🚀 go-pugleaf

This is a repost to only dc.biking.  The original RFD was cross-posted
to dc.config,dc.driving,dc.general,dc.biking, but I have since
learned that cross-posts get filtered in the gateways to the bicycle-
only mailing lists that are gateway to the UseNet dc.biking.

Since the proposed dc.urban-planning is intended to relieve off-topic
posts in dc.biking relating to transportation choice, land use, and
"Smart growth", I have reposted the original RFD to only dc.biking
for the benefit of those on the gatewayed mailing lists who may wish
to vocalize their opinion on whether a separate newsgroup should be
created to handle posts regarding "smart growth" and urban
revitalization.

If any responses made to dc.biking only (for example from a gateway),
I will repost to dc.general, dc.driving, and dc.config.

The original RFD follows:


                     REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
                 unmoderated group dc.urban-planning

This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of a
regional unmoderated Usenet newsgroup dc.urban-planning. This is not
a Call for Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time.
Procedural details are below.

Newsgroup line:
dc.urban-planning Discussion of transportation and land-use in DC area

RATIONALE: dc.urban-planning

Interest in traffic congestion, road building, alternative forms of
transportation, smart growth, New Urbanism, etc. has been building.
With traffic congestion expected to worsen over the coming years
and decades, interest is not expected to wane anytime soon.

Discussions regarding urban planning issues have been cross-posted
variously to some combination of the local newsgroups dc.general,
dc.driving, and dc.biking and to the international newsgroups
misc.transport.road, misc.transport.urban-transit,
alt.planning.transport, and alt.planning.  The cross-posting has
overwhelmed some of the lighter volume, narrower topic, regional
newsgroups, especially dc.biking, with discussion highly tangential
to their charters.

Yet, the cross-posting is arguable the most appropriate method
given the current newsgroup structure.  No single newsgroup in the
dc.* hierarchy covers general transportation issues, including
automobile, subway, bicycling, and walking.  Subway issues, on the
rare occasion that they are posted to a single dc.* newsgroup, are
posted to dc.general.  Pedestrian issues are posted to dc.biking as a
somewhat off-topic post.  "Smart Growth" newsletters and public works
meeting notices are also posted to dc.biking.  No single newsgroup
(besides the catch-all dc.general) is appropriate for discussion of
balancing various transportation modes and related urban planning
issues.

Statistics for selected, notorious cross-posted threads that included
dc.biking are posted below.  These are particular threads, and do not
include smaller cross-posted threads or threads that are not cross-
posted but would be more appropriate for the proposed
dc.urban-planning newsgroup.  The Usenet statistics were gathered
using "Power" keyword searches from the Deja search engine at
http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml

  Month     Cross-posted thread               Posts  All    %
  ========  ================================  ===== ==== ====
  Mar 2000  ENDGRIDLOCK.ORG                     171  511  33%
  Nov 1999  wash post talks about dc.driving    185  401  46%
  May 1999  Wilson Bridge                       304  682  45%

Each of these threads would be entirely on-topic for
dc.urban-planning, but were only partially relevant for dc.biking.
In fact, some posters have complained on dc.biking about the
cross-posts.

As mentioned above, the problem is not just cross-posts but
also off-topic posts.  For example, the following threads
posted in the first quarter of 2000 to dc.biking relate more to
general transportation and enviornmental issues than bicycling
in the DC area:

  Subject keywords        Posts
  ======================  =====
  "Smarter Property Tax"      6
  "Cell Tower"               28
  "Jones Bridge"              4
  "Tea Party"                11
  "Purple Line"              28
  "Potomac Yards"             7
                             --
  Total                      78

  Total Q1 2000 posts:     1184

The idea behind the proposed name dc.urban-planning is that the
newsgroup is to be a cross between misc.transport.urban-transit and
alt.planning.urban, but localized to the Washington, DC area.

The goal is to benefit two groups of people: those who believe
there have been off-topic posts in dc.driving and dc.biking, and
those who wish to have their own newsgroup to discuss the issues
described below.


CHARTER: dc.urban-planning

The proposed newsgroup is intended to be a public forum for the
discussion of transportation and land use in the metropolitan
Washington, DC area.  Topics considered appropriate for posting
to the group might include (but are not limited to):

  * Transportation related topics
    - Mode choice (cars, bicycles, pedestrian, rail, etc.)
    - Infrastructure proposals (roads, bridges, bicycle paths,
      crosswalks, rail, etc.)
    - Safety of transportation modes, safety devices, and
      relative safety of different transportation facilities

  * Land use related topics
    - Zoning
    - Development density and limitations
    - Urban growth boundaries
    - "Smart growth"
    - Impact of proposed major projects such as National Harbor
    - Environmental issues related to development
    - Architectural issues
    - Monument/Washington Mall issues
    - Parks and preservation of open space

  * Economic and social topics
    - Gentrification
    - Urban renewal
    - Emminent domain, condemnation, and eviction
    - Impact of changes in retail
    - Changes in real estate
    - Impact of major employers moving in, out, or around

One time postings of commercial product announcements or postings of
a commercial nature that are replies to another posted inquiry will
be considered appropriate. However, as in most other Usenet groups,
repeated or in-discriminant posting of commercial advertisements will
be prohibited.  Postings using MIME, HTML formats are discouraged
since many Usenet readers do not use web browsers.

END CHARTER.

PROCEDURE:

This is a request for discussion, not a call for votes. In this phase
of the process, any potential problems with the proposed newsgroups
should be raised and resolved.  The discussion period will continue
for a minimum of 21 days (starting from when the first RFD for this
proposal is posted to dc.config).  If discussions show wide support
for the new group, and if accepted by the local populace, the new
newsgroup dc.urban-planning will be created.  If, however, the
discussion dies quickly or is not supported by the populace, the
new newsgroup will not be created.

All discussion of this proposal should be posted to dc.config.

DISTRIBUTION:

This RFD has been posted to the following newsgroups:

  dc.biking
  dc.config
  dc.driving
  dc.general

Proponent: Michael Malak <malak@claygency.com>

--
Michael Malak
malak@claygency.com


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