How to Fix Our Cities
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.07
Photographer and artist Danny Lyon is flattered to be asked to help design a city; in the past this was the job of emperors and kings. While I have some qualms about his step one, many of his other suggestions make a lot of sense. The essay is from a new book "Block by Block: Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York" which we eagerly await. ::New York Times
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URL's broken, missing the "http://ww".
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/09/09/nyregion/thecity/09tactics.ready.html
If the malls were burned, half the books in the book store would be boxed up to make room for the clothing racks.
Economics supply and demand actually works in the real world. There wouldn't be malls all over the place if people didn't want them. Just because a small number of people wish it weren't the way things were, the majority has voted with their wallets.
Economics supply and demand actually works in the real world. There wouldn't be malls all over the place if people didn't want them. Just because a small number of people wish it weren't the way things were, the majority has voted with their wallets.
I love how simplistic myths about economics get perpetuated.
"I love how simplistic myths about economics get perpetuated."
Supply and demand is no myth.
Anonymous, what is your plan to fix our cities? Did you even read the full article?
Let's burn the malls and replace them with small shops? Read #2 and #3. Many malls are made of many small businesses already, so this is a bit silly to suggest. Granted, some of the ideas are really insightful and good ideas IMO.
My post is generalizing, but I do buy my clothes at the mall. There is no place except online without a lengthy drive to do otherwise. What is better, driving three miles to the mall on occasion to buy clothes, or ordering them online and shipping them halfway across the country?
True, some perceived demand is the result of massive marketing campaigns. Chrysler's marketing of the Jeep Cherokee that is credited with the SUV craze is a prime example. Some people needed vehicles with more seating than a four passenger car or more cargo room, a need that was already met with a mini van, but marketing makes everyone think they need an SUV that is less safe and gets worse gas mileage.
The fact is many a business has been started to realize there is no demand, and soon they are out of business.
I would think more light rail to reduce many peoples long polluting commutes would be at the top of many peoples lists. #5 is a good idea in theory, but in practice many people could not do this both based on economics or distance. Light rail could solve both.
I'm all for #4 and $7, because when combined can make some safer bike paths.
I thnk that taking down our shops and building the building out of recycle is very unsafe and not realalistic.
If you buy clothes at the mall it's a guarantee they were shipped across more than one country to ge there.
But that's not the point.
The point is somewhat silly however as it's not the "cities" that need fixing - it's the people's mindset.
We should fix what people are "demading" so we can supply the fix.
The fundamental problem is that our current city plans are based on cheap and plentiful oil. This is about to end, the last oil shock is coming and even the Federal Irish Energy minister is starting to discuss petrol rationing.
http://eclipse-chat.blogspot.com/2007/09/irish-energy-minister-admits-peak-oil.html
Other than their bland sameness, I don't have a lot against Malls except this one thing... their impact on city planning. It is now just assumed that we must all drive to work, rest, play, shop, school, church, the movies, etc.... and the Mall is part of that assumption.
If we simply Rezone for New Urbanist districts, real petrol savings can be accumulated quite quickly. (About 16% of suburban driving per decade.)
http://eclipsenow.blogspot.com/2007/06/relocalize.html
Instead of hours in traffic each day, imagine walking or cycling passed your favourite coffee shops, book shops, friends in the neighbourhood as you drop your Velib free hire bike into a bike station and then catch the tram to work.
http://eclipsenow.blogspot.com/2007/06/rebuild-rail-and-other-transport.html
It can happen, it only takes a little culture change and legal rezoning. Let's get to it. Peak oil is here.
Developers and their marketing people decide what consumers "demand" based on what has sold before. However, there is little variety in design and little choice for consumers: they buy what dwellings are available and patronize the stores that are closest to their homes. This means that the same strip mall and tract housing aesthetic gets perpetuated because the developers are afraid to risk designing something that deviates from this model. Architects can only do so much when they do not control the financing of these projects.