Optimum Size City?

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Baron Max

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For everything concerned, population, mass transit services, energy usage, oil usage, cars, parking, building heights, roads and streets, garbage collection, water & sewer services, police force, etc, etc.

What's the optimum size for a city in the USA today? Or any western nation, for that matter. And by "size", I mean both population as well as area, density, etc.

Do we live within x-miles of our work? Walk to work?

How 'bout shopping? Do we walk to do the shopping? How far? Mass transit trails/subways? How far from the stop to the home?

Any ideas?

Baron Max
 
I have been to 7/10 of those cities. They are not the best or anywhere near optimum imo. Everyone has their own idea of optimum. I like a place on the water, one in the country, one in the desert, and one in the city. If I had to pick one it would be the one on the water. Nothing compares to living on water in paradise.:)
 
sandy said:
I have been to 7/10 of those cities. They are not the best or anywhere near optimum imo. Everyone has their own idea of optimum. I like a place on the water, one in the country, one in the desert, and one in the city. If I had to pick one it would be the one on the water. Nothing compares to living on water in paradise.:)
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yeah St. Matthew island in Alaska is an amazing paradise on water. truly

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...

the bears agree with me

twopolarbears.jpg
 
draqon said:
money...money...money: thats what decides which cities are the best
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Who asked anything about "best" cities to live in?

I asked about the optimum size ...say of a new city being developed today. How big should it be? How many people should be permitted to live there?

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Who asked anything about "best" cities to live in?

I asked about the optimum size ...say of a new city being developed today. How big should it be? How many people should be permitted to live there?

Baron Max
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well that depends on a person. I mean my parents love huge cities like metropolitan. I love small towns, farm towns. Size preference varies with person.
 
draqon said:
well that depends on a person. I mean my parents love huge cities like metropolitan. I love small towns, farm towns. Size preference varies with person.
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So usage of energy or oil is of no concern to you?

Baron Max
 
I live in a zone of 'satellite' cities...cities which are separated by protected green spaces of forest and farmland.

This is great because it prevents cities from becoming too large.

Ideally, a city should be zoned in such a way that all industry exists only on the peripheral areas, moving further out as the city grows.

Building height restrictions used in many european cities are also very positive.
 
Ya' know, it's odd, strange, how everyone thinks their particular posts are ...humorous? Why is it that any kind of serious discussion is fraught with odd-ball, idiot, foolish, childish posts? ...ever wonder about ...Why?

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Ya' know, it's odd, strange, how everyone thinks their particular posts are ...humorous? Why is it that any kind of serious discussion is fraught with odd-ball, idiot, foolish, childish posts? ...ever wonder about ...Why?

Baron Max
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does that include the posts with questions?
 
This site, this forum, is a just a good example of how people in the world think and react. And it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there'll always be conflicts and wars between humans, all over the world.

I think it's also a perfect example of why governments, other than dictatorships, can't ever get anything done, or any diplomacy agreed to. And yet, every day here, someone asks, "Why can't we all just get along?"

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
For everything concerned, population, mass transit services, energy usage, oil usage, cars, parking, building heights, roads and streets, garbage collection, water & sewer services, police force, etc, etc.

What's the optimum size for a city in the USA today? Or any western nation, for that matter. And by "size", I mean both population as well as area, density, etc.

Do we live within x-miles of our work? Walk to work?

How 'bout shopping? Do we walk to do the shopping? How far? Mass transit trails/subways? How far from the stop to the home?

Any ideas?

Baron Max
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a city can be subdivided into smaller segments that have the typical things such as bus stop, supermarket, healthcare center pretty much all within 5 to 15 minutes walking distance.

The maximum walking distance is slightly different for all services. A supermarket should be within 5-10 minutes. A health care center can be 15-30 minutes away (walking).

Commuting distances to work have a variable distance depending on the efficiency of the transport system. An hour is maximum and pushing it, although personally I have travelled longer. Most people are happier with 30 minutes or less.

The optimum size of a city also depends on central infrastructure. A city has to be big enough to warrant central services that are deemed useful and attractive, such as an international airport, an opera, a lively night life.

Too large and negative effects of crime, alienation, transport problems will start weighing in.

i think the optimum size would be around 400.000-500.000. You can combine the small town feel with the big city infrastructure.
 
Yeah, 500,000 in an area of about 350 Km(2), divided by parks and open spaces into smaller hamlets with all main amenities within 30 minutes walking distance for each hamlet.

Industrial areas should be well out on the perimeters of the city 30-45 minutes commuting distance. The city centre should be well defined and provide all types of entertainment venues, museums, galleries, theatres, dining etc, all within 30-45 minutes walking distance within the centre. Most of the centre should be pedestrianised and should provide ample parking on the perimeters and small electric buses / taxi's within.

Each hamlet has its own range of shops and offices and recreation facilities, including the centre.

In this city, all the people are strikingly beautiful, friendly, healthy and rich. There are no churches, mosques or ostentatious places of worship, believers gather in their own homes for more intimate communion. The police wear Dolce & Gabbana and wear Ray Bans, even at night, and they're always super friendly and everybody loves them. I know I'm just being silly now, but it's late.
 
What's the point of the modern western city? Industry is usually gone, there is no need for large concentration of work force. However, rural areas and towns are getting deserted. Big cities are disaster for everything/everybody involved and must be outlawed. A compact 30 thousand city ( with sidewalks and parks, gardens) should be more than enough to support administration, education, science, etc.
 
spuriousmonkey said:
a city can be subdivided into smaller segments that have the typical things such as...
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Well, yeah, but that's the one thing that I was trying get away from. In many respects, those "smaller segments" are cities in themselves. And, if we look at it that way, it's like New York City or London ...just a bunch of little "cities" snuggled up beside the big one. There are people who live and die in New York City of London and never, ever see the other parts of the city.

I was trying to get the idea of a stand-alone city, with all of the necessary facilities and infrastructure, as well as the workplaces. I've thought about this issue, this optimum city, for a long time being an architect, but I've never been able to pin it down.

But in all of my guess-timates, I've never gotten anywhere near 400,000 population! Mostly I seem to snuggle in around 50,000 or so. Smaller than that won't support any kind of "industry", and larger than that it all begins to become "segmented", little cities pushed up against a big one.

Don't know ...I never took any classes or anything about city planning, but it's always intriqued me how big, big cities are not actually cities ...they're all segmented, or pods, attached to a big city.

Just curious ...in my old age! :D

Baron Max
 
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