Originally Posted by
Steely Dan
"you must be the change you wish to see in the world"
among the myriad reasons to be car-free, car-light, or whatever, i probably have an outlier one: aesthetic.
i simply don't care for the way that places designed and built primarily/exclusively for cars look and feel (which is the lion's share of post-war america).
i've always been drawn to the human scale of the urban city, and as such, kinda backed myself into this lifestyle more than it being a fully conscious choice on my part.
all of the other benefits, to the extent that they exist (better health, money saved, smaller carbon foot-print, whatever), have been happy accidents growing out of my love for urban living.
what can i say, i'm just a fool for the city.
Originally Posted by
RubeRad
I lived for 2yr in Reading, UK, and it was pretty cool how the city center was closed off from cars. It made for a vibrant shopping district. I understand that's pretty common in the UK. I would love to see small-to-medium size U.S. cities take the practice up.
Actually, that makes me remember how Denver has the 16th(?) St area, which is pedestrians and free-buses (and bikes) only. A little different as it's just one street all in a line (like 8-12 blocks long), and cars still come across at every intersection, but still a nice compromise.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Some cities never lost those neighborhoods, like Boston.
It seems to me that in order to be an attractive place to support a variety of restaurants and shops to which to walk (and not drive to visit that neighborhood0… a neighborhood must be a large area with a substantial, dense population living there, likely that evolved in the pre-automotive era.
I think a lot of urban revitalization projects tend to create enclaves as driving destinations to walk around in such large cities like in my native Detroit
I’m a fool (enthusiastic advocate) for my City:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I often tout Boston as the epitome of LCF/LCL in America, not to brag, but illustrate the possibilities. When I take visitors on a 4-5 mile walking tour of downtown Boston, I introduce it with this explanation:
Several years ago, the architectural critic of the Boston Globe, Robert Campbell, was visiting Southfield, Michigan, a town I know well, and described it as the “City of Towers and Cars” (including “busy highways and vast parking lots" [and tall office buildings, and sprawling office and retail parks]).
In his article, he contrasted that that to the “City of Outdoor Rooms” (Boston) which is visited as one would visit a person’s home, passing through the various portals, from room to room, admiring the furnishings within.
That’s the motif I use on my tours as we start in the Back Bay, and pass through the Public Garden, Boston Common, Washington St and Quincy Market, the North End, Beacon Hill and back to Back Bay. The walk becomes the destination.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…I really enjoy showing visitors around Boston on informal walking [and cycling] tours, and I would offer that to a fellow BF subscriber, but I'm a pretty busy person, and would need a heads up to see if I'm available at a mutually agreeable time.
The black line on the street map represents one (1) mile.
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Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-04-18 at 09:12 AM.
Reason: added maps