Urbanism, architecture, transit, strawmen, etc.

[swid]

If/when something like TransitScreen comes to Kansas City, it'd be nice to have a handful of these screens scattered around downtown.

[Demosthenes]

If/when something like TransitScreen comes to Kansas City, it'd be nice to have a handful of these screens scattered around downtown.

Ooh yea they have these in Chicago (or at least something very similar) at certain train stations. Very convenient. Nothing makes you feel more confident about taking public transit than knowing exactly when your train/bus is going to show up. This would be a no-brainer for the transit center.

Does anyone know if KCata has started a system where you can call to find when the next bus will be at a stop? They also have this is in Chicago, and it is a nice feature. So if you are at a bus stop and want to know when the next bus will stop by, all you got to do is pull out your phone. I thought I heard KC was considering this. It would definitely come in handy here, with so many routes that run buses every half hour.

[Eon Blue]

There's the KCATA Tracker by Sprout (http://m.ur.tl/dev/kcata/) that is mobile friendly - I use it daily. It doesn't tell you time to stop, but it uses real-time GPS to show where a bus is currently at on the route. I uses the ATA Web Watch data and is usually accurate to within a block or two. It even has a nifty function to tell you what percentage of buses are on-time, early or late: http://m.ur.tl/dev/kcata/ontime-graph.php

[town cow]

I also use it daily. Truly useful.

[pash]

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[phuqueue]

Think this guy might have written this song in KC?

“Everywhere there are parking lots, aren’t there? Everywhere there are parking lots, indeed. Everywhere there are parking lots, you know...” The same phrase, though slightly altered, is repeated five times during the catchiest part of the song “Dokomo Kashikomo Chushajo” (Everywhere there are parking lots).

...

It may sound like nonsense, but there is a reason behind this. The song’s lyrics begin with a description that a person who is singing the song is on his way home after breaking up with his girlfriend and passing parking lot after parking lot. Hearing the repetition, I felt sad about an urban landscape in which there is nothing in particular except parking lots.

[longviewmo]

Figured this forum would appreciate this article:

http://gizmodo.com/6-freeway-demolition ... 1548314937

[KCMax]

KC made the "Parking Madness" Final Four for Streestblog. We lost to Rochester, NY.

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/04/07/p ... rochester/

[FangKC]

Why Downtown Development May Be More Affordable Than The Suburbs

Armed with an impressive array of PowerPoint slides, computer models and property tax data, Minicozzi travels around the country to encourage municipalities to see that their downtowns, no matter how neglected, often contribute far more value in terms of tax revenue — property and sales tax combined — than even the biggest big-box store.

One of the key components of his research has been to break down the economic impact of land on a per acre basis, allowing him to make apples-to-apples comparisons between, for example, a six-story, mixed-use building (a combination of residential and commercial uses) and a single massive retail store, in the same way you might use miles-per-gallon to evaluate the fuel efficiency of a car.

Take the city of Asheville, North Carolina, where Minicozzi is based, as an example. The city, which has a population of about 83,000, realizes an astounding 1,000 percent greater return on downtown mixed-use development projects on a per acre basis compared to when ground is broken near the city limits for a sprawling retail center.

Put a different way: a typical mixed-use acre of downtown Asheville yields $150,000 more in annual tax revenue to the local government than an acre of strip malls or big-box stores.

http://tinyurl.com/nofwrx3

[pash]

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[chaglang]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/housin ... fier/8877/

That's because there's no way out, if you happen to have above-average economic power or the kind of cultural capital that attracts people with above-average economic power. Whether or not you say "hi" to your neighbors, your presence in a relatively low-income or blue-collar community will, in fact, make it easier for other college graduates to move in; to open businesses that cater to you; to induce landlords to renovate or redevelop their properties to attract other new, wealthier residents who want access to those businesses. If your city restricts housing supply (it does) and doesn't have smart rent control policies (it almost certainly doesn't), you've ultimately helped create an economically segregated neighborhood.

But it's worse than that: it doesn't even matter where you live.

Moving to a higher-income neighborhood – one where market and regulatory forces have already pushed out the low-income – means you're helping to sustain the high cost of living there, and therefore helping to keep the area segregated. You're also forcing lower-income college graduates to move to more economically marginal areas, where they in turn will push out people with even less purchasing power. You can't escape the role you play in displacement any more than a white person can escape their whiteness, because those are both subject to systemic processes that have created your relevant status and assigned its consequences. Among the classes, there is no division between "gentrifiers" and "non-gentrifiers." If you live in a city, you don't get to opt out.

[pash]

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[KCMax]

What Millennials Want—And Why Cities Are Right to Pay Them So Much Attention

They found that 54 percent of Millennials surveyed would consider moving to another city if it had more or better options for getting around, and 66 percent said access to high quality transportation is one of the top three criteria they would weigh when deciding where to live. Nearly half of those who owned a car said they would consider giving it up if they could count on public transportation options. Up to 86 percent said it was important for their city to offer opportunities to live and work without relying on a car.

Why Ridesharing Is a Way Bigger Deal for Suburban Seniors Than Urban Millennials

Transportation for America's recent report, "Aging in Place: Stuck Without Options," shows that as we grow too old to drive safely, alternative transportation options are a necessity but often hard to find. Based on recent surveys, 88 percent of older adults continue to drive at age 65, but that percentage drops to 69 percent by age 75. This means that by age 75, 31 percent of seniors must seek alternative ways to get around.

Millenials want it, seniors need it, seems like a no-brainer.

[mean]

Is there data in yet on whether millenials actually vote? My guess would be they're so disillusioned with politics that they don't give a shit, but I could totally be wrong.

[KCMax]

Is there data in yet on whether millenials actually vote? My guess would be they're so disillusioned with politics that they don't give a shit, but I could totally be wrong.

In '08 and '12 they turned out about the same as Boomers did back when they were at age. It remains to be seen whether they'll increase their turnout as they get older as Boomers did, or whether they've been turned off politics.

[aknowledgeableperson]

There was some talk about this recently. Yes, they voted in '08 and in '12 but it seemed their numbers were down in '10. And the concern is that their numbers will also be down in '14 and that helps fuel the speculation of the GOP takeover of both houses of Congress in '14.

[KCMax]

There was some talk about this recently. Yes, they voted in '08 and in '12 but it seemed their numbers were down in '10. And the concern is that their numbers will also be down in '14 and that helps fuel the speculation of the GOP takeover of both houses of Congress in '14.

Down overall or down compared to what other young people have done in past generations? Overall interest goes down in mid-terms, and historically young people - not just millenials - have not turned out for midterms.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Yes, midterm elections are down overall but the concern is the downturn will be greater among the young. They came out to support the Big O for his elections but dropped greater than those who voted GOP. Of course there is a somewhat smaller concern for Tea Party turnout.

[KCMax]

Yes, midterm elections are down overall but the concern is the downturn will be greater among the young. They came out to support the Big O for his elections but dropped greater than those who voted GOP. Of course there is a somewhat smaller concern for Tea Party turnout.

I know, but the point is young people never vote in midterms, even going back to Boomers. Midterms tend to only be highly-engaged voters, which tend to be the retired. I haven't seen any evidence that Millennials are less likely to vote as a generation as they get older any more than previous generations. Which means in future elections, they will begin to demand mass transit even more.

[KCMax]

A Crosswalk Too Far: Vote for the Least Crossable Street in America

There’s an apartment complex that straddles NW Vivion Road in Kansas City, Missouri. But as reader Kevin Carlyle points out, walking from the apartments on one side of the streets to the office or to resident amenities like a pool involves a one-mile trip to Waukomis Drive and back.