Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
HSR, if it comes to the US, would definitely increase long distance commuting and sprawl. It has happened overseas. Particularly if the downtown areas near the stations are a good place to do business.
True, but it also increases centralization around the stations, which is better than decentralized car-centric expansion that eats up land at a quicker pace, causes more pollution, and is disconnected and inefficient.
True, many jobs are further spread out. But how much further out can they be until they are disconnected from the original metro area? How much further out can they be until they are no longer easily accessible?
Why do they have to be connected to the original metro area? Part of the reason that people and job centers move away from the urban core is costs, so if both business and residential costs are less further out, what's the point of being "connected" to the higher cost original?
"Easily accessible" by whom? There's already meeting technology available making face-to-face electronic meetings and telecommuting a reality for many businesses. Many companies already locate their back office operations from call centers to accounting to IT in lower cost places tens or hundreds of miles, perhaps more, from their corporate HQs that are located in high COL areas.
Why do they have to be connected to the original metro area? Part of the reason that people and job centers move away from the urban core is costs, so if both business and residential costs are less further out, what's the point of being "connected" to the higher cost original?
This is generally true. I would add some caveats. Businesses benefit from a certain density of people common to CBDs, and this density bonus is lost on business centers in the very-low-density suburbs. Being in the suburbs, if they are fairly sprawling, also adds back in other transportation costs as the car goes from a convenience to a necessity for mobility.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linda_d
"Easily accessible" by whom? There's already meeting technology available making face-to-face electronic meetings and telecommuting a reality for many businesses. Many companies already locate their back office operations from call centers to accounting to IT in lower cost places tens or hundreds of miles, perhaps more, from their corporate HQs that are located in high COL areas.
Most businesses are SMBs and many are just outright small. And a huge chunk of our economy is small-scale retail and service. The benefits of cutting-edge telepresence tech are lost on these businesses. While someone like GSK, GM, or Dell has a lot to gain by this tech, an office of 10 or 20 people may not have a lot to gain or the costs may simply fail to pencil out. For most small businesses location--being "connected"-- still plays a role.
This is generally true. I would add some caveats. Businesses benefit from a certain density of people common to CBDs, and this density bonus is lost on business centers in the very-low-density suburbs. Being in the suburbs, if they are fairly sprawling, also adds back in other transportation costs as the car goes from a convenience to a necessity for mobility.
Most businesses are SMBs and many are just outright small. And a huge chunk of our economy is small-scale retail and service. The benefits of cutting-edge telepresence tech are lost on these businesses. While someone like GSK, GM, or Dell has a lot to gain by this tech, an office of 10 or 20 people may not have a lot to gain or the costs may simply fail to pencil out. For most small businesses location--being "connected"-- still plays a role.
OTOH, many small businesses can't afford the rents in these hipster TOD-type places.
What generally happens - globally - is when urban sprawl threatens to go on forever, TPTB begin building upwards, instead of laterally. High-rises, not far from the cities, begin to dot the landscape, and before long they're commonplace and the urban sprawl is contained - at least somewhat.
The primary objective is to keep commuting time and costs reasonable so that people can still work in the cities.
My wandering is now large can cities get really? People go to suburbs to escape what ever they do not like about cities. The ultra rich have always had their country estates. As the skilled workforce has moved ;so have many companies because of demographic and cost. Leaving many cities with not enough tax base to keep up the infrastructure. Since WWII the expansion of power and transport as shifted many industry from the bounds of large cities.
OTOH, many small businesses can't afford the rents in these hipster TOD-type places.
Did you change your name...again? This is very confusing.
Anyway, and ignoring the sleight about TOD being somehow only for the pejorative meaning of hipsters, I'm not talking SOHO or some crazy, high-rent or high-density location. Any downtown/CBD for a larger metro is applicable. I'd go so far as to say it doesn't even need to be in the CBD itself, but only in reasonable proximity to it to get the density bonus.
Once a business is further out and density gets below a threshold (which isn't a high bar to begin with), small businesses have significantly fewer connections with each other and fewer employees to choose from. Below some limit, there's just way less human activity and far fewer interactions. This is measurable and represents an opportunity cost for businesses, even small mom-and-pops.
Sprawl will continue until so much arable land is destroyed that people start farming and harvesting pavement to eat.
...
Uh, wait.
That means...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
