Forget pollution, deforestation, and species extinction. What we really need to worry about are — cul-de-sacs.
Why? Cul-de-sacs — and the sprawl that creates them — are behind all those eco-problems, and are thus the greatest threat to our planet. That’s the message behind Built to Last, a 3-minute video by First + Main and Paget Films which won a video contest hosted by the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Denver-based host committee for the organization’s 2009 conference.
Watch the funny-serious video to find out why you should fear cul-de-sacs and embrace new urbanism, a.k.a. walkable, bikable ‘hoods.
The filmmakers won free admission to the Congress for the New Urbanism’s conference, CNU 17, happening June 10 – 14 in Denver.
There’s a push by some to make current cul-de-sacs into modern day communes. A few have gone that way. Individual property ownership is maintained, but some neighborhoods have chosen to build a community building (sometimes in the middle of the cul-de-sac) and share meals and child care. We probably shouldn’t be building MORE cul-de-sacs, but some of the existing ones may be able to be repurposed!
Comment by MsMeryMac — May 11, 2009 @ 10:35 am
For me, it depends on the cul-de-sac. If there is a path/access point to the street behind, so that cyclist and pedestrians have a short cut, I have less of an issue with them. It’s the ones that are truly dead-ends that I think are more problematic.
Comment by How Green Is My Valley — May 12, 2009 @ 8:22 am
Maybe we could turn more cul-de-sacs into gardens? It’s good to hear that people are finding better uses for these suburban blights :)
Comment by Siel — May 15, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
hey, love this blog and haven’t visited in months! looking good.
my idea which i’ve had for a while is to build a 6″ concrete circular berm in the middle of my parents’ c-d-s (hey, that’s the acro for credit default swap – another bit of ‘genius’) and add chess table, benches, garden and even a tree or two.
that would bulk up community in each suburban CDS.
good post!
Comment by Ken O — June 16, 2009 @ 10:36 am
Ok — I just looked up credit default swap and can’t figure out what it is exactly –
Comment by Siel — June 17, 2009 @ 6:52 pm
CDS are basically a big scam so that financial institutions and their leadership can skim cream off the top of our industrial economic base.
See here:
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Archives2009/KunstlerJune22.html
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/
http://emsnews.wordpress.com/
Read these sites and you’ll learn quick!
Ken
Ken’s last blog post..~Last night in Uptown~
Comment by Ken — June 22, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
I see — Thanks for the links! :)
Comment by Siel — June 24, 2009 @ 5:48 pm