On Wed, 24 Jan 1996, Ron Force wrote:
> I enjoyed the presentation, and was sorry I had to leave early.
> Several points in the presentation got me thinking again about the
> problems inherent in planning, and the differences in perception
> between professional planners and the general public.
>
> 1. He remarked on the esthetic problems of hilltop houses between
> here and Moscow Mt. I know people who have built such houses. They
> love having sweeping views from their property and would have
> bitterly fought the idea that they couldn't build there just because
> others don't like having their view of the Mts. despoiled.
>
> 2. He made the point that the costs of dispersed residential housing
> falls on others, and that one of the ways to control development
> other than zoning was through impact fees. Of course, the Idaho
> Legislature refuses to let counties other than Ada assess impact
> fees. Is there any prospect of changing this, given the general
> mind-set against "taxes"?
>
> 3. He pointed out the inefficiencies inherent in conventional housing
> developments: residential streets flowing into high-speed connectors,
> cul-de-sacs requiring inefficient traffic patterns, difficulty of
> serving by public transit, inability to walk to commercial centers,
> monotony, lack of mixed types and economic levels of housing, etc.
>
> Still, I wonder how many of these factors have been built into the
> public taste simply because of their ubiquity, to the point where
> the public expects to find them in developments. Houses on
> cul-de-sacs are actively sought after because of reduced traffic
> past the house. I doubt that having to jump into the car to buy a
> loaf of bread bothers many people--it's just a given fact of life.
> The row upon row of two car garages fronting houses are hard to avoid
> given that almost all modern house plans feature them and people look
> for the shortest path from garage to kitchen when assessing a house.
> Try to sell a house without an attached garage sometime.
> And, does anyone in suburbia seriously take into account the availablity
> of public transportation when buying a house?
>
> As for mixed housing, I think few people in Moscow would actively
> seek out a house next to an apartment building--they want separation
> from students. Does this turning inward, away from community stem
> from our built environment, or are our communities a reflection of our
> private attitudes? Does the desire for "five acres in the country"
> stem from a need to hold others at bay? Do we really want social
> interchange with the folks next door anymore?
>
>
> Ron Force rforce@belle.lib.uidaho.edu
> Dean of Library Services (208)885-6534
> University Of Idaho fax: (208) 885-6817
> Moscow, ID 83844-2371
>
> "Every man must die sooner or later, but good books must be conserved"
> Don Vincente
>