I was recently posed an argument for walk able cities. Taking cars away is taking freedom away. Now the “from scratch” new urban city I’ve been designing, isn’t automobile free. In fact it has an industrial area and a shipping area, much like a well run shopping mall should institute. But, it is also my opinion, as a certified car nut, that I would also eventually build a multi-use raceway. Such a raceway would embrace, SCCA road courses and SOLO I and II events, as well as possibly a Busch cup or NASCAR styled track, but on the front straight would be a drag strip. In the middle of the course would be a dirt track, (which would make my son happy with his pure stock), but then there would be the concerns of making it compliant with noise statutes that I would be implementing for the rest of the community. So would I end up putting a track, ultimately the size of Sears Point, under a roof? Where would the benefit be of having such a sporting arena.
But then too, has any one driven by a Friday night football game at the local high school? Should the same apply to that as well. I have several ideas for such competitive stadiums and arenas. The idea is to get people to walk to the event from their homes or take the supplied tram or trolley, right?
Looking into these as a snag, and giving ear to the proposal that by killing the car, we are just giving up yet one more freedom. I have come to several conclusions:
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We’re spoiled by constantly getting what we want as long as it doesn’t offend someone else, otherwise we are trampling their freedoms. Something that a true community based system would ease, somewhat, by giving people more of a culture based incentive to be like minded. Which is why so many of us end up loving the internet so much. We blog, we twitter, we deviantart, we flickr, we facebook, we myspace, why? So that we can commune with like minded people.
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The car (or any other favorite modes of transport) can be nurtured in this community. Races, car shows, bike rallies, autocross rallies, businesses that supply aftermarket parts, and my personal favorite part of my whole system that will be explained at a later date in much more depth, the community garage, all can be a community experience, without the detriment of the past abuse of the automobile. I’ll explain what I mean later.
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For me, the idea of hopping on a trolley, or my golf cart, riding or driving 10 or 20 blocks to a garage filled with mine and other people’s pride and joy, with specialty shops built on premises, possibly machine shops and welding shops, or professional spray shops, or tool rental shops where you can rent the tools to do it all yourself. And a huge indoor parts bin where old cars are taken apart and catalogued for future use rather than set out in a lot and pot-shot at by rock throwers and angry cattle. Then the sheer joy of knowing I can take proper care of my vehicle, rather than driving in stop and go traffic and going with out a proper oil change regimen, because I don’t have time or money. I would invite the opportunity…
Security would not be a huge problem, because the shop owners live at their establishments, or at least don’t live far away.
Now that I think I have defended my automotive libido, I have some other things I have found that will make my system go a bit smoother. In other words: I’m changing the subject now.
In the search for people movers I have run across several options. Of course a proper police force would be actually quite sparse as I would actually have a split patrol of a security force augmented by a more decisive police force. More like the system of local police augmented by a state wide or federal system. I really don’t think there would be the need of too much of a system, although people living in close quarters tend to be vocal and violent at times. It is after all human nature to be combative from time to time to insure our territory. BUT, and I say this with reserve, a close knit family of a community would be far more capable of handling a problem than outsiders would.
Having worked with sex offenders, I have come to the conclusion, that if outcast, the offender will continue his/her cycle of abuse (I understand it is the same with most other addictions). Where if the offender is brought into the community and treated with the love and respect that all humans crave, they will stop the cycle. They, like all addictions, will have to be mentored into a firm opposing cycle, but so often the mentoring and nurture has never been in the offenders vocabulary so these new “words” or even a whole new “language” has to be learned, before the offender can trust the environment, as the opposite is true.
Offenders think they are in this world by themselves and everyone is talking about them behind their backs. And of course, there are varying degrees of offence that should be delt with. I’m not going to build a city without a court and jail system in place, that would be too presumptuous of me. But nearly every one can be brought back, even those who have damage because of chemical or psychological trauma. Some take more care than others.
I don’t like Mrs. Clinton for many reasons, but she has several good ideas as well. One of which is, “it takes a village.” And that is what I’m hoping to achieve with my little town.
Until next time-
Aric
