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Per City-Data's weather stats (and my own knowledge), the only city colder than KC is Chicago, and that is only by a degree or two in Dec/Jan. Boston and NY are actually warmer, though Boston not by much. The average low in NYC in Dec/Jan is only a few degrees below freezing.
Hell, lots of us walk and bicycle and 100s of thousands of us use transit here in the Twin Cities year round, even last week when it was 13 below (not the windchill, the real temperature). You dress for it!
Hell, lots of us walk and bicycle and 100s of thousands of us use transit here in the Twin Cities year round, even last week when it was 13 below (not the windchill, the real temperature). You dress for it!
Complimenting your statement. Even with Chicago being colder than KC, people still get out and walk when it snows, or when its cold as hell outside. Even old ladies (bundled up with thosee hair thingys and their wool coats...ha ha).
When it is 115 degree here, we walk to our garage from our air conditioned home, get in our air conditioned car, and drive to an air conditioned mall. Then, we reverse the process.
Once in a while, we will walk from our air conditioned home to our tempid swimming pool - then go back into our air conditioned home.
When it is 115 degree here, we walk to our garage from our air conditioned home, get in our air conditioned car, and drive to an air conditioned mall. Then, we reverse the process.
Once in a while, we will walk from our air conditioned home to our tempid swimming pool - then go back into our air conditioned home.
ROFL!!!
I have a feeling all the statements from people who love staying out in temps that would cause frostbite are either (1) young or (2) in a situation that precludes walking places and using public transport.
As far as old ladies bundled up and schlepping through the snow - in ANY city - surely you people do not think for even ONE MOMENT that anyone would CHOOSE to live that way? They are on fixed incomes and have no choices.
Evidently, none of you have been in situations where you were forced outside in the snow to go get food, especially when sick, b/c you had no other choices but to walk to go get the cereal, milk and eggs. (no car) I have been there. And there is no way in HE&& that I ever want to be in that situation again. I was a grad student and it was HE$$ then and I can only imagine what HE&& it would be for a person w/arthritis and other health issues.
Glorifying people being forced to endure heat temps that cause heat stroke and wind chills that cause frostbite is - well - beyond ridiculous.
I have a feeling all the statements from people who love staying out in temps that would cause frostbite are either (1) young or (2) in a situation that precludes walking places and using public transport.
As far as old ladies bundled up and schlepping through the snow - in ANY city - surely you people do not think for even ONE MOMENT that anyone would CHOOSE to live that way? They are on fixed incomes and have no choices.
Evidently, none of you have been in situations where you were forced outside in the snow to go get food, especially when sick, b/c you had no other choices but to walk to go get the cereal, milk and eggs. (no car) I have been there. And there is no way in HE&& that I ever want to be in that situation again. I was a grad student and it was HE$$ then and I can only imagine what HE&& it would be for a person w/arthritis and other health issues.
Glorifying people being forced to endure heat temps that cause heat stroke and wind chills that cause frostbite is - well - beyond ridiculous.
Is it at all ironic that we are the unhealthiest nation in the world? And that we are so wasteful of resources?
But...if your sick, or unable to walk...you could always order your groceries anc get them delivered!
But I seriously think that if people got out and walked more, or were more active when they were younger (walking rather than driving...biking) than they wouldn't be so immobile when they got to be older.
Is it at all ironic that we are the unhealthiest nation in the world? And that we are so wasteful of resources?
But...if your sick, or unable to walk...you could always order your groceries anc get them delivered!
But I seriously think that if people got out and walked more, or were more active when they were younger (walking rather than driving...biking) than they wouldn't be so immobile when they got to be older.
Most towns in the south do not have stores that deliver groceries, LOL. And if you don't have a credit card, you can't order them online, either.
Yes we should all walk more. But how nice to have a choice NOT to walk when the weather is horrific.
As for resources . . . I was thinking about this the other day. I was thinking about how I could cut back more on my use of natural resources. (Already conserve water and gas)
And then it hit me. We can cut back, and cut back, and cut back . . . and all we are doing . . . is making sure there is more to be sold to China and India - where, by the way, our jobs are being shipped.
That created such a conundrum in my little head. I cut back . . . and they are over-consuming . . . and polluting the heck out of the atmosphere and the water . . . and their demand is going up . . . and we are trying to bring our demand down . . . I just can't quite get my mind around all that.
That's a false dichotomy. Censusdata is comparing "sprawlburbia" with "traditional" neigborhoods and shopping districts, not with downtown business districts or college campuses. And I agree with what Census is saying. I live in a pre-WWII city neighborhood. Most of my shopping and errands can be done on foot, it's just a couple blocks to the traditional shopping district in my neighborhood. When I drive to places in other city neighborhoods, I usually park on the street, and my walk is much shorter than a typical walk I must take from my car to the business that's my destination when I go to the mall out in sprawlsville.
