Don't Whine About Big Box Stores

In the 50s, everyone decided that it was a really good idea for every American household to have a car, families to have houses with yards and garages, and for all people to buy as much as they could to be "happy." Before that, America had the General Store, so named because customers could buy everything "in general" that they needed. Later, there were department stores that had several stores in one location, making it more easy for American families to get what they "needed."

All of these consumer centers evolved into strip malls, with malls that were just inside out, where the walking took place in parking lots. We liked it. We encouraged architects and developers to keep building these sorts of establishments. Just like the Hummer 3, we decided that instead of supporting multiple independent businesses that were walking distance from our homes (like they were in the "good ol' days"), we wanted one-stop shopping centers, bigger grocery stores, and football fields worth of parking.

I think it would be remiss to blame developers for giving Austinites what they want in the form of dozens of shopping centers. We had the opportunity to prevent this from happening simply by speaking with our wallets. Instead of paying for cars, we could have paid for an advanced transit system. Many Austin businesses could have remained if we had decided that instead of driving, we wanted a more pedestrian city. I find it difficult to completely take the moral high ground when we were pushing millions of dollars into these stores for decades.

We are responsible for all the traffic, and we are responsible for all the "Big Box atrocities", even those of us who living "traditional" Austin neighborhoods. There has been a new call for taking responsibility, and I think that Austinites are long overdue. After decades of supporting nothing but sprawl, we have done as much damage as we have done good, and the last minute is too late to cry foul.

Insult of the Comprehensive Plan

Hello Austin, did you know that we are putting together a comprehensive plan for our city, to update the one 30 years ago? Yes, we are, and according to the city, it will take 2 years and $1.8 million, with $1.5 million going to the independent consultant. You heard me: $1.8 million in total with $1.5 million going to the independent consultant. Seriously.

This is the point where everyone should have his or her eyebrows raised and said, "Really?" Not only is the ratio a complete fallacy in terms of including Austinites and building goodwill towards the city, but the whole price is a complete insult. There are many, many houses in Austin worth more than $1.8 million, let alone an entire comprehensive plan. That amount is a paltry sum, a mere token, and the process for completing the plan is most likely going to offend more people than be effective.

Anyone who reads this knows that I care a great deal about community involvement in the comprehensive plan (see the October 5, 2008 entry). If anyone is aware, there is a UNIVERSITY that has a COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING DEPARTMENT located fairly close to downtown. Its name is the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. If one gave $1.5 million to that department to help complete the comprehensive plan, not only would there be more models to base actual results on, but the STATE university would have free access to the information gathered by the state. Comprehensive planning is what these students AND PROFESSORS study, morning, noon and night, and to pay an outside consultant a ridiculous sum of money when we have resources at our own disposal is going for the two birds in the bush.

Yes, UT has seemed a bit like Rapunzel, standing in her tower and only allowing the sacred few to enter. On the contrary, how on earth are we going to initiate the process of removing the maiden from the tower if we are unwilling to climb her hair? Universities know how to live on $1.5 million sums, and they know more about allocation than anything, not to mention that they are non-profits. It simply makes no sense to spend $1.8 million on a comprehensive plan and give that money to someone outside of the direct effects, while ignoring perfectly good resources at our immediate disposal. And $1.8 million dollars is nothing, for the record.

Stranded Downtown

On December 23, I had to work late because the end of the year was busy. Like a good urbanite, I took the bus and expected to take the bus home again. Normally, there were two buses which traveled to my neighborhood, but I saw roughly 11 Trail of Lights buses before I finally caught a bus. I was basically stranded downtown with no way home for about an hour and I was at 11th and Lavaca, which has no businesses to patronize and no regular foot traffic.

Many people argue that because there is no "effective" public transit system, people are forced to drive. My counter is this: if no one takes the bus after hours, then there will be inefficient and ineffective buses after hours. There are students, but these days, more workers come early and stay late, and people need to feel that they can get home safely and quickly without having to factor an extra hour of waiting.

Being stranded downtown should never happen in one of the fastest growing cities in America. Please talk to Capitol Metro (yes, I do the same) and tell them if you ever ride the bus after 6pm. There are many activities that happen in the later hours, and not having to park would be a boon on the city. We need to work with our transit system to make it more effective so that the buses and trains do not give us a curfew.

Safety around the parking lots

One of my co-workers was coming in early to do overtime, since the end of the year tends to be a busy season for a number of state departments. While she was getting out of her car, two men appeared and tried to demand money. Despite a number of firm statements, the men did not leave, so it was fortunate that she made her way to work and that her car remained unharmed.

To have a long stream of parking lots with no businesses or people is unsafe, and that is exactly the case from 15th Street to 11th Street on San Jacinto and Trinity. There is no constant fluctuation of foot traffic because there are no restaurants or stores for people to go to, and there are no residents who watch out for themselves and others. Even the Texas Residential Construction Commission is swallowed by its isolation next to those parking lots, as there are no businesses to support the safety of the area.

Downtown does not have to be unsafe at any part. While it is important to have parking lots because so many people insist upon driving (although that could potentially change), there should not be blocks and blocks of parking garages that have little to no foot traffic. Those areas create unsafe environments for the very workers who park their cars there.