A good way to get started on increasing density is with in-fill projects and redevelopment of low-density, one-story retail into 3-4 story mixed use buildings. There are many opportunities to do this on State Street for example. But we need to combine this will changing zoning and building codes to allow this type of development. Then we need to connect that to changing the parking requirements for buildings. If we had good public transit available, we could build apartments over retail/commercial spaces and more fully utilize the land for people and urban permaculture instead of parking lots. Connect Ithaca's vision is for exactly this kind of redevelopment. And that is why they are hosting the international podcar conference here in Ithaca in September. We need a more user-friendly public transit system in order to attract people into downtown life without a car. We also need land use policy that makes it difficult to add to rural sprawl. Don't follow the Lansing model of growth! Gay In a message dated 5/8/2008 9:38:37 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Andy Goodell wrote: > ... > Short of everyone renting out their space to more people or subdividing their land to allow for more density, how do you envision increasing density being any better? I think these matters really would be a good first order of business, if we're to look for a way out of this mess. The situation is serious enough to warrant a reexamination of all the premises of our current culture. What, exactly, would be wrong with everyone renting out their space to more people? Or subdividing land? As for how increased density would be any better, George has sketched enough of it to get my attention. > The towns and cities have been built, and they could have been built better, but I don't see an easy way to change that now. Probably there is a way to change it now -- are we actually waiting for an *easy* way to do it? But even without changing what's built, at least we could stop building more of the same. Andrejs _______________________________________________ ---------------------------------------------------- Gay Nicholson, Ph.D. 607-533-7312 (home office) 607-279-6618 (cell) 1 Maple Avenue Lansing, NY 14882 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sustainable Tompkins Program Coordinator w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities Regional Coordinator Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850 [EMAIL PROTECTED] **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
