🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <01bc252a$7b47f9e0$8da320cc@nebular.ix.netcom.com>, "nebular" <nebular@ix.netcom.com> writes:

>.In other words
>Suburban living is killing the city life (have you ever lived in a
>functional city. ?)  

Actually, I've lived in several functional cities.  I grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts which, in the 60's and 70's remained functional, with a large middle class within city limits.  The city has since fallen on hard times, in part due to the real estate bust which followed the speculative boom of the 80's.  In the 70's, malls were just beginning to develop, but the selection was still downtown.  Mass transit was used since downtown was still a center.

Later, in the late 70's, early 80's, I lived in Northampton, Mass, which is a classic pedestrian city of around 30,000, more than half of whom live within walking distance of downtown.  It has a vibrant and active city center, though its trendiness has forced the working class stores to flee to the strip malls.

In the mid to late 80's, I lived in Albany, which still has some charming neighborhoods and regions of active night life.  Now, I live in Schenectady, which also has some charming neighborhoods -- safe and friendly, although the city center has died due to suburbanization/middle class flight.  However, there are signs of renewed life -- the new brew-jazz club in the Stockade, new arts develpment planned for downtown.  And finally some real discussion about merging local services which could result in more non-residential development in the city -- since the suburbanites don't want it anyway -- followed by renewed city life.

Yes, cities are in trouble.  But they are still viable or potentially viable.  If you convince people that there are safe neighborhoods, nice homes and good schools in cities, they will remain or return.  In many cases, those things exist, but suburbanites are too frightened to find out.


Bill Nechamen
Schenectady, NY

A person who designs something to be completely foolproof underestimates the ingenuity of complete fools.