scroll_lock's recent activity
-
Comment on Minneapolis has a YIMBY message for America: Build more houses and get rid of suburban-style zoning and inflation will disappear in ~finance
-
Comment on Minneapolis has a YIMBY message for America: Build more houses and get rid of suburban-style zoning and inflation will disappear in ~finance
scroll_lock (edited )Link ParentArchive link. There are really two things going on here: Minneapolis successfully eliminated legal mandates that required single-family zoning in residential areas. That is, the political class...- Exemplary
Archive link. There are really two things going on here:
- Minneapolis successfully eliminated legal mandates that required single-family zoning in residential areas. That is, the political class agreed to make changes to municipal codes that hadn't been updated in decades. It is important to remember that, while this country is pretty democratic, elected officials ultimately decide what exact legal policies are enacted and reversed. Public policy is a major part of that, but it is important to highlight that specific legal measures were undertaken—Minneapolis did not "good feelings" its way to a sensible housing market, it used legal frameworks to enact better policies.
- Urbanist activist groups became significantly better organized, they refined and upgraded their messaging, and they coordinated far more effective campaigns within the political sphere and in the public consciousness. To some extent, they have benefitted from a slight uptick in nationwide awareness about "urbanism" as a concept. (It should come as no surprise that this change coincides with increased popularity of urban development videos on YouTube.) People are talking about these issues more than they ever have.
Frankly, most people, including most NIMBYs, have never read and would struggle to parse an actual zoning document. These bodies of regulations are technical and boring. (For reference, here's the Minneapolis Zoning Code. It's one of the better ones, with proper illustrations and maps. Still not exactly a fun read.) But they don't really need to be zoning experts to have a generally negative opinion toward "development." Likewise an activist movement can change that entrenched opinion with suitably attractive discourse.
Many people who urbanists would call "NIMBYs" are actually relatively ambivalent about specific policies. Rather, they are reactionary toward an unspecific concept of "build-up" which is personal to their tastes. They may have a preference to live in a SFH in a neighborhood featuring houses that look more or less like theirs, for example. But even these people can often recognize when development is good for their community, and when certain policies might be harmful. More importantly, they can be assuaged if activists present a cohesive and desirable narrative that at least superficially addresses their concerns.
There is not really a centralized NIMBY movement in the sense that every NIMBY has a different reason for not wanting a very particular development. (For this reason, there is not really a centralized YIMBY movement either.) Certainly there are anti-urbanist organizations out there, but a narrative of conservatism (and I mean this in the strict sense of the word) is not as appealing to an urban populace as something transformative which solves perceived problems rather than maintaining or exacerbating them. In an urban setting, your neighbor's problems are very visible to you: it is hard to be satisfied with the status quo. Any urban philosophy whose plan is simply "change nothing" is fighting a bit of an upward battle if there are any significant problems in that municipality. What has changed in the last 10 or so years has been better definitions for and awareness of said problems.
Here are some general observations on this success story, and others like it:
- Urbanist organizations have narrowed down what they actually want better in the last few years. In Minneapolis' case, it was identifying specific issues in the zoning code rather than ambiguously complaining about the housing crisis (which is generally unconstructive, if sometimes cathartic).
- Pro-development activist groups have gotten better at communicating with stakeholders early on. This includes the public but also transit agencies, local politicians, and community organizations. In many cities, what would have been a scrappy grassroots campaign to install a bike lane 10 years ago is now a registered 501(c)(3) with members, donors, and sympathizers who have seats on important community boards, city agencies, and sometimes political offices. In other words, urbanists have more allies and more connections.
- Social media, including novel platforms like Discord, have enabled people with generally YIMBY attitudes to create citywide coalitions that, while often moderately decentralized, share resources, strategies, skills, and experience to accomplish specific goals. Because most urbanists are also young, they are more familiar with and generally more adept with these newer online services.
- Urbanists have also gotten their statistics and their facts defined in a much better way than before; they can reasonably push back against unfounded, false, or misleading claims. And, in my experience, they have gotten way better at producing clear documents and useful visuals for capital projects and redevelopment plans than before. It is often these meaningful documents that change perceptions, not stats alone.
