What changes would you guys make to the seattle area to make it a better place to live (homeless, bikes)

[angelenogirl]

I prefer free range broccoli.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I would demolish half of all newer buildings ten stories or higher built since 1980, and replace them with organic broccoli farms.

Let's do it, Ira! I really love Organic Broccoli, BTW.

[NeedSun25]

More sunshine! Although this winter has been nice, I'll admit.

[mkarch]

There's clearly a need to create more public parks with... ahem... an adult theme. The current setup where parks have both child oriented activities and people shooting drugs is just asking for trouble. It's about time the city bites the bullet and puts in some parks geared towards the activities they're actually being used for.

But you know, Not In My Back Yard of course...

[angelenogirl]

So...drug parks? You think there should be drug parks? Not off-leash drug parks, I hope.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

So...drug parks? You think there should be drug parks? Not off-leash drug parks, I hope.

But who would hold the leash if they were required?

There are some real issues with the way it's being handled now where certain parks that were built to be neighborhood centers are hosting drug activity. The city and police are well aware of it but the response has been "well, if those are the people that want to use the park, they have every right to be there". While other people are saying they'd like to use the park, but don't want to go there because of the drugs and fighting.

The response from the city has been to recommend people organize events in the park to exclude the 'other' crowd. That sounds a bit like "you need to call ahead to use the park if you want us to come clean out the ... uh... people you don't want there. " - But then where do they go? The crowd hanging out in the parks isn't necessarily there for the fresh air and recreation, they don't have anywhere else to go. As long as the city is saying this activity is 'ok' they may as well create a zone for it rather than spreading it all around.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

So...drug parks? You think there should be drug parks? Not off-leash drug parks, I hope.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. There aren't enough off leash dog areas. And the heroin user lobby hasn't achieved it's goals yet, so why not combine them?
Yes, you can shoot heroin in the park, but off leash Rottweilers will be nearby. And if you don't properly dispose of your needle in the nearest receptacle, you will be arrested. Unless the needle can be recycled or composted.

[CrazyDonkey]

Light rail from Tacoma to Everett (and to Ballard/Shoreline, West Seattle/Fauntleroy, Renton, and Issaquah). Hi-speed rail from Vancouver, BC, to Eugene, OR, maybe Seattle to Spokane.

The housing dilemma is that land/housing values are being driven up within the shrinking halo of a "reasonable commute" while rising much more moderately outside it (Tacoma/south and Everett/north). Bothell used to be a reasonable commute to downtown Seattle and Bellevue, but is much less so now. Escalating land values discourage building affordable housing anywhere within that shrinking halo. Extension of light-rail to or beyond that halo is essential to moderating/stopping/reversing its shrinkage and hi-speed rail leap-frogs sprawl and opens up satellite job/residential centers with lower land values.

Unfortunately, I'll probably have to live to be 90 to see it all happen.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Actually, that's not a bad idea. There aren't enough off leash dog areas. And the heroin user lobby hasn't achieved it's goals yet, so why not combine them?
Yes, you can shoot heroin in the park, but off leash Rottweilers will be nearby. And if you don't properly dispose of your needle in the nearest receptacle, you will be arrested. Unless the needle can be recycled or composted.

We already have drug parks - they're called "greenbelts".

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

We already have drug parks - they're called "greenbelts".

I get the impression a lot of people don't find the greenbelts convenient enough. Maybe Ballard can start a shuttle service from the Commons to the greenbelt above Shilshole this summer.

Originally Posted by Ira500

And if you don't properly dispose of your needle in the nearest receptacle, you will be arrested. Unless the needle can be recycled or composted.

Hmmm... doesn't sound like a very Seattle thing to do. You realize if they arrested people for discarding used needles, they'd end up arresting a bunch of homeless drug addicts? That is never going to happen. Not here.