Quote:
Originally Posted by Stenar
I don't think Daybreak has made quantum leaps for development. The only real thing I can see that they've done differently is encourage builders to build nicer homes with old-fashioned designs. Otherwise, it's a typical auto-centric suburb with crazy, curvy streets that never connect to the outside world.
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"The only real thing I can see that they've done differently is encourage builders to build nicer homes with old-fashioned designs..."
The "only thing"? Good one, good one.
I know, it sucks! It is completely paved in concrete with tons of traffic. There are major 4-8 lane roads every block in every direction. Major drug trafficing occurs in the public parks at a large scale on a daily basis, there are dozens of arrests every week, growing prostitution rings plague the area....No, wait, that would be Salt Lake City. SLC is nothing more than a typical dangerous, inner-city urban center.
Before everyone attacks me, I would just like to say that I love SLC and the above comment was an exageration to illustrate Stenar's generalized comment "it's just a typical auto-centric suburb..."
As far as "auto-centric" goes, I would also like to add that SLC is no less so than its suburbs. Look at 7th East - 8 lanes of traffic. There isn't a road on the west side with that many lanes. The only thing with the same number of lanes would be the 215 - which is a freeway. Look at 13th East, Foothill, 4th, 5th, and 6th South, State Street, 3rd West - all with 3+ lanes in both directions and always full of traffic. Even Sugar House has it's own "auto-centric" development. I drive into that parking jumble and can barely find a parking space. Just look at the sprawling parking lot in front of the Shopko. You can sure point your finger, but you can't see your own flaws. Fortunately, SLC is working virgorously to improve its traffic problems and provide alternative means of transportation to encourage its residents to ditch their autos for cleaner mass transit - TRAX, street-cars, etc. The suburbs are as well. We have 3 major TRAX lines (2 under construction), a commuter rail, a transit corridor along 56th West in the works, and BRT/expanding bus routes and services. I remember only a few years ago when the only bus that came to this part of West Jordan only came 4 times every morning, then 4 times at night. It only ran on weekdays. Now there are 2 bus daily routes that come all day with 30-60 minute frequencies which connect to the Sandy TRAX line and 1 commuter bus that can get riders to down town in about 45 minutes. Let't not point the finger. We are all in this together and are all working to get out of it together - as a county, a metro, a region, a state, a nation, and a planet. I am most proud of the achievments this region as a whole has made in its transportation (particularly rail) networks just over the last decade and I am confident that it will continue to progress as a region over the coming decades.
I will also say this. A suburb is a vital part of a metropolitan area that provides a lot to the urban center in the way of consumers, work force, tax base, etc. They are like vital organs or limbs that are symbiotically attatched to the urban center. I tend to see (especially in this forum) the word "suburb" used in a derogratory context. Some people like to use them as the scapegoat for everything bad in the region. With SLC's 180k population, it would be nothing without its suburbs. It would be smaller than cities like Boise and Colorado Springs. Without the assistance of the suburbs, the down town so many of us treasure would look nothing like it does now with the suburbs. TRAX would be nothing but a distant dream, let alone FrontRunner. The word "suburb" on here tends to be used in a knee-jerk fashion to paint something as unpleasant or despicable in development. The way some use it reminds me of the way some Republicans like to use the word "liberal" - a label that ends all further thought process on a matter and automatically turns people against it. A senator deems proposed legislation as "liberal" and suddenly a crowd of people are against it, even if they would have otherwise supported it. Stenar says "suburb" and automatically some ears immediately turn against Daybreak even though it is not what the label in that particular context painted it as. The realistic truth of the day is that every city has suburbs, and every city needs them. A balance must be acheived and maintained for both of these to sustain each other while still remaining vibrant. I am a firm believer in a thriving metro with a thriving down town and thriving suburban centers. In our particular situation, there are things to be worked on, but also things that are working quite well. We are seeing a revival as has not been seen to date in the down town area and many suburban centers are developing and thriving simultaneously. We are over-hauling our transit grid to include fast and efficient mass transit. I think we are on the right path.
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