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by DoreenMichele
2038 days ago
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One of the reasons suburban patterns of development are a problem is because it limits adaptability. A healthy city allows for stable neighborhoods by making it feasible for someone to change jobs as needed without necessarily moving. (This is probably not some kind of original thought on my part. I read this somewhere long ago -- though I may be mashing together two thoughts from distinct sources. I just don't recall the source/sources.) |
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Most importantly however cities serve as highly efficient labor markets - they connect a varied and interdependent labor force to diverse work opportunities. Most of commuting and corollary congestion happens at rush hour: the time when people travel from home to work and vice versa. In the above diagram from Order Without Design, Marie-Agnes & Alain Bertaud skillfully illustrates the key connection between home, work/entertainment and speed of travel. The 15-minute city should attempt to minimize inconvenient & needless travel, while offering speedy access to jobs and amenities regardless of the place of residence. The traditional central business district is somewhat efficient in this sense; polycentric planning needs to figure out how it can keep the efficiencies of a central business district while offering the comfort of a walkable neighborhood. Even if all super-creatives work from home, that still leaves 88% of the labor force which needs to move around. Swift mobility will be a key aspect of urban living for the foreseeable future and a crucial determinant to the success of polycentric cities.