Columbusite

In response to the current series that ran in the Dispatch on major cities in Ohio I’d say they’re asking the wrong question. When there is a limited resource and development is built with everyone owning a vehicle that consumes said resource in stupifyingly high quantities, what is the chance that those places can be saved when that limited resource becomes scarce and very expensive? None, really. The cities will be the only option by default. Why this angle wasn’t investigated is I’m not sure, the media just never wants to touch upon this subject for some reason(s). The only exception would be suburbs built on a grid pattern (or retro-fitted into one) within close proximity to rail stops, with Bexley being a local example of a streetcar suburb. Here’s the streetcar/interurban system (interurban were passenger rail lines between cities and towns)we used to have with the streetcar line in red

And no, it wasn’t all built at once so if you’re down on the streetcars because it’s just going to start with one line, keep in mind that once the first line is up and running we could have something like this again.

Using so much of a such a finite, unrenewable resource when we don’t need to is stupid, there’s no other word for it. A suburbia that is walkable, bikeable, and easy to get around in by car is not difficult in the least, but now we’ve already built a bunch of ugly, car-based development that is not just prohibitively expensive to fix, but spread out way too far for retro-fitting all of it to make any sense. Any suburb that doesn’t want to be linked up to the city will left behind and won’t see development. Just look at all of the development in suburbs that are raking in the dough along light-rail lines in this country from Dallas to Charlotte.

It doesn’t help that many suburbanites are steeped in sheer ignorance when it comes to the city, particularly downtown. In a poll between the health of a city and its effect on the suburbs I was just floored by the people they spoke to (and responses they chose to print). I’d say the biggest problem is people sticking with their pre-conceived beliefs and not even trying to see if they match up to reality. Let’s start with this woman:

“Betty Cunningham, 66, of Westerville, a retired county employee from the Lima, Ohio, area, said she rarely visits Downtown except to go to the theater, COSI or a special event such as the Arts Festival. She’s lived in Columbus for four years after spending most of her life in rural areas.

“One of the reasons I don’t live Downtown is the crime,” Cunningham said. “I am just not used to the freeways and all the traffic.”"

Umm, I live Downtown and crime isn’t a problem. This perception is way overblown. Sure, if you leave your laptop in your car on the seat, don’t be surprised if it’s gone. And traffic is way worse around Westerville than Downtown, what is she talking about and why is she living in a sprawling suburb if highways and traffic are negative factors?

Then there’s this guy:

“Poll participant Paul Phoburn, 77, of Columbus, a retired industrial worker, said he always thought he would move Downtown, but no longer.

“There’s nothing down there. They’re putting all the rich people Downtown and moving all the poor people out east,” said Phoburn, who served seven years as mayor of Wilson, a small town in Monroe County.”

What does he mean there’s nothing there? If that’s what he thinks, why would he have wanted to move here anyway? What poor people being displaced from downtown? Yes, most condos are for rich people, but there was nothing before that since they’re conversions from offices or parking lots, so they couldn’t have displaced anyone. There’s a decent number of affordable rentals at any rate. If he’s talking about Olde Towne East, which is not Downtown, yes some poor people are being displaced, but some need to be because they just contribute crime, ignorance, and/or laziness.

Urbanites like ourselves need to educate people like this whenever we get the chance and without being (too) abrasive. There are so many positives to living in the city and a lot of the negative is just blown out of proportion if there is even any basis at all.