Comments on: Guest Opinion: Rethinking the neighborhood from the safety of my cul-de-sac http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/ Richmond's Homepage For Business News Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:28:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Karen Winter http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-13045 Karen Winter Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:22:38 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-13045 Sorry, gotta disagree here. The problem with cul-de-sacs isn't that they mess with the grid. The problem is that they are too small and lack footpath cuth-throughs. I live in a double-dead-end, basically an overgrown cul-de-sac. There are about 40 houses in our neighborhood and it's perfect. We know our neighbors and the kids can play outside. There's enough "learning space" for kids to learn how to ride bikes without having to drive to a special location to do so. The kids do play in the street by hordes, so drivers are looking out for them and generally go pretty slowly. My children start being able to walk to their friends' houses at age 3 or so. Yes, to get to an area immediately outside of our double dead-end requires a detour of close to a mile....but only if you go by car. By foot there are paths and stairs such that a six year old on foot can race a car to a destination and win. If you want to encourage walking, make sure there is a good *pedestrian* grid so that people on foot can generally get to their destination "as a crow flies". But please, keep making the cars run the maze. Sorry, gotta disagree here. The problem with cul-de-sacs isn’t that they mess with the grid. The problem is that they are too small and lack footpath cuth-throughs. I live in a double-dead-end, basically an overgrown cul-de-sac. There are about 40 houses in our neighborhood and it’s perfect. We know our neighbors and the kids can play outside. There’s enough “learning space” for kids to learn how to ride bikes without having to drive to a special location to do so. The kids do play in the street by hordes, so drivers are looking out for them and generally go pretty slowly. My children start being able to walk to their friends’ houses at age 3 or so. Yes, to get to an area immediately outside of our double dead-end requires a detour of close to a mile….but only if you go by car. By foot there are paths and stairs such that a six year old on foot can race a car to a destination and win.

If you want to encourage walking, make sure there is a good *pedestrian* grid so that people on foot can generally get to their destination “as a crow flies”. But please, keep making the cars run the maze.

]]> By: Christian Munson http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11695 Christian Munson Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:13:12 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11695 Here's another good book that forecasts a flight back to the grid and walkable neighborhoods/communities... "$20 Per Gallon." http://tinyurl.com/yktwa5w Excellent post, Tom. Here’s another good book that forecasts a flight back to the grid and walkable neighborhoods/communities… “$20 Per Gallon.” http://tinyurl.com/yktwa5w Excellent post, Tom.

]]> By: Donna http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11438 Donna Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:56:31 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11438 Two great books published in 2009 that speak to this subject are "Traffic", by Tom Vanderbilt and "Pedaling Revolution-How Cyclists are Changing American Cities", by Jeff Mapes. I highly recommend both. Two great books published in 2009 that speak to this subject are “Traffic”, by Tom Vanderbilt and “Pedaling Revolution-How Cyclists are Changing American Cities”, by Jeff Mapes. I highly recommend both.

]]> By: Virginia’s Cul-de-Sac Ban Named Design Idea of the Year | Virginia Bicycling Federation http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11411 Virginia’s Cul-de-Sac Ban Named Design Idea of the Year | Virginia Bicycling Federation Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:07:08 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11411 [...] Tom Bowden’s editorial explains why rethinking the cul-de-sac is such a good [...] [...] Tom Bowden’s editorial explains why rethinking the cul-de-sac is such a good [...]

]]> By: Stuart http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11406 Stuart Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:39:23 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11406 Personally I don't believe we would have seen much more cul-de-sac development anyway. The market for this type of housing is pretty well saturated. Many young people want to live in more dense, mixed-use areas so they are permanently moving away from the traditional tract home developments. The mortgage crisis and economic malaise has greatly devalued these neighborhoods so people can't easily sell their tract homes with underwater mortgages, nor can they buy new ones without easy access to credit. Now add to that mix a scenario where fuel costs both for transportation and heating/cooling go up and up and it becomes very difficult to economically rationalize further expansion of the cul-de-sac suburbs that are so dependent on cheap energy to work. I'm leaving out several other issues but I think it's clear that this model of development just doesn't really make sense anymore. Well actually it never made sense, but it could at least be rationalized economically while oil was cheap. Personally I don’t believe we would have seen much more cul-de-sac development anyway. The market for this type of housing is pretty well saturated. Many young people want to live in more dense, mixed-use areas so they are permanently moving away from the traditional tract home developments. The mortgage crisis and economic malaise has greatly devalued these neighborhoods so people can’t easily sell their tract homes with underwater mortgages, nor can they buy new ones without easy access to credit. Now add to that mix a scenario where fuel costs both for transportation and heating/cooling go up and up and it becomes very difficult to economically rationalize further expansion of the cul-de-sac suburbs that are so dependent on cheap energy to work. I’m leaving out several other issues but I think it’s clear that this model of development just doesn’t really make sense anymore. Well actually it never made sense, but it could at least be rationalized economically while oil was cheap.

