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If a new city was built have subway stops in the middle of the super blocks and only have the streets in those blocks wide enough for bikes and walking. No cars at all in them.
Then have green buildings. Here's a shipping container one that turned out ok, not green enough though. If anyone is good at pc's you can take my idea and make it better. Make a city. I might learn how to do it someday.
If a new city was built have subway stops in the middle of the super blocks and only have the streets in those blocks wide enough for bikes and walking. No cars at all in them.
Then have green buildings. Here's a shipping container one that turned out ok, not green enough though. If anyone is good at pc's you can take my idea and make it better. Make a city. I might learn how to do it someday.
I'd say you're right. This is a great video and a great concept. If implemented on a large scale superblocks are likely to be very effective and result in a higher overall quality of life for the significant majority of residents.
That's not a stretch to say since so many of the most appealing urban districts across the country are already just modified versions of superblocks. The video gave the examples of Times Square Pedestrian Plaza in New York, Downtown Crossing in Boston and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It also stated one of the reasons these areas are somewhat rare is because of misguided zoning practices here in the States -- primarily single use zoning versus mixed use zoning, and zoning to accommodate vehicle traffic rather than to accommodate foot traffic. The formula is obvious and simple but Americans (usually) just blatantly ignore it, and the biggest reason is we've been brainwashed over a period of several generations to believe it's impossible to live lives of convenience without cars being at the center of that convenience -- even defining that convenience.
The post-WWII auto industry lobby might have been one of the most effectively destructive forces on American culture in our history, as they succeeded in getting our leaders and our country overall to discard city planning models with walkability and efficient mass movement of people in mind -- city planning principles that had already proved effective over a period of several thousand years -- in exchange for highways and McMansions.
Fortunately the cream always rises, so we're undergoing a reversal where the American cities that are closer to this model, or that are at least evolving towards this model with their new developments, appear to be getting excellent reviews from visitors, young educated transplants, and the business owners who set up shop in these superblock-style communities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sorupaa
If a new city was built have subway stops in the middle of the super blocks and only have the streets in those blocks wide enough for bikes and walking. No cars at all in them.
Great idea. The subways would eliminate the need for cars. And it doesn't even have to be a new city. After all Barcelona's not exactly a sunbelt town that has only morphed into a big city in the past several decades. It's a global city steeped in thousands of years of rich history going back to the Roman Empire, and it's making big changes. The cities that survive over the long term are those that can admit their mistakes and evolve appropriately.
We don't have to just accept that our cities are too sprawled to go back and urbanize. We need to admit we made some mistakes and put our best efforts towards fixing them. Bring on the superblocks!
Local roads are still open for local deliveries. Just not through traffic.
And considering the area is already dense enough for superblocks, I'd guess getting a couch home was already much tougher than it would be in a typical U.S. suburb. Presumably you just have to pay someone to do it for you / carry it with your friends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dallasgoldrush
I'd say you're right. This is a great video and a great concept. If implemented on a large scale superblocks are likely to be very effective and result in a higher overall quality of life for the significant majority of residents.
That's not a stretch to say since so many of the most appealing urban districts across the country are already just modified versions of superblocks. The video gave the examples of Times Square Pedestrian Plaza in New York, Downtown Crossing in Boston and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It also stated one of the reasons these areas are somewhat rare is because of misguided zoning practices here in the States -- primarily single use zoning versus mixed use zoning, and zoning to accommodate vehicle traffic rather than to accommodate foot traffic. The formula is obvious and simple but Americans (usually) just blatantly ignore it, and the biggest reason is we've been brainwashed over a period of several generations to believe it's impossible to live lives of convenience without cars being at the center of that convenience -- even defining that convenience.
Those are all tourist areas. This is not where normal people live. And it works well in those areas.
The basic idea of superblocks is essentially to limit the amount of through traffic in built-up areas. It seems like a pretty reasonable and non-controversial idea. You find this sort of thinking in all sorts of places. Many car-dependent suburbs are like this, too; major roads (that no one wants to live on) with lots of traffic and lots of side streets with minimal traffic. What suburban American boy hasn't played street football or hockey, calling "game off" whenever a car came through?
Also, cars are awesome. Living in dense urban areas can be exciting for a variety of reasons, but things are just harder when your only options are walking and biking. For a lot of people, the vivacity of urban living is well worth the trade-off, but it's not for everyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dallasgoldrush
The post-WWII auto industry lobby might have been one of the most effectively destructive forces on American culture in our history, as they succeeded in getting our leaders and our country overall to discard city planning models with walkability and efficient mass movement of people in mind -- city planning principles that had already proved effective over a period of several thousand years -- in exchange for highways and McMansions.
I don't think it's fair to say that city planning principles really chose walkability for thousands of years. It was really the only option. You also wanted to be inside the walls when siege started.
heres a cool version i just made. theres a pic that you can kinda see how theres parking under a building. it would be easy to put a couch in a apartment
hopfully the pics will work this time
Also, cars are awesome. Living in dense urban areas can be exciting for a variety of reasons, but things are just harder when your only options are walking and biking. For a lot of people, the vivacity of urban living is well worth the trade-off, but it's not for everyone.
Cars are certainly awesome as an option. But as a necessity? That's difficult to embrace.
Americans who desire car dependent living have virtually unlimited options, but those who prefer vibrant urban living have comparatively few options. I'd just like to see things balance out a little more in that regard.
I think I found the real link for imgur, it was sorta hidden.
Sorry about this, the internet is starting to be less free. I saw a video today about how you won't be able to do anything on the internet some day, just big corporations post stuff or something.
Testing
It works, that's the shipping container building that would fit perfect in a superblock
Local roads are still open for local deliveries. Just not through traffic.
And considering the area is already dense enough for superblocks, I'd guess getting a couch home was already much tougher than it would be in a typical U.S. suburb. Presumably you just have to pay someone to do it for you / carry it with your friends.
Those are all tourist areas. This is not where normal people live. And it works well in those areas.
The basic idea of superblocks is essentially to limit the amount of through traffic in built-up areas. It seems like a pretty reasonable and non-controversial idea. You find this sort of thinking in all sorts of places. Many car-dependent suburbs are like this, too; major roads (that no one wants to live on) with lots of traffic and lots of side streets with minimal traffic. What suburban American boy hasn't played street football or hockey, calling "game off" whenever a car came through?
Also, cars are awesome. Living in dense urban areas can be exciting for a variety of reasons, but things are just harder when your only options are walking and biking. For a lot of people, the vivacity of urban living is well worth the trade-off, but it's not for everyone.
I don't think it's fair to say that city planning principles really chose walkability for thousands of years. It was really the only option. You also wanted to be inside the walls when siege started.
I used to live in a place that was across a little creek. We had a bad flood and the car bridge washed away. It was only a 100 ft walk across a foot bridge to get to the house. It took the county 4 years to rebuild the road bridge. At first we lived there but it was miserable trying to carry everything over the food bridge. So we moved out and rented the house. Everyone thought it was cool. That was untill they lived there and had to lug everything over the bridge. The average tenant lasted only 2 months before they demanded to move out due to the inconvenience. The reality is that people have stuff. lots of stuff and much of it is heavy.
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