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Post by lugg on Feb 1, 2023 20:37:36 GMT
I saw an article (in the Guardian?) about an English professional windsurfer who has moved to Spain so she can train. She said the water off the English coast was too dirty.
I think it varies bjd across England / Uk - ... but of course if polluted rivers discharge into the sea then ... and then there is the additional problem of sewage discharge . The current government does not have a good record in addressing any of these issues. Our local MP refused to vote for a bill that would force Herefordshire farmers to cut their polluting practice.
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 19, 2023 19:18:03 GMT
On tonight’s Countryfile there was a report on the poor state of our rivers. At the end of the programme was a report on the river Lugg!
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Post by kerouac2 on Mar 19, 2023 19:58:11 GMT
I hope she hasn't run dry.
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Post by lugg on Mar 20, 2023 19:22:14 GMT
On tonight’s Countryfile there was a report on the poor state of our rivers. At the end of the programme was a report on the river Lugg! I was going to post that Mick - here is the link to the whole programme in case anyone else is interested. Heart rending but also up-lifting. It features not just the Lugg but also the Wye which is in my area too. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001kb1f/countryfile-troubled-waters |
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Post by lugg on Mar 20, 2023 19:23:57 GMT
I hope she hasn't run dry.  |
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 31, 2023 15:01:38 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 31, 2023 20:19:03 GMT
Tragically true video, but rather preaches to the choir. The title suggests that it will tell how to design these non-sucko urban places, but does not address that at all. Yes, the many sterile examples and endless lanes of cars are depressing, but what is to be done to turn that around? One single example is shown (Toronto, I think -- not sure) wherein a part of the city center was revamped to look more old-fashioned and welcoming. That would be encouraging & heartwarming if I didn't have the sneaking suspicion that it might be one of those city council boondoggles to turn an ignored part of town into an overpriced tourist trap for city residents -- that still would have to be accessed by highway.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 31, 2023 20:48:05 GMT
One thing that I have learned over the years is that the reason for those huge ghastly parking zones is because it is the law in most cities of North America. Stores and apartment buildings are required to provide "adequate" street parking. Only a few cities have begun to reverse these laws to eliminate the parking zones and encourage public transportation, but obviously it is very difficult to pass this legislation in places where absolutely everybody has a car.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 31, 2023 22:57:03 GMT
It's a circular self-propelled problem which generates unfairness and other problems. One unfairness is in imposing a financial burden on people who cannot afford to keep a car, but must work & can only get to work by car, not to mention shopping, dr.'s appointsments, etc. The other is that "adequate parking" & certain other laws keep many people from going into business, as any venue which met all the stipulations is beyond their means.
If I needed to, I could go across the street right now and purchase one onion, or a can of soup, or a bottle of dish detergent. If I don't like that shop or if it's out of what I need, I can go a block or two in a couple of directions to find a similar store.
But if I were at my mother's house in a middle-sized town in Oklahoma, I'd have to walk several blocks to exit the subdivision, then hike along the highway and cross the kind of parking lot shown in the video to reach the nearest all-purpose store, which is a Walmart Supercenter. Once there, I'd have to limit what I bought to how much I could carry, as there are no taxis waiting in front of the supermarket as there are in front of every supermarket in Mexico. Many people reading this in the two northern parts of North America could probably recite a similar scenario.
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Post by onlyMark on Aug 1, 2023 6:37:11 GMT
What is he reason the USA has this way of living? Where did start and why? The vast open spaces and only recent history promoted car use and the manufacturers became too powerful to rally against? Zoning laws came about for what reason and so on?
I lived to the north of San Francisco for several months and done at other times road trips and for the road trips the way of life was ideal. For living, then no. I've scratched the surface of Mexico and knowing Europe and living in other countries as well the USA lifestyle in this respect isn't my preference.
What would the average Joe think about pedestrian areas etc?
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Post by bjd on Aug 1, 2023 7:21:21 GMT
I have watched this guy's videos for a few years now and,no, he doesn't tell how to design urban areas, he contrasts well-designed urban areas with those in North America (and certainly Australia) to show what is liveable and what isn't.
There are several of his videos on why N America developed the way it did -- the marketing by automobile manufacturers showing the "freedom" of driving and living in suburbs as desirable, zoning laws requiring adequate parking mostly in suburbs. The bit of Toronto that is shown is in fact an old neighbourhood -- they were called "streetcar suburbs" at the time they were built because they could be easily reached by public transport, which in Toronto at the time was streetcars and buses.
Never underestimate the power of lobbies -- both car makers (pushing SUVs on which their margins are much bigger than on normal cars) and oil companies.
For a bit of amusement:
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 1, 2023 8:20:44 GMT
I bet there are a lot of motorheads who wouldn't even understand the irony of that video. I thought the cameo by the guy from RM Transit was amusing. I watched his video about the new Montréal REM line just yesterday.
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Post by fumobici on Aug 2, 2023 13:52:18 GMT
It's a circular self-propelled problem which generates unfairness and other problems. One unfairness is in imposing a financial burden on people who cannot afford to keep a car, but must work & can only get to work by car, not to mention shopping, dr.'s appointsments, etc. The other is that "adequate parking" & certain other laws keep many people from going into business, as any venue which met all the stipulations is beyond their means. If I needed to, I could go across the street right now and purchase one onion, or a can of soup, or a bottle of dish detergent. If I don't like that shop or if it's out of what I need, I can go a block or two in a couple of directions to find a similar store. But if I were at my mother's house in a middle-sized town in Oklahoma, I'd have to walk several blocks to exit the subdivision, then hike along the highway and cross the kind of parking lot shown in the video to reach the nearest all-purpose store, which is a Walmart Supercenter. Once there, I'd have to limit what I bought to how much I could carry, as there are no taxis waiting in front of the supermarket as there are in front of every supermarket in Mexico. Many people reading this in the two northern parts of North America could probably recite a similar scenario. This. We in the US zone huge areas residential-only meaning you can't walk to go get groceries, or to a restaurant, or shopping, or to see a movie etc. I guess it made some semblance of sense in the 1950s or whenever they were written, but it makes none now. The crazy thing is that very. very important people still cling desperately to these untenable zoning policies, refusing to mix retail and residential as if it were biblically proscribed. I want a corner pub, local shops, and a restaurant, and retail in easy walking distance of any residential house in the city. Like in a real city.
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