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  #21  
Old Posted Jan 9, 2010, 10:24 PM
Nowhereman1280 Nowhereman1280 is offline
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I think the single biggest accomplishment for Chicago, though it has yet to be recognized and is still very controversial, is being one of the first cities in the world to realize that selling some public assets to the private sector can be good for government and the environment. The sale of the Skyway, Meters, and near sale of Midway (which I'm sure will happen once the financial markets recover more) will all pay huge dividends in the future. For example, the fact that meter rates have finally risen to reasonable levels in the city will only encourage more people to take mass transit and live closer to their jobs. This will only encourage density increases and lead to a larger number of wealthier residents living downtown and in the neighborhoods. Even a small shift in the number of people who decide to live closer to transit could pay huge dividends...

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Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago View Post
CHICAGO

- University student population booms with expansions of DePaul University, Columbia College, Roosevelt University and School of the Art Institute Loop campuses including a new 32 storey high-rise dormatory scheduled to begin construction in 2010. . . [/INDENT]
. . .
Don't forget Loyola University and their already completed 26 floor Dorm at Water Tower...
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  #22  
Old Posted Jan 9, 2010, 10:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280 View Post
I think the single biggest accomplishment for Chicago, though it has yet to be recognized and is still very controversial, is being one of the first cities in the world to realize that selling some public assets to the private sector can be good for government and the environment. The sale of the Skyway, Meters, and near sale of Midway (which I'm sure will happen once the financial markets recover more) will all pay huge dividends in the future. For example, the fact that meter rates have finally risen to reasonable levels in the city will only encourage more people to take mass transit and live closer to their jobs. This will only encourage density increases and lead to a larger number of wealthier residents living downtown and in the neighborhoods. Even a small shift in the number of people who decide to live closer to transit could pay huge dividends...
^ I think a lot of elements of this statement are very, very debatable.

I'm not convinced that selling the parking meters was a good idea, and I'm less convinced that making metered parking more expensive will lead to the plethora of changes that you're talking about without accompanied improvements in mass transit and better land use decision making in city and suburban neighborhoods.
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  #23  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 8:58 AM
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Salt Lake City

1. 2002 Winter Olympic Games

Considered a financial success, but more importantly gained recognition for the city on a national and international level and helped spur many developments, including projects like light-rail and The Gateway.



2. Light Rail (Trax)

Light-rail was built in an early stage compared to most cities, and in a conservative state, and became quite popular. 3 lines were built, including downtown, University, and Sandy (a suburb). 3 more are on the way


By me



3. The Gateway

A mixed-use urban mall, built in time for the Olympic Games, has since become a huge success and has renovated a decayed part of downtown. Multiple above-retail apartments, offices, and hotels have continually added on, including the headquarters for the Salt Lake Tribune.


By me


4. 222 South Main

Salt Lake City's only skyscraper of the decade to be fully completed.


By me



5. Strong Economy

During the recession, the Salt Lake Metro area continually ranks as having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and strong job growth.

6. Liberal Legislation

The city eliminates many of its once 'weird' alcohol laws, and also passes anti-discrimination legislation.

7. Commuter Rail

The commuter rail, FrontRunner, is introduced and the north line is completed with service between the Salt Lake and Ogden Metro areas. 1 other line to the south servicing the Provo metro is being constructed.


By me



8. Real Salt Lake, MLS Soccer Team

Salt Lake receives its second professional sports team (after the Utah Jazz), and its first professional championship in a long time, with Real Salt Lake defeating the L.A Galaxy in a shootout for th 2009 MLS Championship.

9. University of Utah increased prominence

The 'U', located in Salt Lake City, increased its prominence on many national academic rankings, as well as through its football program where it wins 2 BCS bowls.

10. Salt Lake City Library

The beautiful new library, built downtown, received honors for 'Library of the Year' in 2006 by The American Library Association.


