Google sponsored links
Just posting this out of curiosity. If you could design the "perfect" car free town, what would it be like?
I would plan for:
1) Organic food grown nearby
2) College town
3) Solar / Wind Power for all homes
4) Wide streets with trees forming a nice canopy over the residential streets
5) Town size would probably be about 50-75,000 people.
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content
here.
Ready to buy? Check out these two online bike stores:
-
http://www.nashbar.com (you can find the latest bike nashbar coupons in
this thread)
-
http://www.performancebike.com (you can find the latest performance bike coupons in
this thread)
Cya on the forums,
- The BikeForums Team
-
http://www.bikeforums.net
If you could design the "perfect" car free town, what would it be like?
If you aren't familiar with it already, check out J.H. Crawford's Carfree Cities site:
http://www.carfree.com
Crawford has also written the most complete reference on the subject to date, his book, also titled Carfree Cities:
http://www.amazon.com/Carfree-Cities-J-H-Crawford/dp/9057270420/sr=8-1/qid=1169234782/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0365344-7830415?ie=UTF8&s=books
The hardback version is available in many libraries.
Isla Vista, California
http://members.cox.net/deleyd2/deleytours/islavist.htm
http://www.socalmtb.com/filler/025iv.jpg
Go Gauchos!
If you aren't familiar with it already, check out J.H. Crawford's Carfree Cities site:
Sadly, a number of these places are also bicycle free. He understandably loves Venice, but I've never found an urban area as hostile to bicycles as Venice. It's definitely a pedestrian city.
Towns that are like this tend to be WAY expensive, because their quality of life values are so desireable. Makes it not so perfect unless you're Ken Lay.
Just posting this out of curiosity. If you could design the "perfect" car free town, what would it be like?
I would plan for:
1) Organic food grown nearby
2) College town
3) Solar / Wind Power for all homes
4) Wide streets with trees forming a nice canopy over the residential streets
5) Town size would probably be about 50-75,000 people.
Towns that are like this tend to be WAY expensive, because their quality of life values are so desireable. Makes it not so perfect unless you're Ken Lay.
Granted it would cost more than a traditional town, at least the initial outlay, but in the long run I believe it would be cheaper.
I was hoping to stir some discussion about what you guys/gals think would be the ingredients behind the ideal car free town. What would you like to see if you could design a town from scratch?
Towns that are like this tend to be WAY expensive, because their quality of life values are so desireable. Makes it not so perfect unless you're Ken Lay.
Only dead people can live there?? :eek:
Sadly, a number of these places are also bicycle free. He understandably loves Venice, but I've never found an urban area as hostile to bicycles as Venice. It's definitely a pedestrian city.
I think Venice is the *only* "bicycle-free" city discussed on Crawford's site or in his book, which is mostly about designing new carfree cities from the ground up.
Venice is "hostile" to *all* wheeled traffic because it was built many centuries ago in a lagoon, where boats are the obvious transport choice.
If you are serious about carfree design, you really need to read Crawford.
Just posting this out of curiosity. If you could design the "perfect" car free town, what would it be like?
I would plan for:
1) Organic food grown nearby
2) College town
3) Solar / Wind Power for all homes
4) Wide streets with trees forming a nice canopy over the residential streets
5) Town size would probably be about 50-75,000 people.
Why wide streets when there wouldn't be any cars? That space could be devoted to food production or nicely landscaped park area rather than streets.
A compact city would be best rather than contributing to sprawl. Medium to high rise condos lead to less sprawl allowing more space for local food production and park area.
It would need to be located in an area where hunting, and freshwater and inshore saltwater fishing were within 10 miles.
That's one reason I'm where I am now. Hunting and fishing are 3-10+, depending on where I want to go and what I want to do, and work, the grocery store, post office, golf course, county courthouse, etc. are all within 10 miles.
Eugene, Oregon was the best bike town I've ever lived in. It fits all of your criteria. I might change a few things about it, but I don't think you'd get too much closer to the ideal while still allowing for cars.
So you think Ken Lay is dead? :D
Only dead people can live there?? :eek:
Just posting this out of curiosity. If you could design the "perfect" car free town, what would it be like?
I would plan for:
1) Organic food grown nearby
2) College town
3) Solar / Wind Power for all homes
4) Wide streets with trees forming a nice canopy over the residential streets
5) Town size would probably be about 50-75,000 people.
This is a pipe dream. The best carfree city is the one you live in. Despite all the problems, you have to help make it carfree. If that's not going to happen, then get using your bike and make it one car closer to carfree.
So you think Ken Lay is dead? :D
Well, they had memorial services and a funeral for him, back in July, but they had those for Elvis, too.
I guess we can't be sure.
Venice, Italy is pretty good. A rich history as a medieval city-state is one of my essentials.
Paul
Venice, Italy is pretty good. A rich history as a medieval city-state is one of my essentials.
Paul
Sell your bicycle before you go. You won't need it there. Get one of these instead.
http://www.castlecraft.org/images/Waterbike-tender.jpg :D
man, i'd love to live in a town that had a big carfree zone in the center, so you can only walk or ride a bike in there...i hate sharing roads with cars..is there such a thing as a bike only town...that would be really cool
man, i'd love to live in a town that had a big carfree zone in the center, so you can only walk or ride a bike in there...i hate sharing roads with cars..is there such a thing as a bike only town...that would be really cool
man, i'd love to live in a town that had a big carfree zone in the center, so you can only walk or ride a bike in there...i hate sharing roads with cars..is there such a thing as a bike only town...that would be really cool
Why wide streets when there wouldn't be any cars? That space could be devoted to food production or nicely landscaped park area rather than streets.
Fort Collins is known for it's very wide streets downtown. I believe the reason is so horse/carriages could turn around with ease. With big trees, street parking, and separated sidewalk it doesn't pose any problems, but seeing very wide streets like that (for side streets) is kind of different.
If you aren't familiar with it already, check out J.H. Crawford's Carfree Cities site:
http://www.carfree.com
Crawford has also written the most complete reference on the subject to date, his book, also titled Carfree Cities:
http://www.amazon.com/Carfree-Cities-J-H-Crawford/dp/9057270420/sr=8-1/qid=1169234782/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0365344-7830415?ie=UTF8&s=books
The hardback version is available in many libraries.
This is a great Website, although the carfree cities are not designed with bikes in mind. The city's neighborhoods are built like circular pods, with all residences arranged within a 5 or 10 minute walk of a central light-rail stop. The light rail connects dozens of pods like beads on a wire. No point in the city would be more than a 30 minute train ride from every other point. Most buildings would be four story structures with shops on the first floor, offices on the second, and apartments on the upper to stories. About 75 % of the land area wuld be open space--most as central courtyards within the four-story buildings.
One fascinating feature of the Website is the hundreds of old photos of cities as they looked before there were cars. The cities of 100 years ago were beautiful and very liveable. The streets are full of pedestrians and bicycles, with a few carriages and carts. There's a lot of influence from Jane Jacobs, with the emphasis on designing multi-use, esthetically pleasing cities.
Only dead people can live there?? :eek:
If that were the case then the perfect city is Colma, California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colma,_California)
http://ddourret.free.fr/Planet/Cloudcity.jpg
Previous -
Top -
Next
Copyright 1999 - 2007
BikeForums.Net - All rights reserved.
Common bike forum topics in clue bicycles, cycling, mountain biking,
cycling jerseys, shorts, socks, shoes and bike equiptment selection.