Austin: 2008 Urban Light Rail Proposal

[M1EK]

Austinite, that's an interesting way to frame it. And by 'interesting', I of course mean 'misleading'.

Nobody's forcing them to change their own property's development. Nobody's forcing their employer to change their own property's development. Nobody's forcing their favorite shopping or eating establishment to change, either.

What this shows is the incredible arrogance of NIMBYs - the fact that they think they 'own' everybody else's property and should thus be given a veto over any and all changes - even simply making development rules SLIGHTLY more permissive than they were previously, even when that still is only 1/100 of the change required to get back to the way things were pre-WWII (when we built the neighborhoods people love today).

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Austinite

Yes, that's it! Your neighbors who might disagree with you are simply ignorant! They don't have a tenable opinion of what should happen to their neighborhood; therefore, they are simply waiting for people like you and large, city-wide organizations to "truely educate" them about what urbanization really is (as opposed, of course, to what they in their pitiful ignorance merely thought it was).

I joined this forum because I like buildings and I love Austin. Those feelings are, I promise, compatible with being sympathetic with people who are wary of seeing the places in which they live, work, and raise their families change almost beyond recognition within a few years' time.

Honestly my neighbors around me actually agree with me, and some of them are Southwood NA members too.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by Austinite

Yes, that's it! Your neighbors who might disagree with you are simply ignorant! They don't have a tenable opinion* of what should happen to their neighborhood; therefore, they are simply waiting for people like you and large, city-wide organizations to "truely educate"** them about what urbanization really is (as opposed, of course, to what they in their pitiful ignorance merely thought it was***).

I joined this forum because I like buildings**** and I love Austin*****. Those feelings are, I promise, compatible with being sympathetic with people who are wary of seeing the places in which they live, work, and raise their families change almost beyond recognition within a few years' time******.

Translation:
*Unselfish opinion
**Disagree with them
***Which is why, like all the great urban cores of the country, Austin is a forest of tall buildings ...oh, wait.
****...to be built as wide and short as possible.
*****...so much that I want it to sprawl out as far as possible
******...because progress does not mean "tall buildings" or "major corporations", it means "sprawl and single family homes stretching into the hinterlands"

[Raining Inside]

I'm a NIMBY and tall buildings scare me! Or, they are a symbol of the rich and of corporate America and we all know (or should know) that they are both evil!

[cosmoguy]

I think the ignorant ones are the people who didn't/don't realize that by living in the suburbs, they are draining resources more so than those who've chosen to live in a more sustainable locale... just so they can live the "American Dream":an unnecessarily huge house on an equally excessive lot. News flash...that "American Dream" is as corporate America as it gets; special interest groups such as gas companies, car manufactures, etc. marketed this lifestyle to us and we bought the bs like a bunch of suckers.

[ATXboom]

^^^ Very well said.

Suburbia is the corporate hell. Check out the 6 largest home builder's revenues and margins... and how they buy our government parties out. Check out how much mass land developers make on sprawling subdivisions. Check out all of the chain stores in suburbia... Just disgusts me.

Highrise, mid rise and dense mix use neighborhood living go way back before the the auto... we need to go back to those times for human and earth sake. A highrise developer is not in the same financial ballpark as a home builder or suburban tract developer - not even close... and at least one is doing more for the planet and human culture.

[KevinFromTexas]

Since we were talking a bit about the parking issues at the Long Center in this thread, I thought I'd post this here. They've come up with a plan for some extra parking for the Long Center.

http://media.myfoxaustin.com/KTBCMIS...arkingPlan.htm

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Translation:
*Unselfish opinion
**Disagree with them
***Which is why, like all the great urban cores of the country, Austin is a forest of tall buildings ...oh, wait.
****...to be built as wide and short as possible.
*****...so much that I want it to sprawl out as far as possible
******...because progress does not mean "tall buildings" or "major corporations", it means "sprawl and single family homes stretching into the hinterlands"

That. Was. Funny.

So, I work in Right of Way (meaning that I take land for public use) and around my office there is a term that gets thrown around that is even more vilified than NIMBY.

BANANA.

Build
Absolutely
Nothing
Anywhere
Near
Anything