By me
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  #24  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 9:58 AM
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portland transit has come along way in the last ten years.

we got a max extension to the airport

a commuter rail line from wilsonville to beaverton

two completely new max lines.

the street car line was completed as well.

portland state university expanded greatly and is officially the largest university in oregon.

with tons of new bike infrastructure, we are now the most bike friendly city in the US.

our downtown mall, pioneer place expanded and pretty much doubled in size adding a ton of new retail.

sadly macy's rolled into town and took over local chain, meyer and frank, but on the plus side, the former downtown store was completely refurbished and now has a hotel on the top floors.

and the portland food scene exploded!!! we have a ton of new restaurants, old ones got better, and with the recession, young chefs resorted to food carts to make a buck. you can now get awesome indian, greek, czech, german, mexican, french, pizza, just about anything from a cart at 1/3 the restaurant price. awesome!!!!!

condo expansion in the pearl district and the south water front also went through the roof with many pre-recession projects completed and fully occupied.
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  #25  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 10:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
Great results so far,
but where are the experts for Washington, San Francisco, London, Paris etc. ???
I'll have a go for London, though I'm no expert.

London had an inauspicious start to the decade, with the farcical opening of the £800m white elephant, the Millenium Dome (O2 arena). Things picked up after that though with the:

1) Opening of the Tate Modern
2) Opening of the Great Court at the British Museum (even though they used the wrong type of stone)
3) Introducing the congestion charge
4) Building the Gherkin
5) Finding a use for the millenium dome
6) Starting to make places like Trafalgar Square a bit more pedestrian-friendly
7) Some good (though pricey) restaurants opened eg Alloro in Mayfair
8) Doing up St Pancras station so you could eat your dinner off it.
9) Winning the Olympics
10) Eventually getting rid of Ian Blair after the Stockwell shooting.

Sadly, some people who didn't have much to do with London's success insisted on going round the world lecturing other cities on how they should be more like London. This meant that when the crash came, loads of people were already praying for London to fail. Still, London will bounce back eventually. It always does.
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  #26  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 10:49 AM
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San Francisco

Mission Bay
Former railyards, slated for redevelopment for more than two decades, becomes a city-within-a-city. Several thousand new homes, a new University of California campus, new office buildings, new light rail stations, new parkland, a new Safeway and library, new boating and sports facilities, and new promenades to line the refurbished Mission Creek constitute an entirely new district of San Francisco.

Residential Boom
From non-profit family housing to glitzy view condos, from Dogpatch and the Tenderloin to the Financial District and Civic Center, from four-story blocks to 60-story towers, housing supply grows faster than at any time in a generation. Almost all eastern neighborhoods see signfiicant residential infill.

Ferry Building/Ferry Plaza
The restoration of the Ferry Building and reconstruction of the Ferry Plaza/Justin Herman Plaza creates a distinctive civic space on the waterfront combining public transportation, office space, dining and shopping. Newly-sculpted central plaza at the juncture of Market Street and the Embarcadero assumes a primary role in major public events, festivals, demonstrations and gatherings.

Museum Boom
The de Young and California Academy of Sciences, respectively the city's main art museum and science museum, are rebuilt and expanded in Golden Gate Park. Explicitly modern designs replace the more traditional look of the Beaux-Arts Concourse in which they are set. Arguably the city's best museum, the Asian Art Museum, opens in the spectacularly renovated old library downtown. The Exploratorium's building at the Palace of Fine Arts is renovated.

BART to SFO
New BART line to Millbrae connects the region's 35 year old heavy-rail passenger system with Northern California's primary airport, San Francisco International.

Third Street Light Rail
San Francisco's first significant light rail expansion in decades, the T Third opens up about five miles of new rail through Mission Bay, UCSF, the Central Waterfront, and into the Bayview District.

Bicycle Network
First years and last couple months of the decade see expanded bicycle infrastructure, from bike lanes to parking facilities, as trips made by bicycle increase from 1.8% in 2000 to 6% in 2009.

