Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Come here to talk about topics that are not related to development, or even Kansas City.
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18132
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by FangKC »

pash wrote:CityLab: Iowa Makes a Bold Admission: We Need Fewer Roads

Why do Missouri's (and Kansas City's) bureaucrats, politicians, and technocrats always seem to be about two decades behind their counterparts in other parts of the country?
Road-building has traditionally been something politicians use as a jobs program and economic development tool. It is also way to pay back their supporters, which are often real estate developers, big construction companies, engineering firms, gravel, rock, asphalt and concrete companies, and labor unions.
pash
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3800
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:47 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by pash »

.
Last edited by pash on Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Eon Blue
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1122
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:28 pm
Location: Downtown KCMO

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by Eon Blue »

There's this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/won ... geography/
Here’s why remote state capitals are often more corrupt

Why are some capital cities more corrupt than others? Two recent economic working papers offer a novel theory — geography might be to blame. In particular, capitals that are more isolated from the rest of the state or country tend to be more corrupt.

The first NBER paper, written by Filipe R. Campante of Harvard Kennedy School and Quoc-Anh Do of Singapore Management University looks at state capitals in the United States and finds that "isolated capital cities are robustly associated with greater levels of corruption."
More at the link. Missouri is actually below the trend line, but it appears that the graph is based on federal convictions rather than the "soft" corruption that is alleged to be going on in Jefferson City.

This add-on at the end probably explains a lot, too. You could commute from Columbia if you wanted to live in a relatively engaging and progressive city, but that's still a long drive and Columbia is still no KC or St. Louis.
Update: Josh Keating at Foreign Policy also has a great discussion of these papers, and adds this smart point: " I wonder if part of the issue may be the ability to attract qualified — and not corrupt — civil servants. No offense to Albany or Abuja, but I'm guessing the governments based in Boston, or Denver, not to mention Paris and Tokyo, might have an easier time attacting the best and the brightest."
chingon
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3522
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:47 pm
Location: South Plaza

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by chingon »

pash wrote: why are our glad-handers, paper-pushers, and check-cutters more corrupt than everybody else's? And why are our state and civic thought-leaders, policy-makers, and policy-implementers consistently so far behind the times even on issues that don't seem to be closely linked to business interests?

Honestly, I don't think corruption is the real answer. I think it's just that the culture of politics and policy in this city and state is so obviously piss-poor that nobody with half a brain wants anything to do with it.
It's because we live in a state that is rural dominated, but urban funded. There is a treasure chest of money to be pilfered from both ends of the state, then doled out to the welfare queens of rural Missouri, nearly unchecked, and while that dichotomy exists in a lot of states, the proportional difference in rural/urban power in Missouri is way out on the skinny end of the bell curve. Part of it is due to the sheer lunacy/incompetence of MANY outstate elected officials (exacerbated by term limits coupled with the lack of training grounds-type political operations/machines in outstate MO, which leads to totally unqualified and inexperienced elected officials who are uniquely susceptible to short-term thinking and corruption), but their poor policy is enabled by the uncooperative nature of the urban caucuses from StL and KC.
User avatar
Eon Blue
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1122
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:28 pm
Location: Downtown KCMO

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by Eon Blue »

Don't forget that outstate areas of Missouri are solid red, and while suburban areas of KC and St. Louis are more purple they generally support GOP candidates. Once in Jefferson City, these suburban GOP electeds side with their rural Republican cohorts along party lines. This leaves an ever-shrinking Democratic caucus as the sole defenders of the interests of urban KC and STL.

FSM help us once the GOP holds the Governor's Mansion...
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18132
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by FangKC »

This is a fascinating dilemma. It's not just New Orleans that is affected, it's every city and coastal area that will be affected by global warming and rising sea water in the future. As the oceans rise, and storms destroy coastal areas and cities along them, how do you justify rebuilding, and providing city services to unsafe areas if you allow rebuilding?

If city and state governments cannot make the decision because of politics and property rights issues, will the decision ultimately be made by insurance companies that will simply refuse to insure property in potentially unsafe areas, or lending institutions refusing to give loans there--making it economically unfeasible to construct new buildings there?

