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What kinds of regulations are there for basketball hoops?
I wasn't familiar with local bylaws, but so I looked online. Both Oakville (my suburb) and Toronto allow front yard vegetables. There can be issues mostly related to safety though, like maximum height (esp close to the street) or having boxes too close to the street.
It's true there are differences between suburbs in Canada and the USA (like the front yards, which I didn't know about), but I'm partly trying to show what suburbs could be and that they don't necessarily have to be bad. And Canadian suburbs could be better too if they were more mixed use and had less retail in the strip mall format. More BRT and higher density nodes would be good too, but those are already being built/planned. A lot of the suburban downtowns still have lots of parking lots along streets and busy 6 lane arterials, although several have plans to change that too.
memph: Most of the suburbs built in the United States over the past few decades are CIDs, Common Interest Developments. They often utilize restrictive covenants, codes and restrictions (CC&Rs) that create limits on things like objects that can be placed in the yard, colors of house paint, even things like parking a car on the driveway. They are private regulations, enacted between the property purchaser and the homeowner's association of the development. Violation of these CC&Rs can be punished by a fine or even forfeiture of property. They are not enforced by local government, but by the HOA.
All of these theories that the United States is on the brink of disaster are ridiculous. A year and a half ago, people on this very forum were predicting that gas prices would currently be around $4 per gallon on average; the average gas price here in Arizona is between $2.20 and $2.60 per gallon. With the high gas, there was also expected to be a mass exodus of people abandoning the suburbs for central cities or demanding public transportation. Hasn't happened.
Three years later, I look at posts like these and I wonder. Gas is obviously over $4 a gallon. Unemployment is over 8%. Realistically it's about two or three times that figure, but long-term unemployed people are too depressing to continuously count.
So... What is it like for you, Average American, out there? With your mortgage you lost, the job you lost and the gas hovering over $4? Do you still have the same myopic consideration re: sprawl?
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I would really like to know your prediction for how the United States is about to spiral down into 3rd world status. All signs are pointing to the economy slowly improving. Do you expect people to be living in massive shanty towns? Do you expect us to see emaciated people starving to death in the streets? Do you expect people in this country to all the sudden lack access to clean water? Do you expect open drains along the sides of the roads in the suburbs where everyone has to use the toilet because of a lack of plumbing?
Contrary to your belief, the United States still has more money than the vast majority of 3rd world countries put together. The way I see it, the American way of life is not coming to a close anytime soon.
Oh, this is darkly amusing. Yes, actually. Massive shanty towns have sprung up again. They aren't called "Hoovervilles" these days, and in fact, they aren't called anything at all. We try to pretend that they don't exist. People starving to death in the streets and having no access to clean water is called "homelessness", or "prolonged and agonizing exposure to a failed economy".
Or in Arizona, "the most severe drought in recorded history".
With regards to this final statement, isn't it just the hallmark of the prevailing ignorance that finally died? The dollar is a much devalued currency. You can have as many as you like. With inflation raising food and energy, unemployment staying high and deflation pressing wages back to 1992, "a" dollar as fewer uses than the paper it is printed on.
Three years later, I look at posts like these and I wonder. Gas is obviously over $4 a gallon. Unemployment is over 8%. Realistically it's about two or three times that figure, but long-term unemployed people are too depressing to continuously count.
So... What is it like for you, Average American, out there? With your mortgage you lost, the job you lost and the gas hovering over $4? Do you still have the same myopic consideration re: sprawl?
Oh, this is darkly amusing. Yes, actually. Massive shanty towns have sprung up again. They aren't called "Hoovervilles" these days, and in fact, they aren't called anything at all. We try to pretend that they don't exist. People starving to death in the streets and having no access to clean water is called "homelessness", or "prolonged and agonizing exposure to a failed economy".
Or in Arizona, "the most severe drought in recorded history".
With regards to this final statement, isn't it just the hallmark of the prevailing ignorance that finally died? The dollar is a much devalued currency. You can have as many as you like. With inflation raising food and energy, unemployment staying high and deflation pressing wages back to 1992, "a" dollar as fewer uses than the paper it is printed on.
Yeah, things'll get tough. But its not like its anything the human race hasn't been through already. We'll make it one way or another. Maybe we should have thought a bit less about ourselves and a bit more about how we're making things for our children and grandchildren.
Three years later, I look at posts like these and I wonder. Gas is obviously over $4 a gallon. Unemployment is over 8%. Realistically it's about two or three times that figure, but long-term unemployed people are too depressing to continuously count.
