The Happy City and Our $20 Trillion Opportunity(mrmoneymustache.com)
mrmoneymustache.com
The Happy City and Our $20 Trillion Opportunity
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2017/02/10/the-happy-city/
2 comments
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
― R. Buckminster Fuller
― R. Buckminster Fuller
I'm a big fan of the guy, but did any of his ideas actually catch on in a big way? They seem to mostly be techno-historical curiosities.
I think people are already making a big impact by moving back to urban centers, increasing the demand for transit and housing. I'm astonished by the number of new developments going up in Minneapolis.
Certainly, you have to have an idea to change this sort of thing. An idea that people will be willing to get behind naturally. I don't know what that idea is.
I figure somehow the mobile phone would be involved. I feel like an always connected, GPS device makes everyone more flexible.
I figure somehow the mobile phone would be involved. I feel like an always connected, GPS device makes everyone more flexible.
How we design cities is indeed important. As such it is important to focus on design performance and to get the history right when that is used for reference.
Car and tire companies did not plot to shut down the streetcars. Streetcars were disliked by their patrons and wore out. In many ways the failure to rebuilt the streetcar system when it reached end of life is similar to the problems with our bridges deteriorating faster than they can be rebuilt. All transportation systems need to be embraced by customers and to be efficient enough to be rebuilt as necessary.
It is important to understand that what happened with streetcars does not change any of the basic points made in this piece.
Car and tire companies did not plot to shut down the streetcars. Streetcars were disliked by their patrons and wore out. In many ways the failure to rebuilt the streetcar system when it reached end of life is similar to the problems with our bridges deteriorating faster than they can be rebuilt. All transportation systems need to be embraced by customers and to be efficient enough to be rebuilt as necessary.
It is important to understand that what happened with streetcars does not change any of the basic points made in this piece.
It's simply not going to happen if a few hundred (or hundred thousand) people read this article and try to "ride their bike more" or "vote against that new highway". The system has too much momentum. Your best bet to make a real impact is to found or be a part of a team that is founding a brand new city with this new mentality. You're not going to change Orlando in the next 50 years with wishful thinking and good points.