Will large cities become obsolete?

[Malthus]

How else am I going to pick up girls at the junior high? In a tandem bike?

Need a trunk that locks? 

[Ed Anger]

How else am I going to pick up girls at the junior high? In a tandem bike?

Need a trunk that locks? 

Van door that locks.

[crazy canuck]

How else am I going to pick up girls at the junior high? In a tandem bike?

Need a trunk that locks? 

He cant get out of the vehicle...

[MadImmortalMan]

But that only speaks within a particular city. Young people generally don't have a lot of money and yet they are a big part of cities.  Jos's post to me suggested that it is the wealthy who are moving to cities which leaves the poor in the suburbs with the cars.

Well that has long been a European phenomenon hasn't it?  Besides young people are willing to do things like live with four roommates so that does not necessarily mean Jos is wrong.  Isn't one of the issues with Modern Manhattan is that it is largely becoming the playground of the rich?  I mean I would love to live in central Austin but the prices are ungodly.

I wonder how many are doing that. There is always a way to live if you really have to. Sharing with roommates, etc. What percentage of the population is making those sacrifices and what percentage is going outside and using the tube to get to work? I don't know. Also, how is that related to the fact that the population is overwhelmingly waiting until much later to get married, if they do at all. Once you've got a wifey and maybe some kids coming, the roommate economics is no longer viable.

How many of you guys actually live in the city center anyway? I live in a town where driving is not a choice, but would not mind walking if I were in London or Hong Kong or some place like that. I also have no kids. I'm willing to bet most of you live in suburbs, connected to mass transit or no, and don't live in the city core.

[garbon]

But that only speaks within a particular city. Young people generally don't have a lot of money and yet they are a big part of cities.  Jos's post to me suggested that it is the wealthy who are moving to cities which leaves the poor in the suburbs with the cars.

Well that has long been a European phenomenon hasn't it?  Besides young people are willing to do things like live with four roommates so that does not necessarily mean Jos is wrong.  Isn't one of the issues with Modern Manhattan is that it is largely becoming the playground of the rich?  I mean I would love to live in central Austin but the prices are ungodly.

I wonder how many are doing that. There is always a way to live if you really have to. Sharing with roommates, etc. What percentage of the population is making those sacrifices and what percentage is going outside and using the tube to get to work? I don't know. Also, how is that related to the fact that the population is overwhelmingly waiting until much later to get married, if they do at all. Once you've got a wifey and maybe some kids coming, the roommate economics is no longer viable.

I think I read something like 45% of people who move to New York in their 20s have roommates.

[11B4V]

But that only speaks within a particular city. Young people generally don't have a lot of money and yet they are a big part of cities.  Jos's post to me suggested that it is the wealthy who are moving to cities which leaves the poor in the suburbs with the cars.

Well that has long been a European phenomenon hasn't it?  Besides young people are willing to do things like live with four roommates so that does not necessarily mean Jos is wrong.  Isn't one of the issues with Modern Manhattan is that it is largely becoming the playground of the rich?  I mean I would love to live in central Austin but the prices are ungodly.

I wonder how many are doing that. There is always a way to live if you really have to. Sharing with roommates, etc. What percentage of the population is making those sacrifices and what percentage is going outside and using the tube to get to work? I don't know. Also, how is that related to the fact that the population is overwhelmingly waiting until much later to get married, if they do at all. Once you've got a wifey and maybe some kids coming, the roommate economics is no longer viable.

I think I read something like 45% of people who move to New York in their 20s have roommates.

It's expensive there isn't it?

[DGuller]

Just a tad, especially if you don't have access to grandfathered rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartments.

[MadImmortalMan]

Basically, every single time I've been in traffic court for whatever reason, each and every judge has said to some defendant or other, "driving is a privilege," not a right. 

I hate that meme. I know it's true, but in many places removing a person's ability to drive effectively renders them unable to function as a productive adult citizen. It should be taken more seriously and revoked only under extreme circumstances.

[11B4V]

Basically, every single time I've been in traffic court for whatever reason, each and every judge has said to some defendant or other, "driving is a privilege," not a right. 

I hate that meme. I know it's true, but in many places removing a person's ability to drive effectively renders them unable to function as a productive adult citizen. It should be taken more seriously and revoked only under extreme circumstances.

Then maybe they shouldnt break the law and get suspended or revoked in the first place.

[MadImmortalMan]

I'll see if I can find the article, but there was a guy who did research on population centers and all sorts of inputs and outputs.  Energy, material consumption.  Economic, technological, creative production.  Many other things I'm forgetting, but the upshot was that for each doubling of the size of a city there was around a 15% increase in the optimization of all of those factors.  So given everything else being the same a city twice the size of another one used 15% less per capita energy and material but was 15% more per capita economically and creatively active.


Ah, here is the TED talk.

frunk---


Thank you for this. I watched that and applied the sigmoidal curve to a few of my trading positions and made some adjustments. 

[Valmy]

Then maybe they shouldnt break the law and get suspended or revoked in the first place.

Well yes.  If nobody ever did anything wrong we would not have to discuss the appropriateness or value of various penalties.

[11B4V]

Then maybe they shouldnt break the law and get suspended or revoked in the first place.

Well yes.  If nobody ever did anything wrong we would not have to discuss the appropriateness or value of various penalties.

[Valmy]

Then maybe they shouldnt break the law and get suspended or revoked in the first place.

Well yes.  If nobody ever did anything wrong we would not have to discuss the appropriateness or value of various penalties.

Exactly.  I don't get your response at all.  Of course it would be better if nobody ever broke the rules but how does that address his point even a little bit?

[11B4V]

Basically, every single time I've been in traffic court for whatever reason, each and every judge has said to some defendant or other, "driving is a privilege," not a right. 

I hate that meme. I know it's true, but in many places removing a person's ability to drive effectively renders them unable to function as a productive adult citizen. It should be taken more seriously and revoked only under extreme circumstances.

Then maybe they shouldnt break the law and get suspended or revoked in the first place.

Exactly.  I don't get your response at all.  Of course it would be better if nobody ever broke the rules but how does that address his point even a little bit?

Tough shit. People who generally follow the traffic laws wont get the license suspended. It's not a hard thing to do.

[DontSayBanana]

I dont think that is true.  If you used a cab to travel everywhere it would likely be less expensive then the cost of owning, parking, insuring, operating and maintaining a vehicle (here it would be by a significant margin).  People pay the premium to own a vehicle for the prestige value and the convenience factor - waiting for a taxi can be a real pain in the ass.

In a suburban area, sure, but once you get out into the rural areas, cabs get INSANELY expensive, if they're even equipped to run at all.  I suspect PDH or Beeb would have a better idea what I'm talking about, having lived in or near the true boonies where transportation becomes a real, serious issue.