No one asked me… but if we all viewed the Str0ng T0wns ‘movement’ as having only limited applicability to urban contexts in red areas, we’d all be a lot better off.
@bikepedantic I think that's true of pretty much all "movements". They're all specific to a time and place, or kind of time and kind of place, and don't work everywhere. Which is OK, they don't need to.
(I'm reminded of this every time I see someone post on better urbanism and be immediately hit with "that'd never work in <X>" which... so? Just because circumstances are bad in one place doesn't mean they're bad everywhere. Don't get grumpy 'cause what I want in the Boston area won't work in LA)
@bikepedantic I'm not sure if I can parse what you are saying...
I gave up on strong towns years back when I realized the "suburb" they were using as an example of why sububrs are bankrupt was about an hour drive from the nearest population center of 100,000 people. They have some good ideas, but they mix it up with bad data.
@bikepedantic I don't see your reasoning, but haven't tried it. The basics of geometry and urbanism tend to rub against some notions of independence and car supremacy, but I see blue voters failing to grasp that anyway. Perhaps less stubbornly so than many red ones?
@bikepedantic their “every city has its own needs and solutions” mantra is dumb but politically necessary. “We’re not Shelbyville!” scream the Boomers.
@getalifemike @bikepedantic yeah there’s a dude on Baltimore nextdoor whose mantra is that he is a life long cyclist and it is his view that Baltimore is completely different from all other cities and that bike lanes here are not safer and do not encourage ridership because ~vibes~.
(SF)
@bikepedantic I think there's a lot to be said to focusing on an area you have specific experience on.
The broad problem is the same everywhere but I feel like I can speak a lot more to the specifics in the place I live. I would even hesitate to speak too confidently about specific problems and solutions in a very similar city to the one I live in. I'm even a bit cautious about different neighborhoods!
@bikepedantic And more small town than urban
@bikepedantic I tend to agree. Strong Towns has a lot of good ideas, but their motives are questionable. This leads to ideas that are easier to sell in Red states, but often don’t go far enough.
Strong Towns is a gateway to urbanism for many, but there is so much more beyond what they advocate.
@bikepedantic I’ve probably missed out on something here. Can you elaborate?
Here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan we are a “blue” city in a “red” province. A few of us are just starting to explore the potential of strong towns as a way to push for some changes in municipal decision making.