Comments on: Surreal Slums

By: David Kirwin

David Kirwin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:29:09 +0000

#26 If you at least read the title of the article referenced in post #22 you then can explain how this is an urban condition.

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:25:51 +0000

a 7,333 square foot lot would be approximately 85.632′ by 85.632′.

By: Jack Richard

Jack Richard — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:50:29 +0000

# 24

Dude, rework your math.

By: notadave

notadave — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:56:23 +0000

Trying to judge urban conditions using a suburban analogy is like judging the world through a Kirwin.

By: David Kirwin

David Kirwin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:56:02 +0000

Mark,
Many areas have ‘minimum’ lot size requirements of an acre. Even where I went to HS outside Philly, the min was an acre, although they used the term “builder’s acre” which was really closer to 3/4 acre. Outside Harrisburg lots had to be larger. Trying to judge the world by Alameda standards is like judging the world by what you can see through a keyhole.

By: Mark I

Mark I — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:10:57 +0000

#23 Dude,

If an acre is 44,000 sq feet, then one sixth is 7333, which is 3.5 times bigger than a minimum Measure A lot. Redevelopment mumbo jumbo aside, that sounds more like a McMansion lot, than tract house size.

If a 7333 sq foot lot fronts at 100 feet at least twice the average Alameda lot, then it would be 733 deep. Seven times deeper than our lot. I could fit my house and a huge urban garden in such a lot.

By: David Kirwin

David Kirwin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:02:06 +0000

It would be interesting to compare these numbers to any surplus in actual large lot homes - those with an acre or more.

It is terribly deceiving to refer to 1/6 of an acre as “large lot”. To me this just looks like the abundance of track developments that should never had been built, and would never had been built, except that the developers were paid with municipal bonds / tax revenue to guarantee a profitable return on their investment. You know, I’m betting this is do to the wastefulness of our re-development laws being easily abused.

By: Mike McMahon

Mike McMahon — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:27:58 +0000

Yet another article in the Atlantic on the topic of Suburbs into Slums:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/subprime

One paragraph from the article:

Arthur C. Nelson, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, has looked carefully at trends in American demographics, construction, house prices, and consumer preferences. In 2006, using recent consumer research, housing supply data, and population growth rates, he modeled future demand for various types of housing. The results were bracing: Nelson forecasts a likely surplus of 22 million large-lot homes (houses built on a sixth of an acre or more) by 2025—that’s roughly 40 percent of the large-lot homes in existence today.

By: Jill

Jill — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:03:36 +0000

I think Alameda is very “walkable.” My family and I walk to restaurants, the dentist, the doctor, the dry cleaner, the library, and local parks. My husband often walks to work, and I can walk to the bus to go to work in Oakland. We love it! Granted, we live on the main island, about a half-mile from Park Street.

But I walk over to Bay Farm (with my dog) about once a week, and I actually prefer walking over there, althought my Bay Farm walking is recreational rather than purposeful. If I stay on the lagoons, I can find my way around. Any time I walk through the neighborhoods (as I did today), I get lost and have a bit of an adventure. “No through street” signs would help a lot. Personally, I don’t like walking on streets that are set up on a grid pattern — too boring and predictable. Most of Bay Farm’s meandering streets have little traffic, which means less car exhaust and more pleasant walking.

The walkability is a big part of why I feel pretty smug to live in this town!

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:53:52 +0000

I always get lost at Bayfarm. We end up going in circles. I like the way it looks but would call it bad design. And anyone who complains about the sound wall around Bayport look at the walled communities at Bayfarm.