What People Get Wrong About Dense Urban Living
What People Get Wrong About Dense Urban Living on HackerTube: recommended by 4 Hacker News commenters across 7 separate months, 2022–2024.
Oh The Urbanity! argues that most city dwellers live in dense residential neighbourhoods outside downtown, which can be calm and peaceful. It draws on older, denser parts of Toronto and Montreal.
What HN commenters said
11 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
throw0101bApr 2024Recommends
> Everyone is different, but man... I'm the guy that likes to fire up the bbq and chat with neighbors in the backyard while the kids are who knows where (but safe) in the sprawl. I do this in "the city" right now (I BBQed some lamb on Sunday; my neighbour got a new motorcycle (Scrambler 1200XE) and I chatted with him about it). The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks, which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Here are some examples houses in an urban area with front yards, back yards, and garages (attached to lanes): * [link] * [link] A little less square footage: * [link] * [link] Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * [link] * [link] Suburban design is the worst of both worlds: lacking the density of the urban so infrastructure is inefficient and so is transportation, and basically bulldozing what makes more rural living nice (closeness to nature).
in “What the Suburb Haters Don't Understand” · View on HN
throw0101dJan 2024Recommends
> Why are we still trying to cram into small spaces? Define "small". Here are some examples houses in an urban area with front yards, back yards, and garages (attached to lanes): * [link] * [link] A little less square footage: * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks, which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * [link] * [link] Suburban design is the worst of both worlds: lacking the density of the urban so infrastructure is inefficient and so is transportation, and basically bulldozing what makes more rural living nice (closeness to nature).
in “U.S. cities opt to ditch their off-street parking minimums” · View on HN
throw0101aJul 2023Recommends
> Public. Transit. Non-car centric development. The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2: * [link] * [link] Examples (Streetview): * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “(IEEE Spectrum) Your navigation app is making traffic unmanageable” · View on HN
throw0101aJul 2023Recommends
> Convince people to live in smaller houses and share walls with their neighbors, and the parking situation would change dramatically. Completely unnecessary. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was build pre-WW2: * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * [link] * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “The force that shapes everything around us: Parking” · View on HN
throw0101bJun 2023Recommends
> Nonsense. The inner city being a concrete hellscape isn't being helped by nicer parts on the outskirts. Why would the inner city need to be a "concrete hellscape"? You can have decent density without 'concrete hellscapes'. The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided/misinformed) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2: * [link] * [link] Examples (Streetview): * [link] * [link] * [link]
in “Electric cars are better for the environment, no matter the power source” · View on HN
throw0101aJun 2023Recommends
Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was build pre-WW2 in ways that didn't depend on cars: * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (mistaken) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks , which is certainly not the case: * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “Human-Scale Dutch Suburbs [video]” · View on HN
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throw0101cApr 2023Recommends
> Humans shouldn't be living in shoeboxes stacked 40 floors high. You have a limited view of 'urban living'. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2, and there's no reason why it couldn't be again: * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview) of urban tree-lined streets which can support transit and where cycling is practical (and where a car is an option versus a necessity): * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “Maps show how parking lots “eat” U.S. cities” · View on HN
throw0101cApr 2023Recommends
> You live in an apartment and trade away personal space and still have to take a train to work where you get little personal space. You have a limited view of 'urban living'. Want a front yard, back yard, and garage (attached to a laneway)? Plenty of that was built pre-WW2, and there's no reason why it couldn't be again: * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview) of urban tree-lined streets which can support transit and where cycling is practical (and where a car is an option versus a necessity): * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “Maps show how parking lots “eat” U.S. cities” · View on HN
throw0101aJan 2023Recommends
> Isn't it possible that people who live in beautiful neighborhoods with mature trees, nice big yards, and low traffic streets that are safe for kids to play around Basically how things were built pre-WW2? * [link] * [link] The Oh the Urbanity channel has a video on the (misguided) idea that "urban living" = Manhattan / Hong Kong apartment blocks : * ▶ this video Examples (Streetview): * [link] * [link] * [link] See also: * [link] Fifteen minutes pedalling in one direction is downtown Amsterdam, fifteen minutes in the other is farm land.
in “CA Cities to Lose All Zoning Powers in 2 Days” · View on HN
throw0101aAug 2022Recommends
> Suburbs provides housing. […] regardless of the density. At what cost, especially relative to other options. Lower density may end up costing more over the long term: * [link] Urban living ≠ Manhattan: * ▶ this video
in “Why American cities are broke (2021) [video]” · View on HN
throw0101bNov 2023Cites it
> Suburbs, as a consequence of their low density, must have bad or nonexistent public transport […] Please note the silent car-centric in front of "suburb" here. Suburbs used to be different pre-WW2: * [link] * [link] More generally it is sprawl —when residential is not with-in walking distance of commercial—that is the problem. You want to have cars be optional and not mandatory. Also, "density" ≠ Manhattan/Hong Kong: * ▶ this video
in “In praise of America's car addiction” · View on HN