Why City Design is Important (and why I hate Houston)

Not Just Bikes

19 Jul 202117:02

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, the creator shares their journey from growing up in a car-dependent city, humorously dubbed 'Fake London', to becoming passionate about urban planning and walkable cities. After experiencing life car-free in downtown Toronto, enduring the dot-com crash, and traveling extensively for work to cities around the world, the creator's eyes were opened to the diverse ways cities can be designed. A pivotal moment came during a perilous walk in Houston, leading to a deep dive into the principles of walkability and urban planning. The video critiques car-centric urban sprawl in North America, advocating for human-centered city design, and concludes with the creator's move to the Netherlands, celebrated for its livable cities.

Takeaways

😡 The speaker grew up in a car-dependent city called "Fake London" and wanted to get out as soon as possible
🛣️ During his travels for work, he realized there was a whole world of diverse, interesting cities that weren't all car-centric sprawl
🚶 His terrible experience trying to walk 800 meters in suburban Houston opened his eyes to car dependency and walkability
😲 He learned that cities like Houston and London weren't always so car-centric - they were bulldozed and designed that way on purpose
💸 Car dependency burdens everyone by forcing them to own a car just to work and feed themselves
🚲 The Netherlands shows it's possible to design good infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists everywhere, not just downtowns
🚧 Despite some improvements, Houston still prioritizes cars over people in its budget and infrastructure projects
🤬 The speaker has no desire to return to any U.S. cities after his experiences traveling and living abroad
😊 His terrible walk in Houston ultimately led him to create his popular YouTube channel
👍 He credits his Patreon supporters for allowing him to relive the bad old days of car dependency

Q & A

What made the author realize there was a whole world of interesting cities out there that weren't all car-centric sprawl?
-When the author got a job that required travel, he was sent to places like the U.K., Germany, Taiwan, and Japan. Seeing the drastically different ways people lived in cities around the world, often with great public transportation, opened his eyes to the possibility of non car-dependent cities.
How does the author justify his claim that places like Houston and London were not originally designed for cars but were later bulldozed to accommodate them?
-The author shows historical photos of cities like Houston and London with compact, walkable downtowns and neighborhoods. He argues these places were livable urban environments before being demolished to widen roads and make way for parking lots and other car infrastructure.
Why does the author become so interested in walkability and urban planning after his frustrating experience trying to walk 800 meters to a store in Houston?
-Nearly getting hit by cars multiple times trying to traverse a stroad with no sidewalks was eye-opening for the author. He realized terrible pedestrian infrastructure forces car dependency, and wanted to learn about how cities could be designed to prioritize people over cars.
What does the author mean when he says the truth about a city's aspirations isn't found in its vision, but in its budget?
-Even though Houston claims it wants to improve walkability, the city is spending billions on highway expansions and slip lanes while investing relatively little in pedestrian and cycling safety. The budget shows the real priorities.
Why does the author think North Americans drive everywhere and assume Europeans walk more because they are lazy?
-The author argues North Americans would walk and bike more if infrastructure made it feel safe and comfortable. Unlike European cities designed for pedestrians and cyclists, car-centric North American places necessitate driving for short trips.
What does the author mean when he says Houston has all the worst parts of a zoning ordinance even though it technically doesn't have zoning?
-Houston uses other land use controls like minimum parking requirements and single family home deed restrictions that have the same effect as traditional zoning in limiting density and walkable development.
How does the author explain induced demand in reference to the expansion of the Katy Freeway?
-Widening the Katy Freeway to over 20 lanes for $2.2 billion actually increased commute times by 30% due to induced demand. The author argues this money could have been better spent on transit to truly reduce congestion.
Why does the author claim that North Americans make excuses about why nobody walks or cycles instead of acknowledging the real reason?
-The author believes the ultimate reason North Americans don't walk and bike more is that built environments are unsafe and uncomfortable for anyone not in a car. Other excuses ignore the impact of poor design.
What does the author mean when he says addiction to car dependency prevents people from understanding car-free places can provide a better lifestyle?
-People used to car-centric cities see restrictions on driving as infringing freedom. But well-designed dense cities make driving unnecessary and the author believes public transit and walkability provide superior mobility.
How did growing up in car-infested Fake London shape the author's hostile views towards car-dependent places?
-The author feels car-centric design unnecessarily burdens people with high transport costs, making life harder for those struggling economically. This seemed unjust and avoidable after living in walkable cities.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 From Car-Dependent to Urban Planning Enthusiast

The speaker shares their journey from growing up in a car-dependent city, referred to as 'Fake London', to becoming interested in urban planning and walkable cities. Despite not being an urban planner by training, their extensive travel experiences, including living in various cities across Ontario and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as driving across the United States and Canada, exposed them to the uniformity and car-centric design of North American cities. Ultimately, settling in downtown Toronto allowed them to live car-free and save money, particularly during a financially challenging period post the dot-com crash. These experiences highlighted the burdens of car-dependency and sparked a passion for designing cities that prioritize walkability and public transportation over car-centric infrastructure.