In sum, pro-transit, pro-walkability, pro-cycling, pro-accessibility, pro-density, and pro-affordability advocates are no longer on the fringe of political conversation. There is no single magic bullet that immediately allows YIMBY policy to win; it's going to be extremely city-dependent, and it does take time. But all of these factors are relevant at getting rough ideas turned into refined ones turned into bills turned into laws.
-
Comment on Minneapolis has a YIMBY message for America: Build more houses and get rid of suburban-style zoning and inflation will disappear in ~finance
scroll_lock LinkHousing is most Americans' largest expense by a significant margin, so it follows that building more than enough housing for everyone decreases the cost of living (and thereby inflation) in a...Housing is most Americans' largest expense by a significant margin, so it follows that building more than enough housing for everyone decreases the cost of living (and thereby inflation) in a local area.
Strictly Euclidean, low-rise single-family residential zoning is an antiquated development pattern which leads to structural car dependency, higher municipal budgetary costs, and less economically productive communities. It should not be default or even typical in metropolitan areas. See Strong Towns.
-
Comment on $15 tolls likely for nation’s first congestion pricing program in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentThat is a useful and interesting document. This quote is pertinent: In the vein of addressing some of the equity concerns the FHWA lays out on page 9, the Times article on New York City points out...- Exemplary
That is a useful and interesting document. This quote is pertinent:
This analysis indicates that, if the revenues are used for public transportation, those who gain the most from the pricing scheme are young people, low-income individuals, single people, women, and residents of the inner suburbs. These groups pay relatively little in congestion charges on average and use public transportation more often than do other groups.
In the vein of addressing some of the equity concerns the FHWA lays out on page 9, the Times article on New York City points out the following:
Low-income drivers will get 50 percent off tolls during the day after the first 10 trips in a calendar month
People whose primary residence is inside the tolling district and whose income is below $60,000 would be eligible for a state tax credit equal to the amount of their tolls.
Long-term, reducing car dependency requires transit agencies to provide negative incentives for harmful behaviors (like congestion pricing), not just positive incentives for preferable ones (like the existence of transit, by itself). And long-term, reducing car dependency is one of the most equitable things a city can do. (In this case, NYC's congestion pricing directly funds public transit.)
New York City has the best transit system in North America and one of the best in the world. It's also constantly being expanded and upgraded. I have heard some people express reasonable concern for people who need a car for some very specific purpose or route. I get the sentiment, but it is very hard for me to take seriously such remarks when Lower Manhattan/Midtown in particular is the best-connected part of the city by an enormous margin. Even the "[rail] transit deserts" of New York's outer boroughs have OK bus service (which, BTW, is getting better due to more operational Bus Rapid Transit lanes) to lines that connect to Manhattan. Recently the bike networks in the outer boroughs have also become far more complete and safe. Driving is just not essential. It's New York.
New York's failure to operate through-running regional commuter train service is a glaring problem, but this makes up a pretty small portion of drivers, or at least of drivers who strictly need to go through Lower Manhattan. There is some latent transit demand for this kind of service though, and fortunately given the existence of some through-running infrastructure in Penn Station that Amtrak already uses, it is a largely operational decision that could be rectified moderately quickly.
-
Comment on How can we stop burning fossil fuels if we still need everything else they make? in ~enviro
scroll_lock (edited )LinkCrude oil is "fractionally refined" in advanced industrial processes to create several different oil-based substances. Output products include gasoline (very light), kerosene (a bit heavier),...Crude oil is "fractionally refined" in advanced industrial processes to create several different oil-based substances. Output products include gasoline (very light), kerosene (a bit heavier), lubricants (heavier still), and other chemical feedstock (heaviest), all out of the same barrel of crude.
The oil and gas industry has been running advertising campaigns for some time arguing that we can't reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation because it's a necessary byproduct of other crude oil outputs, which we might use to make plastic and such. In other words, they claim that if we stop burning gasoline and kerosene for energy, it will be impossible to produce other oil substances unless we want to dump those lighter fuels as waste. The presumption of this claim is that environmentalists wouldn't agree to dumping gasoline into waterways, so therefore society will collapse. However, this video states that that claim is unequivocally false.