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why ... na-failed/
pash
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3800
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:47 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by pash »

.
Last edited by pash on Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18132
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by FangKC »

The white population is growing in many U.S. cities for the first time in years

Kansas City saw an increase of more than 10,000 white residents in four years between 2010 and 2014. It almost matched the increase of white residents in San Francisco, and we are a much smaller city. San Francisco almost has twice as many residents, and has been experiencing a tech boom.

It would be interesting to know where they are moving. New housing in the Northland, downtown?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk ... -in-years/

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/b ... ml?ana=twt
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by flyingember »

The northland has homes going in for more than 10,000 people.
brewcrew1000
Hotel President
Hotel President
Posts: 3102
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:10 am
Location: Broadway/Gilham according to google maps

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by brewcrew1000 »

There has been an increase in minorities moving into the older parts of the Northland looking for cheaper housing with good schools
longviewmo
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1008
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by longviewmo »

Though this was funny, but doesn't need its own topic, so here ya go:

http://urbanangle.net/the-curious-case- ... e-bumpout/
loftguy
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3850
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:12 pm

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by loftguy »

longviewmo wrote:Though this was funny, but doesn't need its own topic, so here ya go:

http://urbanangle.net/the-curious-case- ... e-bumpout/

Actually, thank you longviewmo, for bringing this up.

Curious corner bumpouts have emerged with the streetcar construction and now these obstacles are showing up at pedestrian crossings everywhere. (NKC has jumped on the craze in a wholesale fashion)

What is driving this 'innovation' in the pedestrian/biking/wheelchair/baby carriage/anything on the sidewalk experience?

Did the engineering world get a new software program developed by Lego? Has the concrete workers union demanded a break from historic forms to add costs?

IMO, there is a net loss for anyone negotiating these forms. Seriously would like to hear from advocates who can help me understand the why of this?
pash
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3800
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:47 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by pash »

.
Last edited by pash on Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by flyingember »

congratulations, you just insulted the needs of people that can't see

apparently walkable = only for those capable to walk
longviewmo
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1008
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by longviewmo »

If they can't see, it's even more of a danger.
bobbyhawks
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3890
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:19 pm

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by bobbyhawks »

All I know is those can't be shoveled in the winter and need conditions where the ice melt is working.
aknowledgeableperson
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 12608
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2004 10:31 pm

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by aknowledgeableperson »

Those orange pads are identified a braille for the blind. Or braille for the feet. "They became a requirement for sidewalks in 2001 under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But because the specifications have been revised, many towns have only now started installing them. The panels are required only for new sidewalk construction or renovation." Helps to tell the difference between the sidewalk and the street. Maybe the people have changed but years ago there were a handful of blind people walking the streets of downtown going to work, catching a bus, and so on.
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by flyingember »

bobbyhawks wrote:All I know is those can't be shoveled in the winter and need conditions where the ice melt is working.
if you can't use ice melt shoveling isn't always a good idea because there's probably ice under the snow.
loftguy
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3850
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:12 pm

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by loftguy »

flyingember wrote:
bobbyhawks wrote:All I know is those can't be shoveled in the winter and need conditions where the ice melt is working.
if you can't use ice melt shoveling isn't always a good idea because there's probably ice under the snow.
Can we quote you when the city issues us a citation for not clearing the sidewalks off this winter?
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

Post by flyingember »

loftguy wrote:
flyingember wrote:
bobbyhawks wrote:All I know is those can't be shoveled in the winter and need conditions where the ice melt is working.
if you can't use ice melt shoveling isn't always a good idea because there's probably ice under the snow.
Can we quote you when the city issues us a citation for not clearing the sidewalks off this winter?
I would hope the city isn't an idiot on this subject

but given there's been multiple times modot clears to their line, the city to theirs and both leave a big pile in one lane at the meeting point, I'm not confident on the subject.

this is why putting those pads on a slope is a bad idea. because leaving a little snow at them when they're level isn't as big a situation. a slick slope that can't be completely cleared it way worse than not putting the pads in
Post Reply