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I guess it's obvious that walking is more good for the environment and cheaper than driving.
Not that our environmental issues in this country are that bad but I guess that's something we have to pay for with the convenience of owning a car, which seems to not be a problem with many Americans.
Still, why is it seems people take it more seriously than things like unemployment rate, median household income, average wages, etc...?
It can simply be a perceived 'quality of life' issue (i.e. opinion), but as others have noted there can be tangible and measurable impacts.
The cost of owning/maintaining/driving/parking a vehicle can add up in real dollars once you think about registration, gas, insurance, maintenance, repairs, etc. If you're in a major urban area the cost of parking can run $20/day. In some cases it can be net positive to live somewhere with a slightly higher cost of living if you can afford to reduce the miles you drive or moreso the number of cars your household owns.
Not to mention that sitting in traffic can be deleterious to one's physical and mental health whereas to a point walking is generally good for you.
So there's certainly a component of people just chasing the trend, but within limits it can be a rational, fact-driven decision as well.
I guess it's obvious that walking is more good for the environment and cheaper than driving.
Not that our environmental issues in this country are that bad but I guess that's something we have to pay for with the convenience of owning a car, which seems to not be a problem with many Americans.
Still, why is it seems people take it more seriously than things like unemployment rate, median household income, average wages, etc...?
Well, it's all connected and contributes to the general outlook of an area. But I don't really see where discussing one or few pieces of data is being taken more serious than other pieces of data. Assuming you're from and/or living in Texas, you're subliminally addressing the attacks on Texas cities?
Well, it's all connected and contributes to the general outlook of an area. But I don't really see where discussing one or few pieces of data is being taken more serious than other pieces of data. Assuming you're from and/or living in Texas, you're subliminally addressing the attacks on Texas cities?
The Los Angeles vs Houston thread goes on for pages and pages talking about how more dense and urban Los Angeles is than Houston, it's very obvious and all of us here know that Los Angeles is more urban and dense.
Thing is people went on and on and on and on about it when they could of brought up something like Crime rates, something L.A has an advantage over Houston and something that contributes to everybodys quality of life.
The Los Angeles vs Houston thread goes on for pages and pages talking about how more dense and urban Los Angeles is than Houston, it's very obvious and all of us here know that Los Angeles is more urban and dense.
Thing is people went on and on and on and on about it when they could of brought up something like Crime rates, something L.A has an advantage over Houston and something that contributes to everybodys quality of life.
Most of the city vs city threads aren't posted by people are planning on living there. Density and walkability are easier for outsiders to judge. I didn't know that the crime difference between Los Angeles and Houston was that big, but I can tell that they're built up rather differently. I personally find how cities are built up interesting.
For people who expect to drive, the difference between a 5 minute trip and a 10 minute trip might not be noticeable. But for a pedestrian that could be the difference between a 15 minute walk and an hour trip that may involve transit.
So the car free will need to ask more questions and we notice that more.
There is a pretty wide selection of affordable eco friendly cars now days
Traffic is worse in cities that are more dense compared to spread out cities
Building roads and freeways is much cheaper than building rail lines and train cars
A new eco friendly car costs 15k dollars, I can walk or bike for virtually nothing and it is far healthier for myself and the environment. You still have all that plastic and metal that had to be made for the car.
It seems like people care more about density and walkability than things like cost of living, wages, median household income, unemployment rate, etc...
So what makes Density and Walkability so important?
Well this is a forum about cities, and density and walkability are what makes cities interesting to a lot of people. It makes for a vibrant atmosphere and puts a lot of entertainment and amenities within an easily accessible footprint. People will visit or move to cities like Paris and New York just to experience density and walkability, and their high demands are what makes them so expensive.
I do think the other things you mentioned are discussed a lot around this forum as well. Different people just have different priorities and interests.
I'm not sure what is so enticing about the density of New York City where all the streets are teeming with people, you'd be hard pressed to find a spot in the city where you can enjoy peace and quiet. There's something to be desired about living in the suburbs, a small town, out in the country, or just a more spaced out neighborhood right by the city. Space, peace, land of your own, a car, less noise, less stress, less busy. I don't know, perhaps that way of thinking and the people who clamor for that kind of life is shrinking.
I grew up in a suburb of New York City, many people I grew up with weren't particularly interested in peace and quiet or more space at least in their 20s, the view was NYC is exciting. A lot of suburbia feels a bit desolate to me. Most parts roads are full of noisy cars but barely any humans out. Cities in their own way can feel friendlier, or even more so smaller towns that have people walking around. As to there's something desireable to be in a more spaced out, not everyone feels that way, nor do they find denser more stressful. I like nature and being in an empty area but not really interested in living in that spaced out of an area, just visiting.
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