Hi all,
Here's another topic I'm particularly interested in at the moment. I've been pondering solutions to the housing affordability crisis, greenhouse effect etc. and it just seems logical to me that cars have to go. Of course, not completely but to me there has to be a cultural move away from cars to other modes of transport. Why? - Roads take up around 30% of usable land in an urban area - Driveways (especially with houses that have their garage down the back of the property) take up a significant amount of privately owned land, hindering housing design and land useage - Re-thinking our land use could significantly increase population density whilst still providing people an abundance of public space. This is not to mention the added health, safety and community benefits of getting out there in public and having more interaction. Not having to worry so much about the safety of children near roads is another benefit.
I believe that the housing affordability crisis is mainly caused by the fact that good quality housing land is expensive, between 50% and 80% of the cost of a property. More innovative ways to "unlock" existing housing land and increase the population density, whilst not reducing people's quality of life has got to be a good way to go. If people didn't dream to have a quarter acre block, but instead only owned the land that the footprint of their house took up, the cost of housing would drop dramatically, without really causing a financial meltdown (as people are really only paying less money because they are buying less land. However, this would mean that they would have to use public land for recreation, growing fruit & vegetables (communal lots) etc.
What would be needed would be whole communities with resticted vehicle access:
- Service lanes with very restricted speed limits (5km an hour) allowing access to properties but not being the dominant thoroughfare, which would be replaced with footpaths, bike lanes.
- Walkable communities where the majority of a person's needs can be met within walking distance
- Excellent modes of public transport
- Innovative design and planning
Is Newcastle up to the challenge? It's probably more suitable to this kind of development than other major cities, having a large quantity of ageing weatherboard housing throughout the city which will be nearing the end of its useful life in the next 10 to 30 years. However, the use of public transport in this city is pretty poor. There are a number of really good examples of car free communities starting to spring up around the world, especially in Europe. Thoughts?
Car Culture is killing us
Your spot on that car culture is not good. NBEC has actively promoted car free Newcastle for over 10 years. Carr culture is a part of the consumeristic climate change chaos culture that wants everything new, now, and to look like TV. Rememeber TV is king, and the more products you have, means you have made it in life right? What about people culture, and not wealth culture?
WHOEVER HAS THE MOST SUSTAINA-SAFE FUN WINS! (Not whoever has the most consumer products wins)
If you think riding a bike is too hard or too dangerous, then you are doing it wrong.
Too many bike shops in Newie tell customers that their bike is not worth fixing, the cost being more than a cost of a new bike. What a load of unsustaina-garbage. If you cost new tubes, tires, wheels and a few other things you quickly get over $100 to fix a bike.
What about fixing the buckled wheels? And sanding the rust off the wheel rims? And the NBEC still has plenty of as new tires waiting to be used. So spend up big when buying climate change consumer throw-away never repair goodies. Or get everything for free at your sustaina-fun-NBEC!
Properly repaired & maintained bikes should ride like new ones! If yours doesn't, then it needs fixing. No excuses for unsafe bikes!
A well maintained bike will keep working safely. Remember to fix any small problems ASAP, otherwise they become bigger and take longer to fix. Save money, resources, and the planet and don't buy new bikes or new parts. If you are annoyed at your bike it might be due to the bike set-up or riding style, so ask for some info. bike-safe-fun hugs,
Daniel Endicott
Newcastle Bike Ecology Centre
add: 106 Robert St, Islington, NSW
ph: 0249616582
web: newcastlebikeecologycentre.blogspot.com
I'm not so sure that
I'm not so sure that consumer culture is the root cause of our addiction to the car.
A lot of cars in Newcastle are hardly the top of the line model. There are lots of old cars and less prestigious cars. So for many people, they are just a mode of transport to get someone from one place to another.
The question for me is why?
Why do so many people feel it necessary to get away from their suburb and go somewhere else. The most obvious answers are to work, shop, socialise, and for recreation. However, the proportions seem wrong. Travelling to work is one thing (which should be addressed by public transport) but a large proportion of shopping, socialising and recreation should be able to occur in your own suburb. In my suburb of Belmont, the only people you see walking on the streets are the people who can't afford cars or are too young to drive. Now, Belmont should have a thriving walking culture. With the lake on one-side and the beach on the other, with a small (albeit rundown) shopping centre catering for most needs.
I think it's got something to do with something lacking in our urban areas which makes people want to get out of them. Maybe it is good quality gathering places that are attractive to walkers. Places where the aim is simply to meet up with people. Good quality community centres. The problem with most shopping centres is that they are there for just shopping, not for congregating. Also, once people congregate, I guess it would be nice if there was a social purpose for congregating. Our suburbs probably lack this as well. eg. a "poet's corner" for people to speak their mind, a school play, choir or band. Essentially a series of local events that might get people thinking "Let's go see what's happening down the plaza".
I think our suburbs essentially serve our basic needs but don't enliven us and that's why people want to get out of them by car, because the car gives them the freedom to go anywhere a road will let them.
The Internet
I don't want to say anything too negative about the Internet (it's what CultureHunter's all about!), however the Internet allows people to live quite comfortably in areas far away from work, shops, 'traditional' social networking places.
Work can be done from home, shopping can be done from home, even social networking can be done from home (as shown right here!). So maybe people will stop using their cars as technology improves in these areas?
I don't know what long-term impacts that could have on society if we start doing more and more of our previously social activities from home. And how can culture be shared? Is culture something that can be developed and improved using solely online resources? Or is it something that needs people to meet, socialise and enjoy each others' (physical) company?
Being smarter about the way
Being smarter about the way we use transport does not necessarily mean we have to do everything from home. Social interaction is very important.
I see it like this: the more we need, use or do something the closer it should be to the place we live. Work and weekly activities should ideally be within walking distance. The majority of food should be grown in your own neighbourhood to cut down on transport and profit. You might go to the Theatre or movies once every 3 months so it doesn't have to be next door.
At the moment we humans seem to be travelling long distances and using lots of time and money to achieve a fairly ordinary standard of living. If we got smarter about it we wouldn't need to earn anywhere near as much money.
I've worked out that around 45% of my annual household expenditure is on groceries, car and transport costs, and I've only got one car in my family! Big savings to cost of living could be made if we lived in a smarter society.
It takes a village
Neighbourhoods could organise a fair few of their own activities - film nights etc at each others houses, dinner parties etc. I have to admit I don't know my neighbours now, but where I grew up we did things as a neighbourhood - activities, parties, put on puppet shows etc and we grew different fruits and veg which all us kids would pick and take around to everyone in our street. We had a pool and gazebo etc so everyone used it - and there was always someone's parents around to supervise the pool area in summer. The older people made us cakes for our birthday and always came over to celebrate with us and for those of us without grandparents they would come to the 'grandparents days' at school.
I'm not suggesting this is possible in all neighbourhoods but where it is possible let's commune and be car free and happ-y!
Dezy, I think you'd be interested in the African proverb/theory 'It takes a village to raise a child'. Hillary Clinton has a book of the same title and there is some research and theory behind it.
"Art is always and everywhere the secret confession, and at the same time the immortal movement of its time." - Marx