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@technocrit

Tell me why i don't like Starbucks...

First... Starbucks killed my beloved "Kaffehaus"-culture in vienna.

Now this.

I bought only one fucking coffee there in my whole live. It's years ago. And it will be the only one in my live.

FuckStarbucks

@990000 @chiliedogg
Implement mixed-use zoning with rent controls, and I think you'll find that not everybody wants to have a lawn.

And do I need to explain why being outside for several minutes isn't as much of an issue in places with lots of tall buildings?

FuckCars #fucklawns #urbanism #publictransit #waroncars

@nictea @philip @fuckcars Even the 903 SmartBus only runs a 15 minute timetable during the day, which is less than the minimum 10-minute service busses should be running.

And other services in the area, like the 737 (Croydon to Boronia to Knox to Glen Waverley to Monash Uni) is a 40-minute-plus frequency during most of the day.

And people wonder why more residents in the outer suburbs use public transport...

Bus #Busses #Melbourne #Planning #UrbanPlanning

@nictea @philip @fuckcars Pretty much the whole City of Knox (a large chunk of outer-eastern Melbourne) is 1970s and 1980s car-centric suburbia at its worst.

The only rail in the whole area is basically Bayswater and Boronia stations on the Belgrave line. And trains only run every 30 minutes, aside from the morning and evening peak.

Other than that, you have the SmartBus from Ringwood to Frankston, the Rowville SmartBus, and a bunch of infrequent suburban busses.

And the stroads! There's literally a stroad called High Street Road (which is quite possibly the stroadiest name ever invented).

And all of them — Boronia Rd, Stud Rd, Wellington Rd, Burwood Hwy, Wellington Rd, Dorset Rd — are a nightmare during peak hour.

There's whole housing estates with detached residential homes where the only practical way to get anything is to drive.

If anyone says Melbourne does planning well, take them out to Knox (you'll need to drive) and they'll come away with a different opinion.

Knox #Melbourne #Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #Bayswater #Boronia #Planning

@heatofignition @mondoman712

Nah. Public policy isn't a neat project plan you can accomplish in chronological order. The measurement of good policy isn't whether or not there are zero negative impacts on lower income folks.

The status quo is bad. Do what's possible. If you can raise gas prices do it. If you can increase transit do it. Each improvement will virtuously reinforce other improvements.

transit

@ajsadauskas @fuckcars "I estimate that a cap on front-end vehicle heights of 1.25 m would reduce annual US pedestrian deaths by 509."

wow, 500 hundred people per year! That's a lot! And only in the US...

mobility #fuckcars

@uis @milicentbystandr The architect you're thinking of is a guy by the name of Victor Gruen.

The short version is that he was a socialist from Austria, who wanted to basically recreate the great walkable streets and plazas of Vienna indoors in Minnesota.

His views on cars, ironically, wouldn't be out of place on a @notjustbikes video: "Suburban business real estate has often been evaluated on the basis of passing automobile traffic. This evaluation overlooks the fact that automobiles do not buy merchandise."

He hated cars, and saw this as an antidote to car-dependent development:

"But Gruen had a grander vision. He wanted to re-create in microcosm the walkable, diverse and liveable town centres he so loved in Vienna.

"Part of his motivation was seeing how reliance on the automobile was affecting cities. In his classic book, Shopping Towns USA, Gruen rails against the development of drive-by shopping centres focused on catering to passing motorists.

"The original plan was for commerce to be broken up by numerous attractions like aviaries, fountains and works of art. The mall itself would be surrounded by residences, offices, medical facilities, schools and everything that made a community.

"The mall was inward-looking, not to keep people focused on spending but to shelter pedestrians from cars and away from their fumes and noise.

"Here’s the first painful irony, then. Rather than developing the new mixed-use centre envisioned by Gruen, the only thing built was the mall and car parks. The grand vision was reduced to a monoculture of big shopping brands surrounded by massive car parks, all accessible only by automobile."

https://theconversation.com/triumph-of-the-mall-how-victor-gruens-grand-urban-vision-became-our-suburban-shopping-reality-172393

So the modern American shopping mall is basically a perversion of Gruen's original walkable town square/main street in a building vision.

Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #capitalism #cars #malls

@P1r4nha @Dmian

"...... cities that existed before cars were invented or introduced are still more pedestrian friendly"

Every city in #PuertoRico is older than the car. Here we suffer a 66:100 car:people ratio. There are no walk-able cities, no public transportation, sidewalks are only parking spaces cars, car dealers own the banks and the politicians.

fuckcars, they are killing us.

@mondoman712 @Shake747
StocasticTerrorism

@Deceptichum

Been there tried that 😆
BikeTooter
Pennyfarthing

@tty84 @Currensfelis

@azimir @NaibofTabr
Has anyone done a true cost analysis of cars?
All the external costs incling health, environment, climate change, Middle East Wars, Police...
Urbanism #Traffication

@nothacking @finger Same deal for your cousins over the border in Lithuania.

Here's some extra details, so our American friends can compare the train services in a less wealthy EU country to Amtrak. (Keep in mind this is nowhere near the level of service you'll find in countries such as France or Germany.)

You can get a second class ticket on a modern LTGLink train from Vilnius to Kaunas for just €8. That gets you:

"Electrical outlets near some seats, space for bicycles, [on-board toilets], animal-friendly area, air conditioning, non-smoking area. Possibility to buy soft drinks and snacks on Kaunas and Klaipeda routes. When buying a ticket on the Klaipeda route, it is possible to choose a place and seating direction."

Or in first class (just €11.10 for Vilnius to Kaunas, roughly equivalent to US$12.17) you get this:

"Passengers have free coffee, soft drinks, and snacks. More spacious seating, wider tables, electrical sockets at the seats, fewer seats and passengers around, choice of seat and seat when buying a ticket, space for bicycles, [on-board toilets], air conditioning, silence area, luggage area, non-smoking area."

Here's the on-board menu: https://ltglink.lt/en/menu-on-vilnius-klaipeda-vilnius-route

Yes, you can order a hot or cold sandwich, a cappuccino, Belgian waffles, noodles, donuts, Oreos, chips, a Snickers bar, or whatever other snack you want. The train staff bring it to your seat.

The seats are comfortable, like a first-class plane seat but with more leg room. You can use free wi-fi, and charge your phone at your seat.

Services on the Vilnius–Kaunas line run roughly every hour from 4:55am to 9:25pm, and more frequently during peak times during the day.

There's a train station at Vilnius airport. Just about every trolleybus and bus in Vilnius runs to the main train station, stopping just metres from the front door, and there's also a coach terminal connecting to smaller towns and villages.

So you can catch a trolleybus from the national Parliament building, a coach from a small village, or a train from the airport, then easily transfer at the main train station to an intercity service to Kaunas or Klaipeda.

And I'd like to remind you that Lithuania's train system is considered bad by European standards.

train #trains #transport #urbanism

@maggio Nevertheless, it's a worthy initiative. At worst, it's a placebo. At best, those parking in the bike lane are convicted. At least authorities will notice all the emails and get the message that a problem exists.
BikeTooter #CarIntheBikeLane

@maggio
But what evidence is there of authorities acting on the weg.li info? Are there convictions/fines issued?

CarIntheBikeLane

@maggio

Oooh, I love that weg.li measures "asshole factor!

parking #CarIntheBikeLane

@SydneyCyclewaysFan @jedsetter @ukuku @ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml @jakecoppinger @cyclingnews @walksydney @sydneyurbanismnews Apparently "effectively engaging with the community" at Canada Bay council means sending people a pro-forma letter.

I decided to write them back...

"Dear Shankar, Andrew, Brendan, and all whom this may concern,

"One more thing.

"Just a little heads up about something.

"Next time, before you send everyone who responded to an inquiry with the same pro-forma letter, you might want to check that it hasn't gone viral on social media.

"Because, when there's several Mastodon threads full of people who received the same pro forma letter, it comes across as a little insincere to say you are 'effectively engaging with the community as part of this process'.

https://aus.social/@jakecoppinger/110097973671882457

https://urbanists.social/@SydneyCyclewaysFan/110468342468417639

"Just a thought.

