Can cities like Houston and San Diego become urban like the Northeast just by wanting to? (places, population)
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Let me just start off by saying San Diego is my favorite city and I would never want it change that drastically, it will totally destroy everything I love so much about it. So maybe that makes me a little biased.
But this logic being thrown around by a certain somebody for whatever his agenda is, is that places like Houston and San Diego can just become urban like the Northeast whenever they want to start, by just choosing to build new things, apparently it's very feasible too. That just come off as silly to me.
So I'm creating this thread for this particular topic to get more attention and hear what more people think.
Let me just start off by saying San Diego is my favorite city and I would never want it change that drastically, it will totally destroy everything I love so much about it. So maybe that makes me a little biased.
But this logic being thrown around by a certain somebody for whatever his agenda is, is that places like Houston and San Diego can just become urban like the Northeast whenever they want to start, by just choosing to build new things, apparently it's very feasible too. That just come off as silly to me.
So I'm creating this thread for this particular topic to get more attention and hear what more people think.
You can never say never to such things.
Yes, it is true that sunbelt cities like San Diego and Houston have lots of car-oriented sprawling development that makes them less pedestrian-friendly than cities in the Northeast. It is also true that such cities can indeed make the necessary designs and developments to become more pedestrian friendly. Work on that over time can lead them to eventually match the Northeast in pedestrian friendliness and walk-ability.
It isn't as impossible as people like to think it is. For instance, wide streets (a design associated with auto-centrism) can be narrowed by removing a lane or two, making room for larger sidewalks fronting eventual street-level retail that chooses the area.
It isn't impossible, so if they truly want to and direct funds to it, they can. But at current pace of infill, it's very far off especially for Houston.
It isn't impossible, so if they truly want to and direct funds to it, they can. But at current pace of infill, it's very far off especially for Houston.
Houston is actually infilling quite nicely, lots of interesting developments taking place in the urban core of that city. Same goes for Dallas, Atlanta, and many other sunbelt cities.
Well, it can urban, but it's not necessarily going to look and feel like a northeastern city. If you just mean urban as in higher density and pedestrian/mass transit oriented, then yes. It takes time, political will, and continued economic and population growth.
Well, it can urban, but it's not necessarily going to look and feel like a northeastern city. If you just mean urban as in higher density and pedestrian/mass transit oriented, then yes. It takes time, political will, and continued economic and population growth.
Do you mind elaborating as to why it won't feel like them? I believe how a city feels is key, and is more important than anything else on this.
Do you mind elaborating as to why it won't feel like them? I believe how a city feels is key, and is more important than anything else on this.
As in it is unlikely to be built with many narrow streets and low-rise buildings to be dense, but rather mid-rise to high-rise buildings with a bit more setback. It also won't really look exactly like they were built in the 1800s or early 1900s because architectural tastes and technologies have changed. You know, the usual.
As in it is unlikely to be built with many narrow streets and low-rise buildings to be dense, but rather mid-rise to high-rise buildings with a bit more setback. It also won't really look exactly like they were built in the 1800s or early 1900s because architectural tastes and technologies have changed. You know, the usual.
All of that is more or less how I feel actually.
It can certainly increase in a thing like population density for example, all cities can, but will lack in other aspects that makes a place urban. The part I bolded out was what the user in question disagrees with. Certain others and myself found it to be on the silly side to actually dispute that much.
It can certainly increase in a thing like population density for example, all cities can, but will lack in other aspects that makes a place urban. The part I bolded out was what the user in question disagrees with. Certain others and myself found it to be on the silly side to actually dispute that much.
Though you never know--urban planning ideas do shift quite a bit. You can certainly have extremely dense low-rise or mid-rise neighborhoods with narrow streets and then larger prime arterials connecting. Tokyo basically did that though some of the street plans were inherited from before the firebombing--though some were basically completely built out in the latter half of the 20th century.
Basic lesson? Be like Japan. Their cities are walkable, their food is tasty and their porn is varied.
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