86 Tex Ag said:
Not a bad video, but it's a little disingenuous to compare the walkability of Amsterdam (84sq miles) to a city 8 times its size, Houston (670sq miles). If only HTown had some 17th century canals and 9 months of temperatures from 50F to 70F, we could ride bikes around here too.
Houston doesn't 'have' to do anything. Future proof? Houston's going to be around for a while. People vote with their feet and dollars. If they want to live close into town and have a 'walkable' experience then they can go buy up property to do that. If you want to live in the suburbs with its low crime, good schools, wide sidewalks and chain restaurants they can do that too.ATM9000 said:86 Tex Ag said:
Not a bad video, but it's a little disingenuous to compare the walkability of Amsterdam (84sq miles) to a city 8 times its size, Houston (670sq miles). If only HTown had some 17th century canals and 9 months of temperatures from 50F to 70F, we could ride bikes around here too.
Touche but unfortunately Houston's got to figure this out somehow. The way the city has been developed has been cost effective but not very future proof. People can like this or not, but the global political headwinds are trending to lower emissions and the fact that younger voters are so committed to this idea makes it seem not very likely that the trend changes. That means transport by car is only going to get more expensive and likely just get more and more obsolete. As built right now, Houston's not ready for it. Public transport really stops working when walking or biking in lots of areas just doesn't work.
The likely answer for this unfortunately is taxes get significantly more expensive in the COH probably sooner than people want to face up to.
one MEEN Ag said:Houston doesn't 'have' to do anything. Future proof? Houston's going to be around for a while. People vote with their feet and dollars. If they want to live close into town and have a 'walkable' experience then they can go buy up property to do that. If you want to live in the suburbs with its low crime, good schools, wide sidewalks and chain restaurants they can do that too.ATM9000 said:86 Tex Ag said:
Not a bad video, but it's a little disingenuous to compare the walkability of Amsterdam (84sq miles) to a city 8 times its size, Houston (670sq miles). If only HTown had some 17th century canals and 9 months of temperatures from 50F to 70F, we could ride bikes around here too.
Touche but unfortunately Houston's got to figure this out somehow. The way the city has been developed has been cost effective but not very future proof. People can like this or not, but the global political headwinds are trending to lower emissions and the fact that younger voters are so committed to this idea makes it seem not very likely that the trend changes. That means transport by car is only going to get more expensive and likely just get more and more obsolete. As built right now, Houston's not ready for it. Public transport really stops working when walking or biking in lots of areas just doesn't work.
The likely answer for this unfortunately is taxes get significantly more expensive in the COH probably sooner than people want to face up to.
Houston's sprawl is a result of no geographic pressure in Houston to create dense housing. Its not landlocked, there aren't mountains or lakes, its not an island. Who the hell wants to live in a expensive broom closet like its NYC for the sake of walking to an HEB?
European cities are remnants of a time before cars and cities built within walls. The richest people lived in the center of the city on the bottom floor. The poor people were just on the outside. 'Walkability' was never for the 'undesirables'. They have always relied on transit and have incomes that displace them relative to their peers. If anything, blame democrats for cash for clunkers - removing the most bottom tier of cars and forcing them to waste their time with public transportation.
OK Greenpeace.Quote:
You are assuming fossil fuels and the ability to have personal vehicles is something that's a given in perpetuity
86 Tex Ag said:
Not a bad video, but it's a little disingenuous to compare the walkability of Amsterdam (84sq miles) to a city 8 times its size, Houston (670sq miles). If only HTown had some 17th century canals and 9 months of temperatures from 50F to 70F, we could ride bikes around here too.
Panama Red said:OK Greenpeace.Quote:
You are assuming fossil fuels and the ability to have personal vehicles is something that's a given in perpetuity
You are worried about Houstonians having a future with something that won't be a "cheap bill," but think the answer is decades old technology train that will cost billions for few to ride?
