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Friday, April 29, 2005
take a stand!
v.unproductive day. the quark screen is killing my eyes-"MY EYES, MY EYES!!"-plus pizza lunch day and a Tuxedo cake from Longo's makes for a very stuffed and sleepy naomi.
2 things:
i) why does everyone slag on markham? sure it's the epitome of urban sprawl and the home to a disgusting number of chinese plazas and tim horton's, but there are nice things about the 'Ham (that's not for real, i just made that up). we have lots of park space, really good schools and libraries, well-kept public facilities, v.diverse communities, scenic streets, excellent places for chinese food, and pockets of pretty good shopping. it's not just a place where spoiled and frumpy weirdos congregate!!
ii) Liz and I have decided to form (if necessary) the Coalition Against Flying Cars*. Think about it people, if we allow these machines to be built, the sky will be jammed full of these aberrations, and we will be deprived of sky! you know that feeling of release when you breathe in that first breath of spring air, and look up to meet a beautiful blue sky. now imagine doing that but instead seeing the back of a tailpipe spewing exhaust back at you. how horrible would that be? stunted sightlines! fuel dripping down on our persons, victims of flying car droppings. and liz will tell you, it's no fun being crapped on by flying objects! HECK NO MAN!! say No to flying cars!
*we do not discriminate against planes. or flying carpets.
v.unproductive day. the quark screen is killing my eyes-"MY EYES, MY EYES!!"-plus pizza lunch day and a Tuxedo cake from Longo's makes for a very stuffed and sleepy naomi.
2 things:
i) why does everyone slag on markham? sure it's the epitome of urban sprawl and the home to a disgusting number of chinese plazas and tim horton's, but there are nice things about the 'Ham (that's not for real, i just made that up). we have lots of park space, really good schools and libraries, well-kept public facilities, v.diverse communities, scenic streets, excellent places for chinese food, and pockets of pretty good shopping. it's not just a place where spoiled and frumpy weirdos congregate!!
ii) Liz and I have decided to form (if necessary) the Coalition Against Flying Cars*. Think about it people, if we allow these machines to be built, the sky will be jammed full of these aberrations, and we will be deprived of sky! you know that feeling of release when you breathe in that first breath of spring air, and look up to meet a beautiful blue sky. now imagine doing that but instead seeing the back of a tailpipe spewing exhaust back at you. how horrible would that be? stunted sightlines! fuel dripping down on our persons, victims of flying car droppings. and liz will tell you, it's no fun being crapped on by flying objects! HECK NO MAN!! say No to flying cars!
*we do not discriminate against planes. or flying carpets.
// posted by naomi @ 4:39 p.m. 
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I miss markham!
well at least the Green Grass and Parks.....
Don't worry Markham is a great place to live compared to Japan!!
No earthquakes, multiculturalism, less pollution, Chinese Malls that serve real Chinese food, Rural and Urban, hey need I say more?
well at least the Green Grass and Parks.....
Don't worry Markham is a great place to live compared to Japan!!
No earthquakes, multiculturalism, less pollution, Chinese Malls that serve real Chinese food, Rural and Urban, hey need I say more?
earthquakes are so. freaky.
the chinese food is definitely worth it... the japanese version of chinese food is horrible!
the chinese food is definitely worth it... the japanese version of chinese food is horrible!
Wow I whole-heartedly endorse the mandate of the Coalition against flying cars.
In urban planning they talk about Brown Field and Green Field development. Green Field development involves building housing and other zoning on top of previously undeveloped land. Brown Field development involves going into underused or vacant urban properties that have already been developed in a previous cycle. Brown field development is beneficial because it eliminates poor ugly abandoned properties and increases urban density. However, it is also MUCH more expensive. For this reason commercial developers prefer green field development, it is in fact so much more profitable that municipalities can charge exorbitant taxes on this kind of development (which are necessary to lay all the new piping and electric wires etc...) without the developers really minding.
This constant expansion outwards is where all the money comes from for the park and libraries in Markham. Unfortunately this money is a one time only thing and completely unsustainable. This pattern of taxing new development instead of charging property tax sufficient to maintain the municipal infrastructure (combined with a flight from the 'inner-city' which is perceived as dangerous) is what has led again and again to great American cities hollowing themselves into low-density rich wheels surrounding crumbling downtown cores.
Hey! I learned something in my urban studies class. That post feels totally pedantic and snooty though. Sorry.
In urban planning they talk about Brown Field and Green Field development. Green Field development involves building housing and other zoning on top of previously undeveloped land. Brown Field development involves going into underused or vacant urban properties that have already been developed in a previous cycle. Brown field development is beneficial because it eliminates poor ugly abandoned properties and increases urban density. However, it is also MUCH more expensive. For this reason commercial developers prefer green field development, it is in fact so much more profitable that municipalities can charge exorbitant taxes on this kind of development (which are necessary to lay all the new piping and electric wires etc...) without the developers really minding.
This constant expansion outwards is where all the money comes from for the park and libraries in Markham. Unfortunately this money is a one time only thing and completely unsustainable. This pattern of taxing new development instead of charging property tax sufficient to maintain the municipal infrastructure (combined with a flight from the 'inner-city' which is perceived as dangerous) is what has led again and again to great American cities hollowing themselves into low-density rich wheels surrounding crumbling downtown cores.
Hey! I learned something in my urban studies class. That post feels totally pedantic and snooty though. Sorry.
no worries! it's always good to come across some knowledge =)
does brown field development involve only commercial projects? wouldn't it be profitable if run-down urban spaces were turned into natural spaces? it could definitely reduce environmental stressors that have a direct impact on behaviour...which could maybe translate to better schools, greater community cohesiveness...increased property values... ? restorative properties of naturrrreee!!
ps: eiko's oldest son is in toronto studying english for a few months, forgot to mention it
does brown field development involve only commercial projects? wouldn't it be profitable if run-down urban spaces were turned into natural spaces? it could definitely reduce environmental stressors that have a direct impact on behaviour...which could maybe translate to better schools, greater community cohesiveness...increased property values... ? restorative properties of naturrrreee!!
ps: eiko's oldest son is in toronto studying english for a few months, forgot to mention it
well you could redevelop brownfield properties into parks and it would be awesome, but not really profitable for anyone, and the city couldn't afford to do it.
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