In a city with so little parking...

[Valerie Molinski]

It will be rammed down our throats by those that slaughter our city.

The most vibrant cities cater to all aspects of intermodal transportation and make room for them, providing the tools for them to take root and thrive. Not many ride on Madison right now because it will eat a car with no problem... can you imagine riding a bike on it until it is resurfaced? If you build it, they will come.

If one reads and understand Jones's "The Slaughter of Cities" or Jacob's "Life and Death of the American City," this might make more sense. Jones discusses urban renewal as a way of segregating and white washing areas and driving minorities to the exurbs. In Cleveland and the inner ring suburbs, there is a huge population of younger people and lower income people in Cleveland who cannot afford a car. They rely heavily on bicycle or bus transport. So this is not just about the rich guy riding to his law office downtown.

Providing both of bicycling and public transportation modality is actually in direct conflict with moves that would 'slaughter or destroy the city' itself. These types of plans to allow for bike or bus travel actually can help to egalitize the ability to live and be comfortable in a city. They can help to provide safe places for people of all socio economic and ethnic groups to thrive as places like Lakewood did in the past.

Jacob's premise is that places are made and cities thrive because of 100 walkable or equally accessible destinations. Catering to big box, big parking and big car creates nothingness. Cities are made better through smaller community connections.

[Jim O'Bryan]

It will be rammed down our throats by those that slaughter our city.

If one reads and understand Jones's "The Slaughter of Cities" or Jacob's "Life and Death of the American City," this might make more sense. Jones discusses urban renewal as a way of segregating and white washing areas and driving minorities to the exurbs. In Cleveland and the inner ring suburbs, there is a huge population of younger people and lower income people in Cleveland who cannot afford a car. They rely heavily on bicycle or bus transport. So this is not just about the rich guy riding to his law office downtown.

Valerie

I am sure we both chose to take what we want out of "Slaughter of Cities" and Jane Jacobs "Life and Death of American Cities." It has been awhile and I am sure I should go
back and read both. I remember disagreeing with Jane and many subjects including
regionalism. I am sure one can easily argue what of Jane's work is even relevant today,
except for making fine points. In either side of a discussion.

However "Slaughter of Cities" seems to be to dig into the not just the social but the
psychological side of development and killing cities for redevelopment. Which falls back
to the great question, "gentrification, good or bad?" Right now I see Lakewood desperately
trying to explain the deadend we strayed onto in the thought process that "Commercial
Economic Development Is Our Only Hope..." Which permeated this city for decades, well
at least as long as people inherited or bought homes they cannot afford. "How can we keep
our taxes down?" is the call I hear most often.

We make travel on Detroit and Madison more difficult, and the small shops die off allowing
for newer and "better" development. Much like the Euclid Corridor, another failure. There
is no rhyme or reason, we know this. Someone quoted Patty Ryan as saying the traffic
pattern was created to slow down cars to window shop the stores. This is laughable as if
that was the case why the hell wouldn't some one at City Hall had said it, instead of, we
can fix the traffic, really. "It will be as smooth as before I promise." Mike Summers.

City Hall has become somewhat like the Keystone Kops, but more childlike with zero
critical thought. I spoke with Councilman Bullock, and he assured me this would make
more ride their bikes! Here we are letting rank amateurs on council play social engineers
with Lakewood as their Sim City. WTF!!! Where's the future!!!! This City used to set
agendas that city followed, like mentally bankrupt city hall follows fads generally about
4 years behind them failing or failing to have any impact elsewhere.

Valerie, This City Hall is out of control, dug in, and dead wrong.

FWIW


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