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Oct 6, 2023
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Martin Schwoerer's avatar

Oldest thing in the world actually, and not restricted to the U.S.

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Oct 6, 2023
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Joachim Klement's avatar

If you want to see what would have happened to Amsterdam had city planners won the fight to build a highway through the city centre, just go to Sydney, where there is a highway going straight through the Harbour Quay. Or look at the Bronx before Robert Moses built the Bronx Expressway...

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Martin Schwoerer's avatar

I wouldn't be surprised if you got a lot of flak from the suburban readers of this excellent piece. Confirmation bias is strong.

But also, the ideological city/country gap (even if 'burbs are mere fake countryside) is gigantic. Has even led to genocide à la Pol Pot (tho there's no need to be so drastic; citing Trump would suffice).

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Joachim Klement's avatar

Oh, I got that flak and fully expected it. But if I agreed with suburbanites, we'd both be wrong. and what good would that do :-D

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Andrew Phillips's avatar

Can't disagree with any of that. So what is the future? Bladerunner-style termite mounds?

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Joachim Klement's avatar

Nope, just multi-use denser living arrangements with lots of green spaces interspersed. Just look at inner cities in the Netherlands or Scandinavia. Many of them are immensely liveable.

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Jonathon's avatar

Fact check re: Houston. Houston’s Memorial Park is one of the largest in the United States. Covering 1466 acres or 5.9 square km. Compare that to New York’s Central Park’s measly 840 acre Central Park. And if you get bored playing in Memorial Park, check out Buffalo Bayou Park (160 acres), Hermann Park (which includes an 8 acre recreational lake), the POST Houston Skylawn, or the beautiful tree covered streets of Houston Heights and/or Rice Military. All within in one of the most ethnically diverse cities in North America. Please and thank you.

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Joachim Klement's avatar

Sorry, no offense but I have been to Houston and if I can help it, I will never go there again. Just my taste. If you like Houston, all the better for you. As I said, I don't like Las Vegas either.

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Bruce Frausto's avatar

Spot on.

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Juan F Mena's avatar

"in my view, the worst place in the world I have ever been to is Las Vegas" wow, what a life!

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Joachim Klement's avatar

Yes, I am privileged.

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