The transition from gas powered to electric is different than what you're talking about. Your talking about crippling private transportation in general. Never going to happen. America/Americans, as a whole, will refuse to give up their vehicles.ATM9000 said:one MEEN Ag said:Houston doesn't 'have' to do anything. Future proof? Houston's going to be around for a while. People vote with their feet and dollars. If they want to live close into town and have a 'walkable' experience then they can go buy up property to do that. If you want to live in the suburbs with its low crime, good schools, wide sidewalks and chain restaurants they can do that too.ATM9000 said:86 Tex Ag said:
Not a bad video, but it's a little disingenuous to compare the walkability of Amsterdam (84sq miles) to a city 8 times its size, Houston (670sq miles). If only HTown had some 17th century canals and 9 months of temperatures from 50F to 70F, we could ride bikes around here too.
Touche but unfortunately Houston's got to figure this out somehow. The way the city has been developed has been cost effective but not very future proof. People can like this or not, but the global political headwinds are trending to lower emissions and the fact that younger voters are so committed to this idea makes it seem not very likely that the trend changes. That means transport by car is only going to get more expensive and likely just get more and more obsolete. As built right now, Houston's not ready for it. Public transport really stops working when walking or biking in lots of areas just doesn't work.
The likely answer for this unfortunately is taxes get significantly more expensive in the COH probably sooner than people want to face up to.
Houston's sprawl is a result of no geographic pressure in Houston to create dense housing. Its not landlocked, there aren't mountains or lakes, its not an island. Who the hell wants to live in a expensive broom closet like its NYC for the sake of walking to an HEB?
European cities are remnants of a time before cars and cities built within walls. The richest people lived in the center of the city on the bottom floor. The poor people were just on the outside. 'Walkability' was never for the 'undesirables'. They have always relied on transit and have incomes that displace them relative to their peers. If anything, blame democrats for cash for clunkers - removing the most bottom tier of cars and forcing them to waste their time with public transportation.
You are assuming fossil fuels and the ability to have personal vehicles is something that's a given in perpetuity. People gotta face that the political headwinds globally all say that's not reality.
Houston isn't gonna vanish that I agree with but also folks need to buckle up. I think the infrastructure is relatively ****ed for a green economy and residents are all gonna pay for that somehow... and it won't be a cheap bill.
schmendeler said:
we should just make nuclear power the standard for electricity generation it makes too much sense all around not to.
Serotonin said:
Those neighborhoods are great if you are in your mid-20s or perhaps 60s/70s (assuming they are safe).
The vast majority of adults (especially those with kids) prefer residential suburban settings.
Contrary to the Chronicle, I think Houston did much better than many other cities because it is all suburbs.
The Heights? An old streetcar suburban neighborhood.
Montrose? 1910s and 1920s suburb.
River Oaks and Memorial? Really nice suburbs.
West U and Bellaire? Great middle class suburbs (unfortunately becoming victims of their own success with prices spiraling upward).
Plus the great suburbs of the energy corridor along with many newer options around town to the north, west and south.
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
One thing that hasn't changed is delusional yuppies wanting cool neighborhoods like they see on Tv.
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
One thing that hasn't changed is delusional yuppies wanting cool neighborhoods like they see on Tv.
Dan Scott said:
I spent a few months in Singapore for work. It's rainy, humid, hot, and my balls were sweaty. Still very walkable. Washington DC is another hot walkable city.
The weather sucks but is an excuse for why walking in Houston sucks. It's because it's ugly, too spread out, and next to a busy road. The developments were designed for cars with big ass parking lots. Even neighborhoods with one or two entrances that take 5 minutes to get to Main Street.
In Houston they build a highway like Grand Parkway and it encourages development further west. In Singapore they'll build a subway extension or extend a bus route or create a new one and it encourages development.
That said, even when I lived in Singapore, i still preferred a car but not as much I want and need a car in Houston.
Dan Scott said:
I spent a few months in Singapore for work. It's rainy, humid, hot, and my balls were sweaty. Still very walkable. Washington DC is another hot walkable city.
The weather sucks but is an excuse for why walking in Houston sucks. It's because it's ugly, too spread out, and next to a busy road. The developments were designed for cars with big ass parking lots. Even neighborhoods with one or two entrances that take 5 minutes to get to Main Street.
In Houston they build a highway like Grand Parkway and it encourages development further west. In Singapore they'll build a subway extension or extend a bus route or create a new one and it encourages development.
That said, even when I lived in Singapore, i still preferred a car but not as much I want and need a car in Houston.
Diggity said:
You can always count on ole Stat for a 3+ year bump
Never known a poster that spends more time with the search function.
