I think one of the most important parts of selecting an argument is knowing the other side. After visiting Natural Bridge Caverns, I realize why public transportation could not work in every location. Such a cave is a geological wonder, and the stress of a train track or heavy traffic would surely be so detrimental that it would be destroyed. To be sure, there are a number of locations that would be particularly sensitive to the strain of heavy density, and for those areas, I think it makes perfect sense to reduce growth.
New Braunfels, Canyon City, Sattler, and Gruene are perfect examples of why all cities should not aspire to have heavy density. They maintain their individuality and provide nearby tourist destinations for the larger cities nearby, such as San Marcos, Austin, and San Antonio. Their profits are probably large because they exploit their value as small towns and as escapes from large cities. The biggest argument for density within large cities is that having a city of 500,000 be classified as a "town" is detrimental as far as businesses and public utility.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I'd like to see these towns be handled like a lot of smaller Northern or European villages. You take some sort of large transit into the general area then visit the town via bicycle or walking. For many small villages the lack of cars becomes part of the draw.
We need to plan for a transition off of fossil fuels (even if we eventually get affordable private transportation for everyone again via some renewable source), because if we don't these towns might be gone. In much the same way the train passing towns by decimated a lot of small towns, our new energy economy could well do the same if towns don't plan for it.
I definitely agree. My main observation is that we will require a hybrid of transit. My favorite type of transit is public transit, because then I'm free to basically do what I want while getting to my destination. However, I do understand that there will be situations where people simply cannot use transit (i.e., the train/bus/plastic transit tube is not going to come from my house to directly in front of my job).
My ideal compromise would be to provide transit to the hearts of small towns so that they can receive tourism and investment, but not necessarily flood the small towns with highways for private vehicles. I am absolutely of the opinion that making it easier for people to drive individual transportation is the wrong answer to sustainability.
Post a Comment