Here is the post I responded to:
Quote:
Originally Posted by censusdata
The ironic thing is that DRIVING in a traditional neighborhood or shopping area is also easier that driving in Sprawlburbia or a strip mall
by saying this:
Originally Posted by Katiana
Quote:
I disagree. Wanna drive in Manhattan? (and I don't mean Manhattan, Kansas)? How about parking there? Drive around the block six times, wasting gas all along, just looking for a parking place. Even in Denver, where the driving is fairly mellow, it's not a piece of cake. It's always hard to find a parking place when I go visit my daughter who lives near the U of Denver; and you always sit and wait at Colorado Boulevard to turn left, wasting a great deal of gas, let alone time. There are narrow streets with parking almost all the way to the intersections, so you can't see what or who is coming at you.
I should clarify, my daughter lives in a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood near the University of Denver. She does not live on campus. I am referring to driving in the RESIDENTIAL area arouond her apt, not the DU campus itself, or downtown Denver. Note also that censusdata referred to driving in a traditional shopping area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gtownoe
Is it at all ironic that we are the unhealthiest nation in the world? And that we are so wasteful of resources?
But...if your sick, or unable to walk...you could always order your groceries anc get them delivered!
But I seriously think that if people got out and walked more, or were more active when they were younger (walking rather than driving...biking) than they wouldn't be so immobile when they got to be older.
First of all, you need to be careful making statements like "we are the unhealthiest nation in the world". It is simply untrue. Google some health statistics if you don't believe me.
Secondly, what is your expertise and credentials for saying the statement in bold. Are you a health care provider of some sort? Or is this just the "ignorance of youth" talking here? I'm not trying to be mean, I mean ignorance in the true sense of lack of knowledge, not stupid. I have been a visiting nurse in several cities. There are many elderly who don't even get out of their homes. Many need subustantial help to just get into a car. And prior exercise, or lack thereof, usually has nothing to do with their disabiltity. In addition, a hip fracture, which is more common in the elderly for many reasons, is often followed by death within a year. So many are justifiably afraid to walk outside in the winter. Several years ago, a heat wave hit Chicago and a large number of the deaths were elderly people. They are more vulnerable to heat stroke, and many do not have the financial means to afford air-conditioning.
[/quote]Secondly, what is your expertise and credentials for saying the statement in bold. Are you a health care provider of some sort? Or is this just the "ignorance of youth" talking here? I'm not trying to be mean, I mean ignorance in the true sense of lack of knowledge, not stupid. I have been a visiting nurse in several cities. There are many elderly who don't even get out of their homes. Many need subustantial help to just get into a car. And prior exercise, or lack thereof, usually has nothing to do with their disabiltity. In addition, a hip fracture, which is more common in the elderly for many reasons, is often followed by death within a year. So many are justifiably afraid to walk outside in the winter. Several years ago, a heat wave hit Chicago and a large number of the deaths were elderly people. They are more vulnerable to heat stroke, and many do not have the financial means to afford air-conditioning.[/quote]
I'm not reffering to people who are already disabled or who have problems that restrict them from walking. (It would make no sense for me to suggest that an elderly lady who's has health problems to go out and trudge through the snow to the store).
I'm saying that if perhaps people were more active when they were younger (walking and/or biking more instead of hiking) than maybe there wouldn't be as many health problems as there are now. It is common knowledge that we lose what we don't use. In most instances (I'm NOT saying all) if we remain active throughout our lives we will remain mobile longer and be healthier as a result (do you disagree)?
There's an exception to every rule, and that goes both ways.
I'm not calling for EVERY person to walk 5 miles in the heat of the summer to pick up a gallon of milk. I'm asking the question of whether or not we should be a more walking oriented culture.
I'm saying that if perhaps people were more active when they were younger (walking and/or biking more instead of hiking) than maybe there wouldn't be as many health problems as there are now. It is common knowledge that we lose what we don't use. In most instances (I'm NOT saying all) if we remain active throughout our lives we will remain mobile longer and be healthier as a result (do you disagree)?
To a certain extent, yes, I disagree. As I said in my earlier post, which was in part, also a reply to mead who seems to know all these little old ladies who are running around the Bronx in all kinds of weather, prior exercise, or lack thereof, usually has nothing to do with their disabiltity. There is always a subset of physicall active seniors and many people think that all seniors could be that way if only they "wanted to", had "lived right" in the past, etc. This is just not true! Old age catches up with everyone who doesn't die young, and it affects different people differently. A healthy lifestyle does not prevent Alzheimer's, most high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. etc. And even those w/o obvious disability are fearful of breaking hips and the like. That said, walking is one of the best exercises one can do, especially as one gets older. I'm just not sure waking to buy groceries, which have to be dragged home is the best way to get one's walking in. I was talking to an older woman today who says she doesn't like to walk outside b/c of the uneveness of the sidewalks; she is afraid she will fall. As she had a severe broken leg last year from tripping on some stairs, she has a right to be concerned.
I agree with DTO.... According to Smart Growth America, Omaha is the 6th most COMPACT city in the nation for metro areas. The basis for this sprawl/compactness measure was based on (1) residential density; (2) neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, & services; (3) strength of activity centers & downtowns; and (4) accessibility of the street network. They measured 83 metros representing 1/2 of the US population.
Most Compact Metros (least sprawl)
#1) New York City
#2) Jersey City
#3) Providence
#4) San Francisco
#5) Honolulu #6) Omaha
#7) Boston
#8) Portland
#9) Miami
#10) New Orleans.
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