[image by andropolis]
Smart growth — the effort to build walkable neighborhoods where people can live, work and play without getting in a car — is a hot term in LA right now, reports the LA Weekly. Many huge, multistory buildings going up near transit hubs all over LA —
But the big question is whether the residents of these new buildings will indeed opt for public transit over the car. If they all keep driving, then our city’ll indeed be severely gridlocked.
The article is a bit painful to read, mainly because while I am very much in favor of smart growth, I do get the difficulties of actualizing smart growth goals. Sure, people will have more incentive to consider options other than the car if the roads get too clogged up — but will they, considering our current transit system? Because we have only a few bus-only lanes — and because only a fraction of our city’s served by our current subway system — buses aren’t exactly moving any faster than the gridlocked cars right now.
The article does, however, focus overmuch on the car vs. bus / train issue, overlooking one major factor of smart growth: more walking. If your drycleaner’s downstairs, grocery store’s a block away, and fave restaurants just around the corner, you won’t need to get the car OR take the bus.
I also have high hopes for the planned bus-only lane on Wilshire. I just hope that the fight to create other bus-only lanes won’t be as painfully drawn-out as the Wilshire one was….
A related article in LA Weekly points out that many of politicans and advocates behind smart growth are hypocritically living in highly-restricted single-family residential neighborhoods. Two of these boys — Smart Growth America board member Henry Cisneros and Councilman Ed Reyes — blamed their wives for their choice of residence. WTF.
This article kind of rubbed me the wrong way because of its defeatist outlook.
But it shows how terms like “smartgrowth” (and, in fact, lots of green-sounding terms) have been used to justify business as usual. Putting a tall building in the middle of downtown isn’t smart if each occupant will be driving a car.
Another overlooked factor: The city may be encouraging smart growth, but cities/counties/state certainly aren’t discouraging stupid growth. We have exploding sprawl in the inland empire, antelope valley, santa clarita, etc. We are aggressively making the problem worse while offering very weak solutions.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for higher gas prices and more gridlock. Once cars become completely impractical for ordinary people to use, maybe THEN we will provide alternative ways of getting around.
Comment by Rafi — June 2, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
I’m just amused that Angelenos would actually need a flash new phrase to describe “the effort to build walkable neighborhoods where people can live, work and play without getting in a car”.
Comment by Brian — June 2, 2007 @ 11:33 pm