San Francsico Centre
After standing vacant in the heart of SF's shopping district for nearly 20 years, the old Emporium flagship is repurposed as a million square-foot expansion of the SF Centre mall. Nine new floors contain shops, upscale restaurants, cinema multiplex, food court, grocery store, Microsoft offices, West Coast Bloomingdales flagship, and San Francisco State University graduate campus. New eastern entrance onto the concourse of Powell Street Station is the mall's second direct connection to the BART and Muni subways. Not a single parking space built.

Caltrain Improvements
After years of planning and track construction, Caltrain grows its ridership with the introduction of limited-stop "Baby Bullet" service to and from SF's renovated Caltrain terminal.

Octavia Boulevard/Hayes Valley
A wide, tree-lined boulevard with through and local lanes opens where an elevated freeway once brought shadows, soot and crime. Ends at a new neighborhood park green in the now-booming Hayes Valley neighborhood. Design competition for open parcels signals the area, upon completion, will be the most thoroughly modern neighborhood north of Market Street.
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  #27  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 1:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Bedhead View Post
London
I also remember New Wembley and the new terminal at Heathrow being quite some accomplishments. Plus, Tony Blair not hailing from Downing Street anymore, but I guess thats not an achievement. And what about Russian billionaires financing Chelsea London.....
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  #28  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 1:35 PM
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San Francisco
The one thing I connect with SF (though metro area) in the last decade is the rise of the now stellar internet giant Google.
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  #29  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 6:08 PM
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We got a new Super Target!

Murrieta sucks.
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  #30  
Old Posted Jan 10, 2010, 6:14 PM
Nowhereman1280 Nowhereman1280 is offline
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Originally Posted by the urban politician View Post
^ I think a lot of elements of this statement are very, very debatable.
TUP, I specifically said that its still very contriverisial, but that it is my opinion that the future will show its the right thing to do, so of course its debatable.

I don't understand how heavily subsidizing street parking by charging about 1/8th the hour rate of a parking garage is in any way beneficial for the city. I can understand that people are going to suggest it will lead to more surface lots or garages or whatever, but I think the city is long past the "lets tear it down because a parking lot is more profitable" stage. Heck, look at the last 10 years where dozens of lots near downtown have been replaced by highrises. When it comes to deciding where to locate a company, how expensive the meter parking is will have almost no bearing on the decision. However, when it comes to where employees decide to locate, the location, price, and convince of getting to work plays a huge role. Thus I would argue that higher prices for parking will only encourage people to move closer together.

Also, its much less annoying to park at meters now anyhow since you no long have to carry 3 rolls of quarters everywhere... The electronic meters rule... Except when the slots freeze shut...
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  #31  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 3:25 AM
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DALLAS

In no particular order:

The proliferation of DART and mass transit. Although decades behind other cities, Dallas has grasped the concept of light rail transportation and has been running full speed ahead with it. The city is embracing the gentrification that has occurred along the lines and will be expanding through the "aughts".

The explosion of uptown Dallas. Although uptown existed before 2000, it gained its character in this past decade. Considered the truly urban area of Dallas, the past ten years have added countless restaurants, bars, galleries, and activities to this small area (which is served by the only trolley in Dallas). The recession has finally slowed down the Dallas boom, but uptown remains rather healthy.

The New Cowboys Stadium (aka "Jerry World" or "The Deathstar"). The structure looms over the suburban wasteland that is Arlington, a menacing structure that can be seen for miles. More notable is the world's largest video board- so large in fact, that nobody really even watches what is going on down on the field. This is, indeed, idiocracy.

The election of mayor Tom Leppert. Born in New York City, graduate of Harvard, elected in 2007 as the mayor of Dallas. His focus on improving the city of Dallas and "bridging the north-south gap" has resulted in improved inner city education as well as the creation of plenty of urban greenspace and gentrification. Most Dallasites would love to see Leppert around for a while.

The Katy Trail and White Rock Lake improvements. Runners, cyclists and dog walkers from all around greatly appreciate the work that has been put into these two trails. The Katy Trail is currently 3.5 miles of pavement and running tracks, with plans to expand further northeast. White Rock Lake hosts over 10 miles of jogging and cycling trails as well as an arboretum, a bath house, and countless picnic areas. Finally, Dallas has multiple pedestrian-friendly options. The next step: to connect the two trails.

