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Well the cities with the highest number of vehicles also have the highest number of people. What's more interesting is the number of cars per 1000 people list. Note how low Los Angeles is on the list. I wonder if that has to do with poverty and more people who can't afford a car along with more recent immigrants who also can't afford a car.
I think we need perspective.
LA and Houston have 1 car for every 2 people. Only in America do we think that's low.
I disagree jluke. Houston doesn't have less cars per capita because people walk. It could possible be tied to demographics such as a higher percentage under the age of 16. I am curious what the numbers reflect.
NYC has less cars per capita because it's expensive to own one there (insurance, parking, higher living expenses) and the public transportation is so good.
I disagree jluke. Houston doesn't have less cars per capita because people walk. It could possible be tied to demographics such as a higher percentage under the age of 16. I am curious what the numbers reflect.
NYC has less cars per capita because it's expensive to own one there (insurance, parking, higher living expenses) and the public transportation is so good.
I never said that, what I said was people underestimate the amount of people that do walk in Houston. I feel no zoning also plays in part in this as well.
Okay. Perhaps I was quick to draw the conclusion that Houston has less cars per capita because people underestimate the amount walking Houstoners (is that correct?) do.
Okay. Perhaps I was quick to draw the conclusion that Houston has less cars per capita because people underestimate the amount walking Houstoners (is that correct?) do.
How does zoning, or lack of, play a role?
You have all types of businesses put right down in the middle of residental neighborhoods.
Okay. Perhaps I was quick to draw the conclusion that Houston has less cars per capita because people underestimate the amount walking Houstoners (is that correct?) do.
How does zoning, or lack of, play a role?
Houstonians...that's like the billionth time I've corrected someone on here. (It gets really annoying, especially when people (not you) say they know so much about Houston and then call us "houstoners.") I love houstoner, but she really ruined our demonym on here. LOL!
In my experience, people usually start driving around here as early as possible. Unfortunately, it's also not uncommon to know someone who drives without a license here, either. It also might have something to do with demographics, though. When my mom separated from my dad in my childhood (with no child support), my sisters and I lived without a car for quite a while (2 or 3 years) until she could afford to buy one, and my mom worked far away from her job. And sadly enough, Houston is one of the few cities where single moms can make it on one, mediocre salary.
Houston is fairly walkable in quite a few places, mostly the Inner Loop and West Houston; However, Houston does have a lot of geographically large, outlying areas that are not very walkable to counter that. It's just much less walkable/less dense than what would be expected in many other cities (in other words: many neighborhoods fall middle of the road in comparison) and it's not really much to satisfy the true urbanites. One problem is that blocks tend to be long and streets tend to be wide (with laws in place to keep it that way).
IMO, the no zoning aspect quite sparingly plays a positive role because just about anything can be built...anywhere. (Not always a plus though!) Strip malls may not appeal to many people on here, but they provide a variety of products/services all in one place. My biggest gripe about them is the unmaintained parking lots and poor aesthetic appeal. So in some cases, where Houston lacks in density, it sometimes makes up for it through chance convenience. (This is something that only residents can appreciate, IMO. For most visitors (and sometimes residents), it simply results in frustration/confusion.) The primary problem with this is that Houston has 5+ business districts, forcing many to have hefty commutes, or live closer to where they work, and that's just one case where the lack of zoning doesn't work very well.
Last edited by theSUBlime; 05-21-2009 at 01:53 AM..
LA and Houston have 1 car for every 2 people. Only in America do we think that's low.
LOL
I see what you're saying. I really do. But yes that number is low when you consider that LA and Houston are two of the most car-centric places in the country. Those number say that there are a large number of poor folks who long for a car but cant' afford it. I seriously doubt that those number are reflecting a large number of folks being environmentally conscious, come on it's Texas for crying outloud. So I stand by my statement. Maybe more needs to be done to help those folks. Maybe more mixed income apartment complexes so people can live near their jobs. The hood usually isn't a good source of employmentl.
A car is often the difference between a job and not having one. There are many places of employment that will not hire you if you don't have a car. Some places have good reason. A warehouse for example might need someone who can work odd hours after buses have stopped running. Lots of low income places of employment put source of transportation on job applications. Not all will deny someone for not having a car but lots of places will explicitly not hire you if you don't have a car. Again, I've only seen this on low paying job applications. No well paying job I've ever applied for asked me how I was getting to work, they just expected me to get there on time.
Now with that being said: "more needs to be done to put more cars on overcrowded roads". Obviously environmentally and just for the sake of traffic more folks don't need to be on the road. Also both cities have buses and we live in a capitalistic society if one wants a car then one should work for it. So maybe those numbers are low because there's so many new arrivals in those cities. Just like everyone else they have to work their way up to having enough money for car ownership. I'm sure someone from those cities would be able to explain the low numbers for LA and Houston versus me just guessing.
Houstonians...that's like the billionth time I've corrected someone on here. (It gets really annoying, especially when people (not you) say they know so much about Houston and then call us "houstoners.") I love houstoner, but she really ruined our demonym on here. LOL!
In my experience, people usually start driving around here as early as possible. Unfortunately, it's also not uncommon to know someone who drives without a license here, either. It also might have something to do with demographics, though. When my mom separated from my dad in my childhood (with no child support), my sisters and I lived without a car for quite a while (2 or 3 years) until she could afford to buy one, and my mom worked far away from her job. And sadly enough, Houston is one of the few cities where single moms can make it on one, mediocre salary.
Houston is fairly walkable in quite a few places, mostly the Inner Loop and West Houston; However, Houston does have a lot of geographically large, outlying areas that are not very walkable to counter that. It's just much less walkable/less dense than what would be expected in many other cities (in other words: many neighborhoods fall middle of the road in comparison) and it's not really much to satisfy the true urbanites. One problem is that blocks tend to be long and streets tend to be wide (with laws in place to keep it that way).
IMO, the no zoning aspect quite sparingly plays a positive role because just about anything can be built...anywhere. (Not always a plus though!) Strip malls may not appeal to many people on here, but they provide a variety of products/services all in one place. My biggest gripe about them is the unmaintained parking lots and poor aesthetic appeal. So in some cases, where Houston lacks in density, it sometimes makes up for it through chance convenience. (This is something that only residents can appreciate, IMO. For most visitors (and sometimes residents), it simply results in frustration/confusion.) The primary problem with this is that Houston has 5+ business districts, forcing many to have hefty commutes, or live closer to where they work, and that's just one case where the lack of zoning doesn't work very well.
Well living closer to where one works is a good thing. It's a luxury though because usually business centers are either surrounded by expensive neighborhoods or dangerous ones.
I don't know living near a strip mall is nice but I'll bet those walking wish they were in a car during the summer. I remember when I was 20 walking a mile and a half to work during a 100 degree heat wave. That summer sucked. But what can you do? I eventually stopped shopping so much and started saving and eventually got a car.
You have all types of businesses put right down in the middle of residental neighborhoods.
That is definitely one thing I like about Houston. And I agree with you, when businesses are allowed to exist in residential areas (and vice-versa) it means more people live within walking distance of jobs, shopping, and entertainment.
.......wait, I thought nobody in New York City drives?
They have as much cars on the road as car/sprawl capital Los Angeles!
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