The expert in the video states that it is technically possible (without any new inventions, even) to refine crude oil such that industrial products we need can still be produced, without wasting or burning fossil fuels. It is possible to blend various byproducts into more desirable substances using existing technology. Machines like cracking units, cokers, alkylation units, and reformers already manipulate crude oil during the distillation process; likewise, polymerization reactors can turn light petroleum products into polymers and other useful substances (this is where we get plastic). For a flowchart of petrochemical sources and products, see the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services diagram here.
The caveat is that producing these petrochemical products without burning light fuels would require some investment to revamp oil refineries. Oil companies would need to decide how to reuse lightweight fuel waste (which they currently burn off to provide heat for other industrial processes, thereby polluting the atmosphere) in an economical way, such as further chemical additions to transform the gases into something else useful in an industrial context (like carbon monoxide, apparently) or just using carbon capture technology to store the carbon in solid form. They talk about various other chemical processes that I don't understand.
In other words: the technology exists. The question is how much we want to pay to completely eliminate combustible fuels from oil refineries. From a regulatory standpoint, which appears to be what this ultimately is, countries also have to be more aggressive in restricting polluting processes like flaring, which are apparently not strictly necessary (despite what the industry might say).
I know we have some oil & gas people on Tildes and I would be interested to hear their opinions on the statements presented in the video.
-
How can we stop burning fossil fuels if we still need everything else they make?
22 votes -
Comment on The engineering challenges of Grand Paris Express, Europe’s largest transport infrastructure project in ~engineering
scroll_lock LinkAmazing project. Truly revolutionary for Paris and for France. It is great for the region to be connected concentrically in addition to radially. This is one of the best things a mature transit...Amazing project. Truly revolutionary for Paris and for France. It is great for the region to be connected concentrically in addition to radially. This is one of the best things a mature transit system can do to reduce car-dependency further. I have always been in love with that city and it seems I will forever be.
-
Comment on Norway brought heat pumps in from the cold – device installed in two-thirds of households suggests switching to greener heating can be done in ~enviro
scroll_lock LinkThis part interested me: Around here, the only negative I hear about heat pumps is that "they don't work when it's cold, but otherwise I'd buy one." But -25C is -13F. That's pretty cold. The...This part interested me:
“It works very well in the cold,” said Eilertsen. The devices can become less efficient when temperatures drop below -15C, he added, but new versions still run at -20C or -25C.
Around here, the only negative I hear about heat pumps is that "they don't work when it's cold, but otherwise I'd buy one." But -25C is -13F. That's pretty cold. The majority of people live in vaguely temperate areas where it rarely gets colder than that anyway. Where I live I think it has historically gotten to -24C (-11F), literally a hundred years ago, but never below. In the last 10 years my city hasn't gotten below -17C (2F), and the mean winter low is more like -13C (9F).
If they work in Norway I bet they can work in lots of places in the US too.
-
Comment on Is Los Angeles’ transit Olympics-ready? in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentThe video implicitly proposes that many or most visitors, who will also comprise an international audience, will take public transit instead of driving because of the infrastructure LA is putting...The video implicitly proposes that many or most visitors, who will also comprise an international audience, will take public transit instead of driving because of the infrastructure LA is putting in place now for its own residents.
-
Comment on Is Los Angeles’ transit Olympics-ready? in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentAthletic competitions are entertaining to people. Sports, games, and physical feats have been a cornerstone of human life since recorded history began. For that reason, people will always follow...Athletic competitions are entertaining to people. Sports, games, and physical feats have been a cornerstone of human life since recorded history began. For that reason, people will always follow them.
A friend of mine actually works for the IOC. Not an executive or anything, but the job they do is pretty… normal work directly pursuant to the goals of any athletic organization. As a non-sports person, I don’t have much of an opinion on the IOC but it does seem like something the media enjoys latching onto, possibly excessively.
I shared this thread because whether or not people have a negative opinion of the IOC (I imagine most have little opinion at all), the Olympics have a gigantic effect on a city’s transportation network. Here, LA has the opportunity to shine in the spotlight and break its reputation as a car-centric city.