Kindest regards,

AJ"

NSWpol #AusPol #Politics #CanadaBay #cycling #bike #bicycles #bicycle #cycle #Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #politics

@jedsetter @ukuku @ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml @jakecoppinger @SydneyCyclewaysFan @cyclingnews @walksydney @sydneyurbanismnews

Well, it took until June, but someone from the council finally responded.

From TrafficandTransport AT canadabay.nsw.gov.au:

"Hi AJ,

"Thank you for providing your feedback in relation to the cycling infrastructure in Heath Street, Five Dock. I apologise for the delay in responding.

"Whilst it is noted that some community members may be disappointed with changes to the cycling infrastructure in Heath Street, Council remains committed to improving cycling infrastructure throughout the Council area and effectively engaging with the community as part of this process.

"Works to modify the cycling infrastructure have recently been completed and follow up monitoring is currently being undertaken.

"To keep you to date with the Regional Cycleway project and future community consultation, you can follow the project at collaborate.canadabay.nsw.gov.au/ewcycleway.

"Should you have any further enquiries regarding this project please do not hesitate to contact me on 9911 6448.

"Kind Regards,

Shankar"

cycling #bike #bikes #urbanism #bicycle #bicycles #UrbanPlanning

@AgreeableLandscape I certainly think there's a lot to be learnt from China's nationwide standardisation of its metros.

And as @RMTransit points out, it has allowed them to rapidly rollout new metro systems across the country.

Compare that to Australia, where each state has its own set of rail gauge, electrification, and signalling standards.

I also wonder whether, for countries that do have legacy rail systems, the costs of retrofitting nationwide standards might outweigh the benefits?

Still, definitely worth considering.

And here's the link to Reece's video for anyone who's following along on Mastodon: https://youtu.be/ehTy-qQVZhM

train #trains #metro #china #politics #transport #transit #UrbanPlanning #urbanism #engineering

@ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml I am absolutely furious that Canada Bay council is going ahead with this act of environmental and infrastructure vandalism.

If you've ever asked why Australia doesn't have great quality cycling infrastructure or transport planning that reflects the realities of net zero by 2050, here's a big part of the reason.

It's car-brained local governments listening to NIMBYs.

"A cycle path built through part of Sydney’s inner west will be ripped up on Tuesday, five months after it was completed, due to a council decision described by riders as a knee-jerk reaction to complaints from residents.

"The separated bike path on Heath Street in the inner west suburb of Rodd Point is part of a planned $7 million cycleway designed to connect the Bay Run at Iron Cove on the banks of the Parramatta River to Concord."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/knee-jerk-reaction-sydney-cycle-path-to-be-ripped-up-months-after-opening-20230406-p5cym2.html

UPDATE: I did some more digging into the local council in Canada Bay, and found this about the mayor:

"The Independent Commission Against Corruption is currently investigating allegations Canada Bay’s long-term mayor Angelo Tsirekas accepted perks from developers, including international flights and accommodation, in return for favourable decisions."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/i-m-sounding-a-bit-like-a-liberal-councils-pursue-massive-cash-grab-20220822-p5bbpc.html

cycling #bikes #bicycles #Sydney #NSW #CanadaBay #Politics #NSWPol #AusPol #News #Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #Bike #Walkable #Cities #NIMBY #Politics

Ping @SydneyCyclewaysFan @cyclingnews @walksydney @sydneyurbanismnews @betterstreetsnsw

@ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml Interesting conversation by @heartlandurbanist and Stem Heinz touching on a range of topics, including housing, density, public transport, and zoning reform.

While this video focus on Columbus, Ohio, the underlying issues apply to many cities across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

"Columbus is working on the first full rewriting of its zoning code since the 1950s. The effort is called Zone In Columbus - and we shared two stories from our own neighborhood that we think make clear why this reform is so badly needed. Check it out and let us know what you think!"

urbanism #UrbanPlanning #Cities #transit #walkability #planning @video @FediVideo