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.
Since we all b***h and moan about whats wrong with this fair city, why don't we come up with ways to make it truly a 1st class city that could rival London, Paris, and yes, even New York.....
1) Fix the education system. I for one, like that Rhee lady. She seems to be actually taking drastic measures to fix our schools. It's a shame that the DCPS Union people are so up in arms about her. Maybe if they were doing their jobs in the first place, this wouldn't be happening. I also think they need to beef up security in schools, build new ones, and look into hiring teachers from around the country to work in our nations capital. The city could also look into building a proper community college system in DC.
2) More cops. Crime is dropping already and we need to keep it there. I feel for our cops. A few of my friends are popo and they are working like Hebrew slaves.
3) Fix the Metro. Make it 24/7. Beef up security. Get the light rail up and running. Since there are only so many places to build metro stations, hopefully the light rail lines will fill in the gaps.
4) Get rid of this height limit...in certain areas. I like that the monuments can be seen throughout the region, but I think if DC wants to get more companies to invest in the city, they need to give them room to grow. Areas like NoMa, and the Nats stadium area should have height limits relaxed a bit. I'm not saying build another Sears Tower, but the buildings in Rosslyn look about a decent height. Of course, anywhere surrounding the National Mall should be left off limits.
5) Grant DC statehood. Too many senators from Utah are making getting anything done in DC a pain in the azz.
6) Get the Redskins back into the District and give the United a proper stadium so they don't run off to Bumf**K, Egypt.
I'm sure theres more, but thats all I have for now...
-Change the school system...make it wealth based instead of job based...entrepeneurship/ownership/wealth creation should be the focus...not finding a low paying job...
-expand metro hours if financial feasible
-encourage mixed housing neighborhoods...quit the segregation...
NoMa is too close to the capitol. I'd say relax the height limits in Columbia Heights, Petworth, and east of the Anacostia river. All of those area are either far enough or up on a hill or valley so having high rises wouldn't really block the view of the national mall.
Yeah, US really screwed up its cities. I agree with the Marine about everything except height. There's an unbelievable amount of underutilzed land in the city still near downtown and a lot of new offices that are struggling for tenants. No need to go up. If DC were full of skyscrapers, downtown would be a pittance to what it is.
DC's far better off modeling itself on Paris or Rome, not these skyscraper cities. Pretty skylines are fine, but they're rather useless if there's no justification for them. So, I don't think Hong Kong, Tokyo, or any other cities really embarrass NY or even DC in that sense.
All those things listed are easier said then done.
1) Fixing education cant be done. Too many underlying problems. Don't take it into offense but, getting rid of the poor should do it. Now I'm not being classist but that is why the schools suck. Kids going home to 1 parent households or going home to a very poor neighborhood does not help the school system and probably weighs it down. I'm talking about middle and high school. Not elementary.
2) More cops is also easier said then done. Those cops have to get paid. That money doesn't come from thin air.
3 I agree with this.
4) DC should allow the downtown to have the height restrictions lifted.
5) DC should not be a state. The number 50 is good. 51 states is just out of place.
Yeah, US really screwed up its cities. I agree with the Marine about everything except height. There's an unbelievable amount of underutilzed land in the city still near downtown and a lot of new offices that are struggling for tenants. No need to go up. If DC were full of skyscrapers, downtown would be a pittance to what it is.
DC's far better off modeling itself on Paris or Rome, not these skyscraper cities. Pretty skylines are fine, but they're rather useless if there's no justification for them. So, I don't think Hong Kong, Tokyo, or any other cities really embarrass NY or even DC in that sense.
The cities you mention do not rank highly in terms of livability or quality of life for its residents. Also why no one models their cities after them anymore. All great for tourists but not so much in terms of quality of life. Then again, they were built hundreds to thousand of years ago, so it is quite understandable.
I do not expect DC to become Tokyo, however, that should not mean the downtown stays dead after federal workers go home. Or that the surrounding areas of DC remain old. Quite frankly, DC is not Paris, therefore, little point in copying them.
No offense but DC has little to offer that compares to Paris, Rome or London. Not exactly too many dirty ghettos or no-go zones, where I can be shot dead, in London now is there. It is not about skyscrapers either, but about those cities aesthetically looking and offering about 100 times better living standard than the DC equivalent areas.
The cities you mention also do not rank highly in terms of livability or quality of life for its residents. Also why no one models their cities after them anymore. All great for tourists but not so much in terms of quality of life. Then again, they were built hundreds to thousand of years ago, so it is quite understandable. I do not expect DC to become Tokyo, however, that should not mean mean the downtown stays dead after federal workers go home. Or that the surrounding areas of DC remain old. Quite frankly, DC is not Paris, therefore, little point in copying it.
Well, DC is based on Paris in its design structure and would be the most natural fit. Anything else would require a drastic reimagining of the entire city. It's obviously not Paris culturally, as Paris serves as the economic, cultural, and political capital of its country. DC, by design, only serves one of those functions. Seems like you have this perception that there are these horrible ghettos all around. Granted, US cities put their wealth in the suburbs and poverty in the city for several decades (reverse of the rest of the world), but I've spent good time in cities all over the world, and while I'd say Sydney is my favorite, DC certainly does not lack in quality and variety of life through its many neighborhoods - at least not to the degree you imply.
It has a ways to go in terms of a vibrant sidewalk culture and such, but it's come a long way in the past couple decades. Downtown certainly doesn't close down at 5 anymore (and, for the record, many financial / commercial parts of downtown New York are pretty desolate at night)
Well, DC is Paris in its design structure and would be the most natural fit. It's obviously not Paris culturally, as Paris serves as both the economic and political capital of its country. DC, by design, only serves one of those functions. I have to wonder how much time you've spent here. Seems like you have this perception that there are these horrible ghettos all around. Granted, US cities put their wealth in the suburbs and poverty in the city for several decades (reverse of the rest of the world), but I've spent good time in cities all over the world, and while I'd say Sydney is my favorite, DC certainly does not lack in quality and variety of life through its many neighborhoods - at least not to the degree you imply.
It has a ways to go in terms of a vibrant sidewalk culture and such, but it's come a long way in the past couple decades.
DC has a lot of potential but unfortunately it all stops in that stage. The monuments and structures created a while ago are all great, but the post 00's stuff is severely lacking; yet are important things that attract both people and tourist to the city. Being a transient city alone, is not good for the area at all. People should move here and want to stay here. Young professionals from around the country and the world should want to move here and live here. That is how you construct a vibrant and growing city.
Not exactly too many things to do around the vicinity where the majority of tourists visit - the national mall. All of the parks and waterways surrounding these areas should have cafes and restaurants. DC has some fantastic waterways and views that are simply unused. The Marinas in Sydney and Vancouver, for example, are new and have a range of restaurants for people to dine at or lounges to relax. Also have a range of bars and upmarket clubs for people to relax after work. Not DC. Or are we trying to keep the Marina boring too?
Modernizing DC does not mean becoming a skyscraper city; it means getting rid of the city's notorious past, regarding crime and as simply being a transient city. It means creating venues for professionals to go and reasons to want to live here. A large part of any such project is rejuvenating the existing city; which might I add creates much needed jobs.
Last edited by klm144; 08-10-2010 at 11:23 PM..
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.