05:02

🚶‍♂️ A Harrowing Walk in Houston: A Catalyst for Change

This narrative centers on a perilous journey on foot to a luggage shop in Houston, illustrating the dangers and discomforts pedestrians face in car-dependent areas. The speaker's experience on a street with no sidewalks, navigating through parking lots, and balancing on curbs next to fast-moving traffic, underscores the lack of consideration for non-car commuters. The ordeal ends with a resolve to live in a city that values pedestrian infrastructure, and sparks an intense interest in urban planning. This turning point leads to a deeper exploration of how cities are designed, the impact of car-dependency on walkability, and the realization that many North American cities' current state is a result of choices that prioritize cars over people.

10:03

🚴‍♀️ Advocating for Human-Centric City Design

The speaker discusses the integration of transportation and housing costs in assessing affordability, emphasizing the need for accessible and safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure outside of city centers. By comparing North American cities to examples from the Netherlands, they critique the excuses made for the lack of walkability and cycling paths in the US and Canada. The narrative highlights how design choices significantly impact the daily lives of residents, particularly those in lower-income brackets. This section advocates for a shift towards designing cities for humans rather than vehicles, drawing on positive changes in some areas and the potential for transformative urban planning practices.

15:03

🏙️ Reflecting on Urban Sprawl and Aspiring for Sustainable Cities

The final segment delves into the financial and environmental sustainability of car-dependent urban design, critiquing Houston's investments in car infrastructure over pedestrian-friendly improvements. Despite some progress, the speaker views the city's efforts as insufficient in addressing the root issues of urban sprawl and car-dependency. They share how their experiences in various US cities shaped their family's decision to move to the Netherlands, highlighting the stark differences in urban planning and quality of life. The speaker concludes by thanking their Patreon supporters and reflecting on the role their experiences played in creating their YouTube channel dedicated to discussing urban planning and walkability.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡car-dependency

Car-dependency refers to cities or places that are designed primarily for car travel, making it very difficult or unsafe for people to walk, bike, or take public transit. The video discusses various negative impacts of car-dependency, like the lack of sidewalks in Houston which forced the narrator to dangerously walk in the road. Car-dependency is a major theme, as the video advocates for better urban planning that enables walkable cities.

💡walkability

Walkability refers to how friendly an area is for walking. Good walkability means having things like sidewalks, shade trees, benches, visually interesting facades, and safety features. The video critiques the poor walkability of many North American cities compared to European ones, using anecdotes of frustrating walking experiences in places like Houston.

💡urban sprawl

Urban sprawl refers to the unplanned, uncontrolled spread of urban development into previously rural areas. Sprawling cities like Houston are critiqued for consuming excessive land area and resources to accommodate car travel vs. more compact, walkable development.

💡highway expansion

The video discusses several instances of highways being expanded in Houston at enormous taxpayer expense, like the Katy Freeway widening project. This is used as an example of misplaced priorities that encourage more driving instead of developing walking, biking and transit infrastructure.

💡mixed-use development

Mixed-use development refers to buildings that blend residential, commercial, and other functions in close proximity. The video advocates for mixed-use zoning policies that create more walkable neighborhoods vs. strict single-use zoning that necessitates automobile trips.

💡induced demand

Induced demand refers to the phenomenon where expanding roads or highways fails to improve traffic congestion because it encourages more driving that fills the new capacity. Houston's Katy Freeway expansion is cited as an example of wasted money due to induced demand.

💡public transit

Public transit like buses and trains is promoted as an alternative to private car trips that reduces traffic and benefits walkability. Houston is praised for its overhaul of the bus system, while also being critiqued for spending billions on cars instead of transit.

💡bicycle infrastructure

Bicycle infrastructure like protected lanes allows cycling to become a viable transportation option. The video shows Dutch examples of good bike infrastructure catering to utilitarian trips vs. the poor cycling conditions in most North American cities.

💡zoning regulations

Zoning regulates land use like separating residential from industrial areas. Houston technically lacks zoning but has other rules amounting to de facto zoning. More flexible zoning is advocated to allow mixed-use development.

💡parking requirements

Minimum parking requirements force developments to provide abundant free parking, encouraging driving. Houston is praised for eliminating these in some areas to allow denser, more walkable growth vs. seas of parking lots.

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Transcripts

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Why City Design is Important (and why I hate Houston)

Takeaways

Q & A

What made the author realize there was a whole world of interesting cities out there that weren't all car-centric sprawl?

How does the author justify his claim that places like Houston and London were not originally designed for cars but were later bulldozed to accommodate them?

Why does the author become so interested in walkability and urban planning after his frustrating experience trying to walk 800 meters to a store in Houston?

What does the author mean when he says the truth about a city's aspirations isn't found in its vision, but in its budget?

Why does the author think North Americans drive everywhere and assume Europeans walk more because they are lazy?

What does the author mean when he says Houston has all the worst parts of a zoning ordinance even though it technically doesn't have zoning?

How does the author explain induced demand in reference to the expansion of the Katy Freeway?

Why does the author claim that North Americans make excuses about why nobody walks or cycles instead of acknowledging the real reason?

What does the author mean when he says addiction to car dependency prevents people from understanding car-free places can provide a better lifestyle?

How did growing up in car-infested Fake London shape the author's hostile views towards car-dependent places?