BearVsGorilla

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• eeyore commented on Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
  High density urban spaces are seeing a LOT of success in other parts of the country. People like Zombie seem offended by the idea that the architect says he took inspiration from a shanty town, but whether its a shanty town or a medieval village, or a turn of the century burough, it's really all the same notion. High density urban living with shared common spaced and people working and living in the same community. Where the businesses that serve the community are owned and operated by people in the community. It's a very effective formula for creating stable, vibrant...
• Frank W commented on Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
  I live in Amsterdam. A city older than the USA. There are some disadvantages to it; my place is probably smaller than yours. There are some great upsides, too. I live in an inner city that is not a ghetto but an inner city. I don't own a car because I don't need one. Everything I do on a typical day is within walking or biking distance from my doorstep. This is nothing unusual here; bicycle culture is thriving, keeping the air clean enough and the city not all that congested. Not to mention that this is possibly the world's...
• Zombie commented on Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
  Eeyore - How does this shanty-town innovation stop the gangs? How does it stop the drugs? How does it stop the cartel violence from leaking north from the border? How does it stop prostitution? How does it stop our kids from going to schools that lack resources to prepare them to compete against the kids in wealthy suburbs? Is it going to solve the problems caused by a lack of sufficient English literacy that hold people back from high education and better jobs? I have lived in San Ysidro for twenty years, and have returned weekly for the last ten...
• a_user commented on Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
  @Eeyore did you look at any of the schools of architecture I mentioned? And why the ultimately all failed? I get that the architect believes people need to have a sense of community to make them care about where they live, but the inspiration he takes isn't the best - ok he wants to stop people going to the mall however many miles away - so he doesn't think about building a mall inside the project. Oh yeah right he did, the taco stalls and local businesses. People want that lots in the US that's why malls are dying out....
• eeyore commented on Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
  A pretty place to live wont solve drugs, or gang violence, or the cycle of ignorance and poverty. It wont prevent kids from getting pulled in and spit out by by the crush of it or help adults find a new way. But a pretty place to live can be a part of a process as it was here... and it doesn't have to be gentrification. The developer ( who grew up here ) went out and secured community development grants, drove community participation in schools and attracted local techies and engineers from surrounding communities to mentor and tutor kids,...