I desperately wanted to talk about the D&H canal more.The Armchair Urbanist Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhycIWhOLttikNg2Z1aJvGPoqijpGs9qhM...
People don’t live in downtown, people live on rural plots of land miles away from downtowns, on dirt roads and things.
Is this a variation on the, “No one drives anymore, there’s too much traffic?” While the economic driver of many of these communities is agriculture, the number of people in town vastly outnumber those living in the county. In economics, the general rule is that for every $1 brought into a community, it stimulates ~$4 of economic activity locally. These jobs are more likely to be located in town than in the county.
This doesn’t mean we forget about those living in the county. If we can make downtowns more livable and reduce the need of the in-town population to drive, we can reduce traffic and become more sustainable (both environmentally and economically. For those out in the county, maybe they do still need to drive in town, but once they park there’s a better chance they can complete all their tasks on foot. For communities that do a great job of urbanizing, public transit can lead to variations of park-and-rides where county dwellers only need to drive to the edge of town or a bus/train stop.
they do still need to drive in town, but once they park
Why would I do that when I can just keep driving to my destinations? I’m in town to buy stuff, probably lots of it because it’s a trip. I’m not going to store A, buying more than I can carry… and then what?
Why would I do that when I can just keep driving to my destinations?
I’m thinking of a place where multiple destinations are within walking distance. For example, the rural city I live in has a beautiful, historic downtown where you can hit up dozens of stores in <1km walk. I often bike (or even drive) downtown and walk between my 3-5 destinations to get my chores done. If I need to walk back to the car to drop off stuff, it’s not a big deal. And with less parking, those stores can be closer together and the walk can be more pleasant. Plus, many urbanist communities are charging for parking, which incentivizes patrons to consider whether they need to drive right to the store front.
I’m not going to store A, buying more than I can carry… and then what?
Bags and carts exist. If it’s a big load, many stores have loading bays where I’ll often buy what I need then after I’m done everything else, I’ll make a quick loop to pick up what I’ve ordered, instead of them needing sufficient parking for every patron for the whole time they’re shopping.
Is this a variation on the, “No one drives anymore, there’s too much traffic?” While the economic driver of many of these communities is agriculture, the number of people in town vastly outnumber those living in the county. In economics, the general rule is that for every $1 brought into a community, it stimulates ~$4 of economic activity locally. These jobs are more likely to be located in town than in the county.
This doesn’t mean we forget about those living in the county. If we can make downtowns more livable and reduce the need of the in-town population to drive, we can reduce traffic and become more sustainable (both environmentally and economically. For those out in the county, maybe they do still need to drive in town, but once they park there’s a better chance they can complete all their tasks on foot. For communities that do a great job of urbanizing, public transit can lead to variations of park-and-rides where county dwellers only need to drive to the edge of town or a bus/train stop.
Why would I do that when I can just keep driving to my destinations? I’m in town to buy stuff, probably lots of it because it’s a trip. I’m not going to store A, buying more than I can carry… and then what?
I’m thinking of a place where multiple destinations are within walking distance. For example, the rural city I live in has a beautiful, historic downtown where you can hit up dozens of stores in <1km walk. I often bike (or even drive) downtown and walk between my 3-5 destinations to get my chores done. If I need to walk back to the car to drop off stuff, it’s not a big deal. And with less parking, those stores can be closer together and the walk can be more pleasant. Plus, many urbanist communities are charging for parking, which incentivizes patrons to consider whether they need to drive right to the store front.
Bags and carts exist. If it’s a big load, many stores have loading bays where I’ll often buy what I need then after I’m done everything else, I’ll make a quick loop to pick up what I’ve ordered, instead of them needing sufficient parking for every patron for the whole time they’re shopping.