What are some misconceptions people have about the suburbs? (population, Philadelphia, development)

[iNviNciBL3]

All cookie cutter homes....
Of the suburbs in the Twin Cities I've never seen a "Cookie cutter" neighborhood. Just townhouses you see cookie cutter

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Nor is the price of any form of transportation, as we have discussed ad infinitum.

I wonder how much more harmful jamming an elevated freeway into a neighborhood is than installing light rail. 100 times as much?

Suburban users of freeways here do not pay for the blight they created.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

Usually provided courtesy of interstates which tore through urban neighborhoods years ago. Most continue to have a detrimental effect on cities. The price of convenience is not fully paid by the user.

Sure it is. It's a tollway.

There is also light rail.

[pvande55]

Everyone is well off. Kids don't use heroin. Their biggest concern is their lawn.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by stan4

Sure it is. It's a tollway.

There is also light rail.

That's good (big fan of tolling here) but What about the decline in property values and health effects of homes adjacent to it? Granted modern highways are far better in this regard, but the elevated highways of the east coast are noisy, dark, foreboding... And here, it definitely forms a border and hinders development in my city.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

That's good (big fan of tolling here) but What about the decline in property values and health effects of homes adjacent to it? Granted modern highways are far better in this regard, but the elevated highways of the east coast are noisy, dark, foreboding... And here, it definitely forms a border and hinders development in my city.

Actually, it's considered desirable to be close to the tollway.

You can even see in the write-up for homes - "Close to XYZ tollway, etc."

In some places where people have to travel a lot to get what they want, being near a highway is not a bad thing.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by BobMarley_1LOVE

All cookie cutter homes....

It doesn't get any more cookie cutter than Philadelphia's row houses.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by stan4

Actually, it's considered desirable to be close to the tollway.

You can even see in the write-up for homes - "Close to XYZ tollway, etc."

In some places where people have to travel a lot to get what they want, being near a highway is not a bad thing.

Having to drive a lot is not a good thing, IMO. I mean the property that is right. Next to the highway and not an entrance, thereby being subjected to the noise and pollution yet reaping no benefits. Would that property be worth more? Is highway noise desirable?

[stan4]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

Having to drive a lot is not a good thing, IMO. I mean the property that is right. Next to the highway and not an entrance, thereby being subjected to the noise and pollution yet reaping no benefits. Would that property be worth more? Is highway noise desirable?

I think given where you live, you might not understand our set-up.
Though I do agree that many places right off the freeway are not so good.

[almost3am]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

Usually provided courtesy of interstates which tore through urban neighborhoods years ago. Most continue to have a detrimental effect on cities. The price of convenience is not fully paid by the user.

I'm sure you guys on the Urban Planning forum have talked about this forever, but I just read a book (ok, only 3/4 of it) on how the interstate system developed in the US. It was pretty interesting how urban planners tried to figure out how to control traffic for the numbers of cars on the road. The story also explained how planners consistently underestimated demand for cars in the US and how different states had different approaches to road building until a federal interstate system went in place (different designs, materials, and general approaches). Even without good roads, people kept buying cars which created huge gridlock in the middle of the city.

One point I took out of the book was that people had a strong desire to move out of the city center and they also were buying cars without good roads, but then as good roads went in to meet current needs, demand went up again. A cycle of demand, infrastructure, more demand.

One intersting thing about the book, is it talked about the evolution from horse, to bike, to car, but didn't talk a lot about public transportation.