The American Airlines Center and its Environs. The new home of the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, located adjacent to the central business district, has spurned the development of the Victory Park area- countless condos and hotels in a masterplanned area. Victory Plaza is located at the south end of the arena and contains enormous video boards that provide tons of advertising space. Unfortunately, Victory Park was built at the wrong time and has been essentially dead since its development. Things will change in the future.

Apologies for not reaching the goal of ten, but this should be a start. Dallas has seen incredible growth over the last decade and the end is nowhere in sight. The city has gained an incredible amount of character in a very fast period of time. A diversified economy makes this a very stable city with a quite affordable cost of living. Enjoy!
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  #32  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 3:39 AM
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I don't think anyone answered my question about the completion date of Chicago's expansion of it's sewer and water system.
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  #33  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 5:33 AM
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London-

1. Jubilee Underground extension ($5.63 billion) increases passenger usage on the line to 130 million.



www.lddc-history.org.uk

www.hughpearman.com, www.uksteel.org.uk



2. Docklands Light Railway extensions (x3), refurbishment and lengthening of stations increase passenger usage to 80 million



www.associationcongress.com, www.e-architect.co.uk



3. Heathrow Terminal 5 ($6.9 billion) doubles the size of the airport and increases passenger numbers to 68 million,
20 million of which are through the new terminal. All other terminals are refurbished and capacity increased to 100 million.
Heathrow retains itself as the worlds busiest international airport, London as the worlds busiest air traffic hub (136 million p/a),
and most visited city for much of the decade (rising to over 100 million nights boarded by foreign arrivals alone).


www.wessexdesignhouse.org, www.jaunted.com



4. The Congestion Charge bills drivers $8 a day to enter the central city, and alleviates traffic by 25%. It increases usage of public transport too -
rising to 6 million a day on London buses and 3.4 million on the underground. Overall London Underground sees in a 300 million rise in passengers
over the decade, to over 1 billion a year.


www.whatcar.com

www.photographersdirect.com, http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk



5. Wembley (90,000), Twickenham (82,00), Ascot (80,00) and Emirates (60,000) Stadia completed,
all other major stadia given facelifts and extensions. By 2012 London metro stadia will have cumulative capacity at over 1 million.


www.atma83.dsl.pipex.com/

Nick taylor, www.slickr.com
,
http://i.telegraph.co.uk, www.visitsoutheastengland.com, www.osservatoriosport.interno.it,




6. winning the 2012 Olympic bid


Frans Zwart, www.flickr.com



7. New icons - Tate Modern- the world's largest modern art museum, the London Eye- worlds tallest observation wheel at the time,
the O2 centre - worlds largest dome (and rated the world's best performance venue), the Millennium and Hungerford bridges,
the Gherkin tower, the new towers at Canary Wharf, the $3.6 billion Westfield Shopping Centre, and the British Museum Great Court.


www.installationart.net, www.wikimedia.org

www.earthdocumentary.com



8. New Eurostar terminals and HSR tracks completed ($10.9 billion)


www.hitachi-rail.com, www.flickr.com/2119


9. massive rejuvenation of all schools, hospitals (including a $4.5 billion 'superhospital'), parks, public spaces, museums, and underground stations.


www.permasteelisa.nl, www.reddawaytours.com

www.lda.gov.uk, www.architecture.com, www.travelguidelondon.co.uk



10. Creation of and extension of the London Overground network




http://bnb.bpweb.net,

^also endless business, private and infrastructure projects too, $250 billion slated in public projects alone.

Last edited by muppet; Jan 12, 2010 at 8:00 AM.
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  #34  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 6:01 AM
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My Top 10 for the city of Houston (NOOO... Enron, Allison or Ike did not make the list!!)

10) Construction of the cities' sports facilities in downtown. Minute Maid Park (2000) and Toyota Center (2003) were constructed in downtown, creating a dependable area of interest for what was a barren wasteland of parking lots. This has proven to be one critical piece of re-energizing downtown Houston.

