Raise the Hammer

NO NO NO we can not put this to bed the differences cannot be ignored no matter how much you want to do so. Our cities are designed for people just like the cities in Europe are, they also take into account that our lifestyles are quite different. The differences are why so many things like transit just do not work the same way here as they do in Europe.

New York city is indeed one of the few exceptions to our cities. Toronto has thousands of single family homes something lacking in all of the European cities. This lifestyle, the single family home, something that so many of us want, is what leads to the lower population density. Nice has an area of 72 Km2, which I believe is about 18,000 acres, and a population of 350,000. If my math is correct that is more than twice the population for less than 40% more area, and on top of that there are no suburbs the way there are here. Here the suburbs is where so much of our wealth is which in turn generates so much of our tax base. There simply is no comparison of the 2 city styles. Their city style makes transit, cycling and walking work. Our city styles make transit, cycling and walking difficult. Until you can convince the masses that they do not want a single family home and want to live in a box. Our downtown core has been there for a long time people have left as they can afford to buy what they want, a single family home and preferably a large one at that. By and large our population especially young families just do not want that lifestyle but would rather have their own house complete with the white picket fence.

I know that you do not like it but there is simply no way around it. Our cities will not and cannot function the way the European cities do as things stand. Now all you have to do is convince a few million of us to give up our houses and learn to love living in a box in a big building. Somehow I do not believe that you are going to accomplish that. Do you live in a single family home or in an apartment/condominium?