Current national gas price is $3.65. Current U-5 (includes discouraged and marginally attached workers) is 10.0 (unadjusted), 9.7 (seasonally adjusted). Current U-6 (includes part-time who would like to be full time) is 15.2 (unadjusted), 15.0 adjusted. So, no, not 2-3 times that figure. Things are bad, but not as bad as you make them out.
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So... What is it like for you, Average American, out there? With your mortgage you lost, the job you lost and the gas hovering over $4? Do you still have the same myopic consideration re: sprawl?
I had a fixed-rate mortgage, and I found another job. Eventually another house and another job (also another fixed-rate mortage). I'm not sure what sprawl had to do with it, though; living in the city I'd have still lost my job, and gasoline simply wasn't a major expenditure... especially when I wasn't working.
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Or in Arizona, "the most severe drought in recorded history".
I don't think sprawl had anything to do with that either.
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With regards to this final statement, isn't it just the hallmark of the prevailing ignorance that finally died? The dollar is a much devalued currency. You can have as many as you like. With inflation raising food and energy, unemployment staying high and deflation pressing wages back to 1992, "a" dollar as fewer uses than the paper it is printed on.
Ah, price inflation and wage deflation? A nasty scenario indeed. Fortunately not actually happening.
Current national gas price is $3.65. Current U-5 (includes discouraged and marginally attached workers) is 10.0 (unadjusted), 9.7 (seasonally adjusted). Current U-6 (includes part-time who would like to be full time) is 15.2 (unadjusted), 15.0 adjusted. So, no, not 2-3 times that figure. Things are bad, but not as bad as you make them out.
I had a fixed-rate mortgage, and I found another job. Eventually another house and another job (also another fixed-rate mortage). I'm not sure what sprawl had to do with it, though; living in the city I'd have still lost my job, and gasoline simply wasn't a major expenditure... especially when I wasn't working.
I don't think sprawl had anything to do with that either.
Ah, price inflation and wage deflation? A nasty scenario indeed. Fortunately not actually happening.
Wish I could rep you again! (Don't you hate it when you rep a post by a member, then find one by that person you like even better?)
I typed up an answer to coldwine's post yesterday, and it got eaten in cyberspace. I said basically the same things. And you know what gets me about inflation? Back in the 70s, inflation was supposed to be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Now, some economists complain that there is NO inflation. I guess whatever the financial situation is, the opposite is better!
I too have no idea what inflation has to do with sprawl.
Rampant inflation appears to be a myth right now. Anyway, I think fuel is going to get pretty high as the economy slowly recovers. Which is fine with me.
Wish I could rep you again! (Don't you hate it when you rep a post by a member, then find one by that person you like even better?)
I typed up an answer to coldwine's post yesterday, and it got eaten in cyberspace. I said basically the same things. And you know what gets me about inflation? Back in the 70s, inflation was supposed to be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Now, some economists complain that there is NO inflation. I guess whatever the financial situation is, the opposite is better!
I too have no idea what inflation has to do with sprawl.
During the 70s inflation was bad and unemployment was high. It was called stagflation and the rate was of inflation during that period was generally in the 10% range. Right now it's around 2% and that's generally the rate the fed keeps it up. Problem is that the fed is a little afraid to do anything for various reasons(it's an election year and people automatically assume inflation is bad). The current policy assumes the economy is at full employment. Ideally, I think it should be in the 3-4 range until either employment improves or it starts creeping past that.
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Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown
Rampant inflation appears to be a myth right now. Anyway, I think fuel is going to get pretty high as the economy slowly recovers. Which is fine with me.
Yup, it's because of inflation hawks. Looking at the TIPS suggest inflation fears are unfounded. And yeah I agree 100%. Higher gas prices are a sign of a recovering economy. With gas prices around $3.50, I imagine they'll be in the $4.00 range when the economy is fully recovered. What will Americans do then? Subsidize the price of oil to make it cheaper or invest in alternative infrastructure.
Don't worry I'm pretty sure in a thousand years no people will be left and everything we built nature will take back. just google the show life after people.
How long will it be before wildlife returns, if there is any left and will the pythons have taken over Florida ?
How long will it be before wildlife returns, if there is any left and will the pythons have taken over Florida ?
Won't be long. The bears and coyotes are already in New Jersey. The wolf would likely have returned if humans would let it.
Seriously, if there's a niche, it'll get filled. And we'd have to do a lot worse than some lawns and asphalt to destroy the niches. Get rid of the humans and even Manhattan would be filled with wildlife in short order. Certainly within 1000 years easy.
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