Recuenta un año de caminar por su ciudad, viendo sus activos y sus pasivos, las acciones y omisiones de la autoridad, los aciertos y errores de los planificadores, le convencen de que todos los funcionarios involcrados en la planeacion de cualquier aspecto de la ciudad deben de ser obligados a caminar por toda la ciudad antes de intentar la planeacion de cualquier cosa.
Una manera de beneficiar al peaton ahorrandole el doble semaforo y distancia a recorrer en el crucero. Es una practica que debe introducirse en algunos cruceros de la Ciudad
This article is another venture in holiday-themed discussions of urbanism by myself and Kevin Clark. Enjoy!
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For centuries, Santa Claus has been successfully delivering gifts on time and in budget to every good boy and girl. But today, at a meeting of the United Nations in New York, Santa made a surprising announcement: “Christmas is in jeopardy.”The announcement came following last year’s major research and development project at the North Pole. Santa, flanked by scores of elves and about nine reindeer, detailed the findings of his team’s analysis. In short, the NP-R&D organization found that the suburban development patterns over the last several decades were responsible for the rapid rise in operational costs at Santa’s workshop.
Before the 1950’s, Americans typically lived in either urban or rural environs. This pattern allowed Santa and his staff to organize a two-pronged Christmas Eve flight: the first prong took place in cities and the second prong took place between cities. In cities both large and small Santa had access to a large number of chimneys within a short amount of time. The R&D group referred to this measure as the “Cookies per Acre” ratio (a term Santa, until today, preferred to keep a secret, especially from Mrs. Claus). With these cities spaced by large swaths of agriculture, Santa could nap between the higher-density areas and put the sleigh on auto-pilot.
Now, after decades of suburban growth, Santa and his operation is on the verge of total collapse according to the R&D group. As Santa spoke to a shocked assembly, he explained, in a not-so-jolly way, that suburban sprawl has been devastating to his Christmas Eve flight efficiency. He noted a number of challenges he finds in the suburbs ranging from the poor neighborhood layouts and total lack of connected street networks to the issue of not being able to tell one house apart from another.
“In one block, Scotty, Jimmy, Lucy and Christy have identical houses! I’ve come so close to giving Scotty a pink polka dot dress simply because I cannot tell the houses apart!” Santa proclaimed. “It’s embarrassing! I never thought I’d say this, but cookie cutters aren’t always a good thing.”
Santa continued with his face redder than normal:
“Additionally, the unnecessarily complex roof lines of most suburban dwellings make it far too cumbersome to land. I mean, how many gables can one home have!? And the suburban patterns are so disorienting that my reindeer have major difficulties navigating all the twists and turns.”
As his announcement came to a close, Santa gave one last example in an honest but disconcerting tone:
“We try our hardest to account for every package before leaving the North Pole, but inevitably something gets left behind. When that happens we have to go last-minute shopping. In the suburbs we spend much more time traveling to a toy store than we do in an urban area given the distances involved. It just doesn’t make sense when there is such a better alternative. If we want the joy of Christmas to continue, things have to change.” Santa paused to wipe a tear from his left eye before leaving the podium.
Following the event, many of Santa’s little helpers were obviously unnerved by the announcement. “No more suburbs!” proclaimed one of the elves. “Santa used to look forward to his Christmas flight, but now that so many children live in suburbia what was once a night of joyful routine has become one of frustration. We’re just getting killed out there.”
Santa and his workshop have tried to adapt to the changing times. “We recognized the demographic shift early on,” said an elf who is familiar with the matter, “and wanted to market to the suburban children as well. So while we continued production on our posters that read Santa is coming to town! we also started printing a new edition: Santa is coming to your gated subdivision! I can’t say we were totally happy with it, but we knew we had to do it to stay current with our customers.”
This same elf was quick to point out the benefits to living in the city. “If you forgot to buy batteries and need to power up that Furby, in the city there is likely a CVS just around the corner. If you are in the suburbs, however, you will have to drive to the nearest big-box store, but then you run the risk of being either stuck at home due to snow or stuck in line due to all the gift returns in the region. And we all know the sound a child makes when their new toy is without batteries!”
Other benefits of urban development patterns that were cited by this elf include:
- A higher population density allows Santa to be more efficient with his deliveries which conserves much-needed Christmas Spirit (the fuel that powers his sleigh).
- Urban buildings oftentimes have flat roofs which make for an easier landing environment.
- Regularized and connected street patterns enable easier way-finding for reindeer.
“No one, not even Rudolph, could navigate some of the cul-de-sacs I have seen,” said a reindeer who is familiar with the matter. “Some of those gated communities look like the ribbon you see on presents! Whenever we fly over one we joke: that cul-de-sac is bound up tighter than Scrooge’s money bag!”
“The gates also slow us down,” said this reindeer. “We have to stop constantly and this reduces our efficiency.”
