Gas Prices May Revive Cities
Urban planners finally see a way to curb sprawl
Reader Comments
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Ha Ha
You mean it will be just like living in the city then. Bars on the windows, vacant houses, graffiti, low income people in the hood.
It's your choice
Glenn, nobody is going to make you live in a city. You can stay in the suburbs, and enjoy it.
There will be some changes, of course. Your house value will drop relative to those of city dwellers.
So you may see some lower income people start moving into the 'hood. But that's OK - it's just diversity.
And maybe one or two houses get repo'd and sit vacant. So what? You can cut their lawn, because - hey - nobody wants the neighbourhood looking messy.
And it's easy to paint over graffiti on those vacant houses. You just buy one of those paint sprayer things. No worries.
And those bars you can get at the building center - the ones that go over your basement windows? They're great. Who looks out of basement windows anyway?
So, like I said, there will be changes. But that's just the market, buddy.
Nobody's telling anyone to do anything.
It's just like natural selection.
Enjoy...
Cultural wasteland??
What if - and I'm just spitballing here - what if I DON'T WANT to live in an urban area? What if I'm willing to put up with a longer drive time so that I can have a house in a more rural or suburban environment? I don't want to live in the city. I don't want to go on a vacation to Paris (Thanks, Rob from CA for being so concerned about my personal vacation budget and car expenses, but I'll take it from here.) Sprawl is defined as "letting people live where they want to live". People live in suburbs because they want to, and most don't care that it's a "cultural wasteland" (as if cities are wonderful culural meccas and everyone should aspire to live near or in one), or that it's "unbearably homogenous" (i.e. filled with evil white people). Suburbs also tend to be safe, quiet, and comfortable. Please. Get off by back. If I can afford the house lot and don't mind a bit of a drive, it's really not your business where I live.
Mike Dud
Good! In my little opinion the next best thing that may will happen will be that the fuel continue in decending price mode for good and stay down there as it was 10 years ago or so for example in order to really boost it up the global business as usual back to normal or better yet if possible. Imagine that? Then will be talking big time business for long time to come at global level with everyone into a win-win situation, I guess. Definetly! Awesome absolutly! Keep it low and keep it running.
You have the technology...
Gas is up-and it's about time!
It's good that America is waking up to what those of us who reside in denser, urban environments have always known: Suburbia, as we know it, is a cultural wasteland, unsustainable and unbearably homogeneous.
Here in San Francisco, the place the rest of the country thinks is inhabited by crazy people", continues to be the most popular tourist destination in the Country. Visitors don't come here to shop at Wall-Mart or Target (we have neither in the city anyway), they come because of our vibrant street life. The real estate is second in expense only to New York City (which also has a vibrant street life, BTW) because so many people want to live here.
The Bay Area's natural beauty also attracts people, you might argue, but vibrant Paris, a city without the dramatic landscape of Northern California, is also a magnet for international visitors.
We'll take the $5-10,000 that most Americans squander on their cars per year, and use it to take a nice vacation. Paris, perhaps.
No Remorse
The Age of the Private Automobile was sadly misguided dream of egoistic individualism, idealizing only materialism and personal acquisition at the expense of community, culture, and the environment.
We should be grateful that this dystopia is finally coming to its own demise.
public transit & people
I take the bus to work because it works well for me. It's a 10 minute drive to the park & ride (well, I have to park in a local shopping center because the lot is always full), jump on the bus, 1 stop enroute, and then I get off 2 blocks from work. I wouldn't drive this commute for anything - I'd much rather read a book when I-5 bogs down, and I couldn't do it any quicker myself.
However, there are people who have evaluated using the bus, and it would take 2 1/2 times longer, if not 3 times longer, to get there, so they still drive.
Also, if I miss the 8:40 p.m. bus, I'm stuck for the night!
I generally find a positive attitude towards the bus, and I've met some really nice people on there.