-
Comment on Is Los Angeles’ transit Olympics-ready? in ~transport
scroll_lock LinkLos Angeles, USA, a city infamous for its traffic, is building a lot of transit right now. Is it going to be enough for the 2028 Olympics? I haven’t spent enough time in LA since completion of...Los Angeles, USA, a city infamous for its traffic, is building a lot of transit right now. Is it going to be enough for the 2028 Olympics?
I haven’t spent enough time in LA since completion of some of the projects discussed in this video to have a good intuitive sense for how they’ve changed the transit landscape in the last few years. But they sure do seem impactful, and the city seems to be on a productive track.
-
Is Los Angeles’ transit Olympics-ready?
13 votes -
Comment on NASA mission excels at spotting greenhouse gas emission sources in ~enviro
scroll_lock LinkNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory writes about its unexpected success in detecting the sources of methane leaks with a new imaging satellite. Notably its data is mot limited to just the United...NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory writes about its unexpected success in detecting the sources of methane leaks with a new imaging satellite. Notably its data is mot limited to just the United States: the satellite enables researchers to track emissions in comparatively remote and under-studied areas like rural Uzbekistan.
By knowing where methane emissions are coming from, operators of landfills, agriculture sites, oil and gas facilities, and other methane producers have an opportunity to address them. Tracking human-caused emissions of methane is key to limiting climate change because it offers a comparatively low-cost, rapid approach to reducing greenhouse gases. Methane lingers in the atmosphere for about a decade, but during this span, it’s up to 80 times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, which remains for centuries.
EMIT has proven effective at spotting emission sources both big (tens of thousands of pounds of methane per hour) and surprisingly small (down to the hundreds of pounds of methane per hour). This is important because it permits identification of a greater number of “super-emitters” – sources that produce disproportionate shares of total emissions.
You can check out the satellite’s data yourself at VISIONS: the Emit Open Data Portal.
-
NASA mission excels at spotting greenhouse gas emission sources
23 votes -
Comment on Sweden's Northvolt says new lithium-free sodium-ion battery is cheaper, more sustainable and doesn't rely on scarce raw materials in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentGood points! Another article says that Northvolt wants these batteries to enter production in 2024. That’s them saying it, not an independent source.Good points! Another article says that Northvolt wants these batteries to enter production in 2024. That’s them saying it, not an independent source.
-
Comment on Sweden's Northvolt says new lithium-free sodium-ion battery is cheaper, more sustainable and doesn't rely on scarce raw materials in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentI think consumers are more aware of portable devices, including cars, but the majority of energy use is industrial or household in origin. A pivot away from fossil fuels requires more and better...I think consumers are more aware of portable devices, including cars, but the majority of energy use is industrial or household in origin. A pivot away from fossil fuels requires more and better storage to cope with fluctuating generation and demand levels, so indeed these applications could benefit from extremely cheap batteries, even if they aren’t optimally energy-dense. It’s not like this is an order of magnitude difference anyway… 160 Wh/kg is pretty good.
In transportation, these less dense storage batteries can still come in handy for charging electric vehicles because that charging infrastructure is part of the grid.
-
Comment on Canoeing as transportation? (Eastern PA especially) in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentSadly the circuit trails in Philly are full of gaps so getting all the way to some of my destinations by bike can be rather fraught, depending where I start. I will be looking into these more, but...Sadly the circuit trails in Philly are full of gaps so getting all the way to some of my destinations by bike can be rather fraught, depending where I start. I will be looking into these more, but I’m apprehensive about a longer journey to the head of the D&L in particular.
- Once I’m on the Delaware canal trail, I’m good—it goes all the way to the Lehigh Valley pretty much completely uninterrupted. But it’s a challenge to get out to Bristol without risk of being hit by a car (a threat which I am very… keenly aware of right now). Aramingo, Torresdale, and State are all unprotected with fast traffic. I know they’re working on some Delaware River Trail connections in Fishtown or thereabouts now, but not comprehensive ones nor on a fast timeline. I might end up taking the Regional Rail out, which is fine, just not that interesting.