“Here, here!” heckled one fireman who overheard the reindeer. “The gates also keep us from getting to fires as quickly as we can.”
As Santa was seen leaving and getting into his sleigh in front of the UN building, a reporter yelled “What now, Santa?”
“Insist that your government officials enact regulations to support mixed-use communities with small, connected blocks,” Santa said. “This is the only way I can hope to continue my Christmas operation in the future.”
As Santa flew off, the lights of Manhattan reflected in his eyes like a great urban Christmas tree, but he has many miles of suburbia to fly over on his way back to the North Pole.
Un texto ironico pero muy cierto.
El drama y caos del desarrollo urbano centrado en el coche causa estragos en la logistica y el reparto de regalos de Santa Claus, sus costos suben y su ventana de tiempo disminuye por lo enredoso de las calles y la indiferenciacion de las casas.
Excelentes dibujos a mano que muestran los intrincados detalles de la arquitectura y del paisaje de la ciudad y la vida citadina.
Los peatones (y ciclistas) aman la minucia y lo incidental. Se sienten bien ahí donde los edificios adoptan diferentes facetas, donde el ojo puede vagar entre árboles, jardines, balcones; donde haya gente a quien toparse o a quien ver; donde puedan demorarse, unirse e involucrarse; donde una multitud de impresiones y estímulos salga al paso en medio del breve trayecto. El área que uno puede cubrir a pie corresponde al espacio entretejido, múltiple y rico en sucesos.
La situación es totalmente distinta para los conductores: odian las sorpresas y exigen que las cosas sean predecibles; sólo la extensa monotonía les da seguridad; sólo los grandes espectaculares logran captar su atención; sólo las rutas rectas, amplias y sin contratiempos les garantizan un tránsito veloz y sin interrupciones. El conductor tolera la variedad sólo cuando está enmarcada dentro del ritmo de los kilómetros, mientras que para el peatón el espacio hecho para la velocidad es impersonal y tedioso.
El automóvil ha contribuido de manera significativa a la ruina del “ecosistema” social y estructural en que los peatones y los ciclistas se sienten en casa. El peatón necesita un lugar denso, interrelacionado e incluso enredado. No sin razón es que los lugares que construyen los habitantes a su medida por momentos parecen laberintos –aquí uno piensa en una medina musulmana o en una ciudad medieval. El laberinto es la estructura ideal para la gente que depende de la propulsión de sus piernas: acompasa en el espacio más estrecho posible un mundo multifacético y crea una sensación de seguridad para quienes pasan sus vidas dentro de él (aun cuando cause confusión en los extraños).
Lo opuesto al laberinto es el espacio planeado para el automóvil; al priorizar el tránsito expedito, es imposible que el entorno dé lugar al peatón. La consecuencia más decisiva de la motorización es la destrucción de las bases vitales para el movimiento no motorizado –y esto se aplica también para los autos “limpios”. Como bien dice un dicho en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, “los peatones son personas que van o vienen de sus autos”. El automóvil ha organizado para sí un monopolio radical, uno que obliga no a otras compañías sino a los demás estilos de vida a desparecer. ~
Traducción del inglés de Pablo Duarte (fragmento de For Love of the Automobile, University of California Press, 1992).
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Los asambleistas y el jefe de gobierno dicen que necesitan recaudar mas dinero para cumplir con sus programas y cubrir el altisimo e injustificado costo administrativo del gobierno - por meterse a hacer lo que no le corresponde -bailes de XV años, etc.,- en detrimento de lo que si le corresponde -seguridad publica y cumplir y hacer cumplir las leyes, no cambiarlas casuisticamente a conveniencia-, y sin embargo se ciegan ante las muchas posibilidades de generar ingresos que traerian recursos y provocarian efectos secundarios deseables y beneficos para la ciudad y la mayoria de sus habitantes.
Una medida timida, que no ataca el problema de raiz, el uso excesivo del automovil es consecuencia de los subsidios directos e indirectos que recibe el automovilista, y que hacen que no se percate del costo real de moverse en auto ni que tenga que pagar esos costos. ¡Gratis hasta puñaladas!
Un medio de transporte eficaz, eficiente, de alta capacidad, que se integra bien en el tejido urbano. En la Cd de Mexico hay varias rutas de transporte donde se podria usar el tranvia; mi primera eleccion seria el Paseo de la Reforma desde La Villa de Guadalupe hasta Santa Fe (desconozco si las pendientes estan dentro de sus capacidades) o cuando menos hasta Prado Sur/Norte, es una ruta de muy alta demanda por personas de diversos niveles socioeconomicos, serviria para satisfacer la movilidad de un publico mas exigente, que hoy se translada en su auto y considera al autobus como inadecuado para sus trayectos, adicionalmente seria un eje que conectaria muchos atractivos turtisticos a lo largo del eje con la zona hotelera de Polanco y Reforma.
