Let me add to George's comments that my experience is that despite the theoretical value of increasing density in existing population centers, the people living in those places (including the city of Ithaca) for the most part are not receptive to it. They will tolerate infill at the customary spacing and massing, but doing that will accommodate very modest increases in population. It is easier to get a greenfield development like Carromoor (sp?), with a projected population exceeding several of the smaller towns in the county, than it is to grow those villages and hamlets.
Joel At 07:21 PM 3/15/09 -0700, you wrote: >Jon, > >Yes I did argue a few a few months ago that we should be trying to >increase the density of existing urban areas rather than settling the >countryside. I also included the existing villages and hamlets of >Tompkins County as places where increased density should be encouraged. > >I am however also adressing te need to eliminate or at least drastically >reduce the 40,000-plus people who daily commute by auto through the >streets of Ithaca, degrading city neighborhoods and pushing people out of >the city and into the suburbs and surrounding countryside. The areas in >the Town of Ithaca that I have mentioned are also all immediatley adjacent >to the city and hence best located in terms of developing or extending >alternative transportation systems such as bike/ped path networks and bus >routes to connect residential neighborhoods with shopping and employment >centers. > >Encouraging growth in those beautiful little communities that dot Tompkins >County is definitely a good idea, from the standpoint of sustainabilty, >but it is not one that will solve the problem of getting people out of >their single-occupancy automobiles. > >Tha can only happen when you have the critical mass of population needed >to support a dense network of bus routes that make public transit more >attractive than the automobile, or people living in close enough proximity >to where they work, shop or go to school that walking or biking is more >attratcive than the automobile. > >This means concentrating the bulk of Tompkins County's population in or >immediately adjacent to the Ithaca. > >Best. > >George > > > >--- On Sun, 3/15/09, Jon Bosak <[email protected]> wrote: > > >From: Jon Bosak <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Town of Ithaca Stream Setback Law >To: "Sustainable Tompkins County listserv" ><[email protected]> >Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 6:25 PM > > >Thanks for the history lesson, but I'm still left with this >question: Why are we talking about creating "affordable, walkable, >bikeable, environmentally sustainable and diverse neighborhoods" >when the County is already dotted with beautiful little >communities starving for more businesses and residents? > >Weren't you arguing a few months ago that we should be trying to >increase the density of existing urban areas rather than settling >the countryside? > >Jon > >_______________________________________________ >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 >Questions about the list? ask [email protected] >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > > > > >_______________________________________________ >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 >Questions about the list? ask [email protected] >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ 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 Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