9) The construction of Reliant Stadium and the return of a major football franchise. Damn, the Texans are frustrating, but I’m still glad we’ve got ‘em. Reliant Arena was finished in 2003.

8) One Park Place... downtown Houston's first all-residential highrise constructed in over 30 years. Hopefully there will be more to follow.

7) The Port of Houston had a banner decade. Not only did it complete a massive modernization project, but also worked hard on ecological restoration for the Galveston Bay. It was the first port in the United States to meet international standards for environmental excellence (quite a feat for Houston lolol).

6) Houston's response to Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps Mayor Bill White's greatest moment... the city of Houston leased over 60,000 free apartments to Katrina evacuees after the storm, along with other brave tasks from other city services. Where the US Government faltered, the city of Houston was able to take up the slack.

5) The continued gentrification of Midtown. With successful developments like the Post Midtown, Randall’s Grocery store, and an ever-increasing slew of townhomes, Midtown is poised to be Houston’s next urban paradise.

4) Politics returns to the heart. The election of mayor Annise Parker was significant because Houston is now the largest US city to have an openly gay elected mayor. But perhaps what is even more impressive is that the city’s urban core has regained a political advantage over the previously dominant suburbs.

3) Houston’s Discovery Green is much more than “a nice park”. It has served as a catalyst to reinvent Downtown Houston, serving to boost convention business, and lead to the construction of a residential highrise, new hotels and office buildings, and surface-level retail. An award winner in green technologies, many view this park as the city’s crowning achievement of the last decade.

2) A 7-mile LRT line isn’t much by some city standards, but for the city of Houston, it connects the city’s two largest employment centers, all of its major sports facilities, world-class cultural institutions and a wealth of shopping and retail amenities. Though short, the Red Line served to fill a massive transportation void for the city. Thankfully the trend continues as 15 more miles of light rail are currently under construction.

1) Houston's greatest accomplishment during the last decade was the decision to look inward... political and economic impetus are now headed back into the urban core.
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  #35  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 11:11 AM
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Quote:
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DALLAS

In no particular order:
It's interesting you didn't mention anything about the new arts district?
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  #36  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by urbanactivistTX View Post
My Top 10 for the city of Houston (NOOO... Enron, Allison or Ike did not make the list!!)

10) Construction of the cities' sports facilities in downtown. Minute Maid Park (2000) and Toyota Center (2003) were constructed in downtown, creating a dependable area of interest for what was a barren wasteland of parking lots. This has proven to be one critical piece of re-energizing downtown Houston.

9) The construction of Reliant Stadium and the return of a major football franchise. Damn, the Texans are frustrating, but I’m still glad we’ve got ‘em. Reliant Arena was finished in 2003.

8) One Park Place... downtown Houston's first all-residential highrise constructed in over 30 years. Hopefully there will be more to follow.

7) The Port of Houston had a banner decade. Not only did it complete a massive modernization project, but also worked hard on ecological restoration for the Galveston Bay. It was the first port in the United States to meet international standards for environmental excellence (quite a feat for Houston lolol).

6) Houston's response to Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps Mayor Bill White's greatest moment... the city of Houston leased over 60,000 free apartments to Katrina evacuees after the storm, along with other brave tasks from other city services. Where the US Government faltered, the city of Houston was able to take up the slack.

5) The continued gentrification of Midtown. With successful developments like the Post Midtown, Randall’s Grocery store, and an ever-increasing slew of townhomes, Midtown is poised to be Houston’s next urban paradise.

4) Politics returns to the heart. The election of mayor Annise Parker was significant because Houston is now the largest US city to have an openly gay elected mayor. But perhaps what is even more impressive is that the city’s urban core has regained a political advantage over the previously dominant suburbs.

3) Houston’s Discovery Green is much more than “a nice park”. It has served as a catalyst to reinvent Downtown Houston, serving to boost convention business, and lead to the construction of a residential highrise, new hotels and office buildings, and surface-level retail. An award winner in green technologies, many view this park as the city’s crowning achievement of the last decade.

