What People Get Wrong About Dense Urban Living

> Everyone is different, but man... I'm the guy that likes to fire up the bbq and chat with neighbors in the backyard while the kids are who knows where (but safe) in the sprawl. I do this in "the city" right now (I BBQed some lamb on Sunday; my neighbour got a new motorcycle (Scrambler 1200XE) and I chatted with him about it). The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks, which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Here are some examples houses in an urban area with front yards, back yards, and garages (attached to lanes): * link * link A little less square footage: * link * link Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * link * link Suburban design is the worst of both worlds: lacking the density of the urban so infrastructure is inefficient and so is transportation, and basically bulldozing what makes more rural living nice (closeness to nature).

> Why are we still trying to cram into small spaces? Define "small". Here are some examples houses in an urban area with front yards, back yards, and garages (attached to lanes): * link * link A little less square footage: * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks, which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * link * link Suburban design is the worst of both worlds: lacking the density of the urban so infrastructure is inefficient and so is transportation, and basically bulldozing what makes more rural living nice (closeness to nature).

> Public. Transit. Non-car centric development. The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2: * link * link Examples (Streetview): * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> Convince people to live in smaller houses and share walls with their neighbors, and the parking situation would change dramatically. Completely unnecessary. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was build pre-WW2: * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * link * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> Nonsense. The inner city being a concrete hellscape isn't being helped by nicer parts on the outskirts. Why would the inner city need to be a "concrete hellscape"? You can have decent density without 'concrete hellscapes'. The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided/misinformed) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2: * link * link Examples (Streetview): * link * link * link

Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks , which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> Humans shouldn't be living in shoeboxes stacked 40 floors high. You have a limited view of 'urban living'. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2, and there's no reason why it couldn't be again: * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview) of urban tree-lined streets which can support transit and where cycling is practical (and where a car is an option versus a necessity): * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> You live in an apartment and trade away personal space and still have to take a train to work where you get little personal space. You have a limited view of 'urban living'. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2, and there's no reason why it couldn't be again: * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview) of urban tree-lined streets which can support transit and where cycling is practical (and where a car is an option versus a necessity): * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> Isn't it possible that people who live in beautiful neighborhoods with mature trees, nice big yards, and low traffic streets that are safe for kids to play around Basically how things were built pre-WW2? * link * link The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * link * link * link See also: * link Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown Amsterdam, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.

> Suburbs provides housing. […] regardless of the density. At what cost, especially relative to other options. Lower density may end up costing more over the long term: * link Urban living ≠ Manhattan: * ▶ this video

> Suburbs, as a consequence of their low density, must have bad or nonexistent public transport […] Please note the silent car-centric in front of "suburb" here. Suburbs used to be different pre-WW2: * link * link More generally it is sprawl —when residential is not with-in walking distance of commercial—that is the problem. You want to have cars be optional and not mandatory. Also, "density" ≠ Manhattan/Hong Kong: * ▶ this video