Re: scoresby freeway

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

Well said geoff.

Though I think you place a little too much emphasis on density.
Sensitively encouraged medium density development (urban villages ans
such) in district centres and near train stations is worthwhile, but
the real challenge lies elsewhere.

Melbourne's density is higher than Vancouver's and not much less than
Toronto's and has been increasing slowly for the last 15 years or so.
We don't need to increase the density any further to make public
transport work, the real issue is service quality.

Vaughan

In article <YiFk5.2$NI1.2030@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net>,
  "geoff dawson" <geoffrey.dawson@aph.gov.au> wrote:
> Think long term. Yes, we have been building low density car dependent
> Australian cities for the last 50 years, and reaping the reward in
the form
> of ever-increasing traffic congestion;  but the housing stock of a
city
> turns over in 50-100 years, so there is still the opportunity for a
change
> of direction. But it won't happen if everyone assumes it can't happen.
> Freeways encourage more traffic. In the long term more freeways just
means
> more traffic and more congestion in total. We have been spending
money on
> roads as fast as we could possibly afford it for 40 years, and what
has been
> the result? Congestion. Yet still they want to throw good money after
bad
> (long after more intelligent nations have given up trying). The only
long
> term solution is a different style of city planning so there is less
need to
> use cars.
> To politicians and others who find it too dull or depressing to think
about
> the long term, I say: build your freeway, be happy for 5 years, watch
the
> long term problems of car dependency get worse and worse without end,
and
> and don't complain later that you weren't warned. I am disappointed
because
> I would have hoped that a species blessed with enough intelligence to
learn
> from experience would be able to do better.
> Geoff
> BTW I believe there are large cities of north America that have not
added
> anything  to their stock of roads for 30 years (Vancouver? - see P
Newman &
> J Kenworthy, Sustainability and Cities). Somehow they cope.
>
>


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