- The Schuylkill River Trail is pretty solid between Philly and Conshohocken minus a gap around Manayunk. A tad iffier the closer to Reading you ride, from what I know, but the road portions seem pretty low-traffic. That would be a better option than paddling for sure. (Looking more closely on the map, there is a Schuylkill Canal at certain areas, but it’s not contiguous or remotely long enough to be useful.) I see rowers out on the river all the time, but I guess there are like 20 of them in each boat.
I don’t think my hip can do much cycling right now so it’ll have to wait till spring anyway.
-
Comment on Canoeing as transportation? (Eastern PA especially) in ~transport
scroll_lock Link ParentThanks for the input. I’ll give this some more thought. I think my best bet is to take a pack raft or something else portable up the canal, which is calm. From what I’ve seen of it, the water...Thanks for the input. I’ll give this some more thought. I think my best bet is to take a pack raft or something else portable up the canal, which is calm. From what I’ve seen of it, the water level is often pretty high (at least in the spring?) but lower during construction. If that works out maybe I’ll try a downstream trip someday.
-
Canoeing as transportation? (Eastern PA especially)
I would like to know if anyone here has ever taken a canoe or kayak a considerable distance up large-ish rivers. Right now, I live in Philadelphia at the south end of the Delaware River. I have...
I would like to know if anyone here has ever taken a canoe or kayak a considerable distance up large-ish rivers.
Right now, I live in Philadelphia at the south end of the Delaware River. I have some reason to be upriver periodically, mostly Allentown but sometimes Bethlehem and very sometimes Stroudsburg/the Delaware Water Gap area. Additionally I am sometimes in Reading which is on the Schuylkill River, which also passes by me in Philadelphia.
When I was younger I used to canoe/kayak a lot out in the country, exclusively on lakes. I have experience with Kevlar and aluminum canoes. I miss it and was wondering if it would be realistic to canoe anywhere between these places for transportation purposes. I don’t really care how long it takes as I own a tent and can pitch overnight if needed.
I don’t know what the Delaware’s flow rate is or if I could possibly hope to beat it. Not sure how much it changes seasonally. Same questions about the Schuylkill and the Lehigh. Or if it’s safe to canoe on any of those rivers considering all the other boat traffic (at least on the Delaware). Or how far upstream you can get without encountering rapids.
I know that the Delaware River Canal goes from Bristol/Levittown up to the Lehigh River. The mule trail is certainly in good condition, and I know that at least parts of the canal itself are, but I don’t know how navigable it is. I wouldn’t mind some portages as long as it’s mostly paddlable. I think that would be a more probable route for me than the river itself, assuming the water is high enough (which I’m not sure about). I don’t think there is any such canal on the Schuylkill (though there is one on the Lehigh), but my impression is that they have far less commercial traffic.
Normally, I am in pretty good shape. Right now, I am not. I know I can take a train to Trenton or a bus to Reading or the Lehigh Valley. That is what I normally do. That or biking which I have not tried all the way, though I know it can be done- with some effort. But I am curious if it would be possible to get around via waterway.
14 votes -
Comment on Inside the world's highest tech prison - HMP Fosse Way in ~tech
scroll_lock LinkThat was a lot more humane than I expected. The technology here is interesting, but it’s really good to see that the people incarcerated here have opportunities to reintegrate into society. And...That was a lot more humane than I expected. The technology here is interesting, but it’s really good to see that the people incarcerated here have opportunities to reintegrate into society. And also that they aren’t treated poorly in the facility itself. It seems like a thoughtful design.
I haven't read the legal briefs, but as I understand it, the reason the courts halted the 2040 Plan was probably not because it ended single-family zoning per se and rather because the city did not expressly or pre-emptively address "environmental concerns" (in this case meaning "the natural environment" more than "[human-constructed] environments"). I find that a little questionable, but it's mostly a procedural matter.
Of note, in that article:
In other words, it is not a done deal. The city just has to go through the (arduous) process of submitting their visionary plan in the state's environmental review process just like specific infrastructure projects have to go through. The organizations that review environmental documents are typically state agencies, and in this case there might be a little bit of court input, but if these plans maintain political support within Minneapolis, the city will very likely find a way to enact the majority or all of its 2040 Plan goals in a revised plan.