Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton
It really isn't complex. The vast majority of difference in performance of a school is basically due to selection bias - a different sort of incoming student results in a different result. Take race, economic background, and education level of the parents out of the equation, and differences between schools are pretty negligible.
Further, there's a lot of data out there now studying the life outcomes of children who just barely get into selective schools - like magnets with entrance exams - with kids of similar academic background. On the whole, no difference in adult outcomes.
Schools just don't matter that much, if at all. Getting into a good school won't make you any smarter, in exactly the same way that getting onto the basketball team in 9th grade won't make you any taller.
I was thinking more about use of street trees in zero-setback rowhouse neighborhoods with very narrow streets. Here's an example from Pittsburgh I consider "overdone." The trees block a clear view of the interesting Victorian architecture for like half of the year.
I think within the next century we'll have to adjust to much of what we now think of as commerce being done by machines for little to no cost. If we want the walkable neighborhood to still have relevance - if we want something other than neighborhoods as collections of houses - we'll need to try to find some financially feasible model to have "third spaces" within neighborhoods not tied to profit-making ventures. |
well we could start by coming out of our collective, introvert hobbit holes and actually meeting, and gasp, socializing with the neighbors. do a property search of Midwest homes built between 1940 and 1970 and marvel at how many have full, swinging basement bars! its kind of awesome. i think downsizing, automation and the sharing economy will actually benefit our social skills. it will be a golden age of block parties and bbq's. just no jello salad plz.