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Old Posted Aug 29, 2019, 5:11 AM
plutonicpanda plutonicpanda is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 623
Not every community should be obligated to build concrete jungles. Why aren't seeing proposals left and right, ten fold over what we're seeing now in LA and don't blame it on R-1. There is plenty of lots and zoned land that could replace what currently exists. Environmental and union laws don't add to construction costs?

California has de fact declared war on suburbs and freeways with the former Caltrans Director on record saying the next long term plan will include little to no new GP lanes. So what confidence does that give developers and buyers alike for suburban style living which if expanded no doubt would ease the housing crunch to an extent. We could expand the suburbs like Dallas for the next 50 years in the high and low deserts and still would't come close to developing half of it. Not to mention the land that exists in the Central Valley.

Then there is the issue with NIMBY's which urbanists here seemed to follow the mantra of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" when discussing the 710 tunnel but yet now that is buried and dead they are onto protesting the next building over 5 stories.

Want to fix housing? Turn Santa Monica skyline into Miami by extending 3 new subway lines and 2 new freeways extending the 2 and 90 freeways via tunnels to support the people. Extend I-10 to Oxnard similar to the new Hong Kong bridge and turn Ventura and Onxard into a Los Angeles skyline. Remove much of the R-1 zoning between Hollywood-Beverly Center area-DTLA and creating a Manhattan skyline. Build a massive HSR network alongside new freeways. Undertake one of the largest freeway widening initiatives ever for freeways connecting to the high and low deserts to facilitate growth. Allow the sub-urbanization of these deserts and around the Salton Sea turning it into the resort it was proposed as. The low deserts could support healthy skylines and millions of people. The high desert several more million. This would primarily be consisted of single family homes. HDC corridor built and I-40 extended to Bakersfield. Add 6-8 elevated express lanes on all freeways. This coupled with subway and HSR extensions would eliminate any congestion even at rush hour for decades to come. Also build the SR-2 tunnel to Palmdale.

Add about 30 high-rises in Burbank, 50 in Van Nuys, 30 around Warner Center, 30 in Pasadena, and 50 in Glendale. Most of those being residential. Sounds like a lot? If the demand is there and CA is pro-business/development, then it should be no issue. Most of these need to be affordable and not luxury only. Instead of forcing developers to make them affordable which hinders development, find new ways of making construction cheaper through innovation.

How to pay for it? California already has the highest taxes in the US. Stop giving welfare to everyone and their dog and spend on our infrastructure that would create jobs, expand the city, allow new businesses to open, and give those that need welfare opportunities to be a part of these new businesses. The housing construction would come with the free market if California would remove labor union control and restrictions letting it work!

Now anyone thinking I'm crazy should ask themselves first if this plan would help with the housing crunch? If you don't think so explain why. We need to think bold. My plan is more complex but I don't feel like writing a novel. I get with many on here my freeways plan doesn't sit well and that's fine. Also my plan isn't perfect but any other plan just seems to try and rethink the same old with small changes but it clearly isn't working. The new housing being built is always luxury with the government having to force lower prices. Same with rent control. Simply put, the liberal California experiment isn't working. Look at the statistics. The state is going downhill. This isn't doom and gloom, but it isn't looking good.

We need better plans than advocating for subways that should have been built 30 years ago, or makeshift solutions like rent control and affordable housing sponsored by the government.
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