2) A 7-mile LRT line isn’t much by some city standards, but for the city of Houston, it connects the city’s two largest employment centers, all of its major sports facilities, world-class cultural institutions and a wealth of shopping and retail amenities. Though short, the Red Line served to fill a massive transportation void for the city. Thankfully the trend continues as 15 more miles of light rail are currently under construction.

1) Houston's greatest accomplishment during the last decade was the decision to look inward... political and economic impetus are now headed back into the urban core.
Pretty impressive.
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  #37  
Old Posted Jan 11, 2010, 10:49 PM
Via Chicago Via Chicago is offline
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Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280 View Post
I don't understand how heavily subsidizing street parking by charging about 1/8th the hour rate of a parking garage is in any way beneficial for the city.
If a private firm can increase rates, then why cant the city do that itself and collect the profits rather than having them funneled to some multinational investment group? We're forgoing long term funding for a short term infusion of cash (which is almost already gone anyway since Daley is using it to fill budget gaps). Its an incredibly short sighted solution to a far more systematic problem. Not to mention, now that those assets are out of the citizens hands (for 75 years no less), they no longer get a say in how they're run (nor can they vote out/elect people to run them). Public goods should remain in the public's hands. Period.

Quote:
When it comes to deciding where to locate a company, how expensive the meter parking is will have almost no bearing on the decision. However, when it comes to where employees decide to locate, the location, price, and convince of getting to work plays a huge role. Thus I would argue that higher prices for parking will only encourage people to move closer together.
It might not matter to a company, but it sure matters to the people who have to live in those neighborhoods, or want to shop there. I used to drive into the city a couple times a month to buy records. Now I simply go to a different shop in Forest Park, where I can park for 1 hr for 25 cents and instead spend that extra couple bucks on a used vinyl.

In what world do you live in that increasing the cost of living causes MORE people to move in, rather than out?

Last edited by Via Chicago; Jan 11, 2010 at 11:05 PM.
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  #38  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 12:11 AM
the urban politician the urban politician is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Via Chicago View Post
In what world do you live in that increasing the cost of living causes MORE people to move in, rather than out?
^ In our world. Some countries actually see value in cutting the subsidy for one form of transportation to increase the usage of another one that is 1) already costing a shitload of money to maintain, and 2) being underutilized.

Great example from just a few posts up:

Quote:
Originally Posted by muppet View Post
London-
4. The Congestion Charge charges drivers $8 a day to enter the central city, and alleviates traffic by 25%. It increases usage of public transport too -
rising to 6 million a day on London buses and 3.4 million on the underground. Overall London Underground sees in a 300 million rise in passengers
over the decade, to over 1 billion a year.
^ That's all you need--proof's in the pudding that such policy works. I'm all happy for London, but reading muppet's whole post just KILLS me. America just totally sucks, sucks, sucks in its inability to get its shit together and actually invest in its cities.
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  #39  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 1:10 AM
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^ In our world. Some countries actually see value in cutting the subsidy for one form of transportation to increase the usage of another one that is 1) already costing a shitload of money to maintain, and 2) being underutilized.
Chicago situation has absolutely nothing to do with subsidies or any sort of transit strategy. It has everything to do with the fact that the city is broke and the mayor has resorted to looking under the couch for crap to sell.
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  #40  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 1:13 AM
the urban politician the urban politician is offline
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Originally Posted by Via Chicago View Post
Chicago's situation has absolutely nothing to do with subsidies or any sort of transit strategy. It has everything to do with the fact that the city is broke and the mayor has resorted to looking under the couch for crap to sell.
^ I agree, but motives don't necessarily have anything to do with results.

As I mentioned above, a strategy to curb the subsidization of the car, coupled with investments in mass transit and proper land usage, can certainly be beneficial and even increase a city's access to a much larger population of people.
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Supercar Adventures is my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4W...lUKB1w8ED5bV2Q
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