new town" i.e. was planned and built in the 50s to support the postwar boom. It is one of the few places in Scotland that were designed as suburbs around a big shopping mall, which makes it a distinctly soulless and culture-lite town. The channel this video is from is out of this world. It redefined how I think about the cities and t…

Most of the remaining walkable neighborhoods in the states were built before that time period too. It’s unfortunate that we let automakers and fossil fuel interests take our cities hostage with car dependent designs.

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#6
post #5
post #3

Is there a textual summary somewhere?

Here is an article that was referenced in the video: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason...

Thanks! Good read, hopefully will have time to read the whole series (and watch the video!) eventually.

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#7
Of course it is. Now let's discuss the Chesterton Fence: When did they start subsidizing it, and why? In the US, remember that Eisenhower sold the interstate highway system as a defense item. After the firebombing of European cities, after Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and with the potential of the cold war turning hot, doesn't it make sense to "nudge" people out of the cities--to de-densify the population centers? And with the current geopolitical situation, such considerations are pertinent as ever.

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#8
post #5
post #3

Is there a textual summary somewhere?

Here is an article that was referenced in the video: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason...

Read that before. It’s amazing how it just lays out how an entire way of life is not sustainable.

Of course, I live in a walkable neighbourhood in Europe, so it’s easy for me to say that.

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#9
post #8
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is an article that was referenced in the video: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason...

Read that before. It’s amazing how it just lays out how an entire way of life is not sustainable. Of course, I live in a walkable neighbourhood in Europe, so it’s easy for me to say that.

Not even sustainable on a simple medium term economical basis, regardless of externalities (environmental/human health impacts). But that's arguably a good thing, as long as we don't run out of money before making the necessary changes...

Re: Suburbia Is Subsidized: Here's the Math

#10
post #4

I noticed this pattern of development in my town of Livingston, in Scotland. it's a "new town" i.e. was planned and built in the 50s to support the postwar boom. It is one of the few places in Scotland that were designed as suburbs around a big shopping mall, which makes it a distinctly soulless and culture-lite town. The channel this video is from is out of this world. It redefined how I think about the cities and t…

Most of the remaining walkable neighborhoods in the states were built before that time period too. It’s unfortunate that we let automakers and fossil fuel interests take our cities hostage with car dependent designs.

The Not Just Bikes YT channel recently observed that building new walkable neighborhoods in the US and Canada is not legal.

The existing pre-war walkable neighborhoods are all we are going to get and they are expensive. We made walking to school a thing for rich kids.

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