Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Good Urban Design Isn’t a Matter of “Us” vs. “Them”

11:09 AM EST on November 18, 2013

Good urban design is better for everyone. Image: ##http://www.streets.mn/2013/11/15/why-suburbanites-should-support-good-urban-design/## Streets.mn##
Minneapolis on the left, Paris on the right. Good urban design makes places work better for everyone. Photos: Streets.mn
false

It can be frustrating to see planning and transportation reforms debated not on their merits, but through the lens of one group that feels its interests are threatened. Discussion of policies ranging from regional land use planning to local zoning laws often devolves into an "us" vs. "them" debate.

Alex Cecchini at Streets.mn makes a good point today about one of the classic divides: city vs. suburb. An efficient, productive city, he writes, benefits suburban residents as well:

Why should people from all areas of our metro, using all forms of transportation, support good urbanism!?

How will unshackling urban design and transportation options benefit single-family home owning suburbanites? For one, all that saved time and money benefits local economies. More people living closer to goods and services, spending less on gas, cars, mortgage payments, etc (most of which leaves our metro area through national or international corporations) can spend more of their hard-earned cash on local businesses. That’s good for everyone in our metro.

Even if you never step foot in a bus or ride a bike for daily transportation, even if you never live in an apartment downtown Minneapolis or a row house in Kingfield, allowing other people to do these things helps us all out. Every person riding his/her bike from North Minneapolis to downtown represents a car not on a local street. Every person choosing to drive shorter distances is a person not living on the fringe of the metro driving all the way in on interstates.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Cyclelicious takes a close look at the trends in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in California. At Urban Cincy, a longtime local political activist offers advice to supporters of the city's embattled streetcar plan. And Strong Towns explains how bad street design persists in a Mississippi town, despite the wishes of the town's leaders.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Tuesday’s Headlines: Restorative (Traffic) Justice Edition

Two stories highlighted a restorative justice program that allows traffic crash victims and perpetrators the chance to meet face-to-face. Plus more news.

November 28, 2023

Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud

The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.

November 28, 2023

Fed Panel Wants to Confront the Role of Aggressive Auto Advertising in U.S. Road Deaths

A horrific car crash has federal safety officials calling for systematic responses to traffic violence — including the aggressive car ads that may inspire motorists to hit the gas.

November 28, 2023

A ‘Giving Tuesday’ Streetsblog Primer

Before we ask for your donation, let us prove to you that we're worthy of it!

November 28, 2023

As Greyhound Stations Go Extinct, Low-Income Thanksgiving Travelers are Left Out in the Cold

America's largest motor coach carrier is shifting away from stations — and a lot of customers aren't happy.

November 27, 2023
See all posts