]]> By: Tom Bowden http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11402 Tom Bowden Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:12:01 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11402 Tony, on my bike commute this morning, I saw a poster on a telephone pole advertising a meeting on January 11 from 7 to 8:30 PM and it looks like the topic is related to sidewalks and other neighborhood improvements. Tonight I'll take a look at it and confirm the information. Tony, on my bike commute this morning, I saw a poster on a telephone pole advertising a meeting on January 11 from 7 to 8:30 PM and it looks like the topic is related to sidewalks and other neighborhood improvements. Tonight I’ll take a look at it and confirm the information.

]]> By: Bill http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11401 Bill Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:07:35 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11401 From a land use standpoint this is a real setback. Cul-de-sacs have been used to get more efficient use of land by increasing density and working around streams and environmentally sensitive areas. Without them, density will probably be less and infrastructure cost will be higher to comply with the ever increasing environmental regulations, therefore increasing the cost of lots and housing. From a land use standpoint this is a real setback. Cul-de-sacs have been used to get more efficient use of land by increasing density and working around streams and environmentally sensitive areas. Without them, density will probably be less and infrastructure cost will be higher to comply with the ever increasing environmental regulations, therefore increasing the cost of lots and housing.

]]> By: Tony Jordan http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11397 Tony Jordan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:34:52 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11397 I would just like to see them start with building some sidewalks. Henrico County seems to be the land that sidewalks forgot and I constantly see pedestrians and bicyclists, young and old, having to walk in the road. That's unsafe for them and for drivers. When we take the kids for walks in our neighborhood (Lakeside) we have to avoid two roads because they have no sidewalks and are unsafe for walking due to curves and speed. I would just like to see them start with building some sidewalks. Henrico County seems to be the land that sidewalks forgot and I constantly see pedestrians and bicyclists, young and old, having to walk in the road. That’s unsafe for them and for drivers. When we take the kids for walks in our neighborhood (Lakeside) we have to avoid two roads because they have no sidewalks and are unsafe for walking due to curves and speed.

]]> By: Brian http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11393 Brian Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:48:40 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11393 Great observations. I have to admit that I've lived in the Fan for 16 years now, kids and all. My kids can bike or walk to school and I can walk to Kroger, Lowe's, Starbucks, you name it. Not that I walk everywhere, but you never really see where you live if you don't move around it outside your car. Great observations. I have to admit that I’ve lived in the Fan for 16 years now, kids and all. My kids can bike or walk to school and I can walk to Kroger, Lowe’s, Starbucks, you name it. Not that I walk everywhere, but you never really see where you live if you don’t move around it outside your car.

]]> By: Bart Levy http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/08/guest-opinion-rethinking-the-neighborhood-from-the-safety-of-my-cul-de-sac/comment-page-1/#comment-11391 Bart Levy Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:11:13 +0000 http://www.richmondbizsense.com/?p=14631#comment-11391 Tom, Excellent points. I, too, live on a cul-de-sac, and there isn't a day gone by when I don't miss my old neighborhood on Northside with it's through streets, sidewalks, kids playing in the grassy alley, frequent police patrols, and friendly neighbors who just happen to be passing by. Tom,
Excellent points. I, too, live on a cul-de-sac, and there isn’t a day gone by when I don’t miss my old neighborhood on Northside with it’s through streets, sidewalks, kids playing in the grassy alley, frequent police patrols, and friendly neighbors who just happen to be passing by.

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