Urban planning focuses too much on moving people and ritually hating cars and not enough on moving goods breakbulk. If you had to design a major metro today from scratch, you’d probably start with a cargo underground with pallet-sized autonomous EVs and loading bays as base layer
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This tweet inspired by the utter pain of shedding unwanted large items (area rug, extra table, futon, kitchen crap) in preparation for a downsizing move from downtown Seattle to downtown LA. Mix of craigslist, eBay, yard sale, drop-off at goodwill... from about 1000 to 660 sq ft
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Suburbs are okay for trucks etc at least. Moving to/from downtown but old buildings without proper truck parking/unloading bays... horrible. Normal adults have stuff, not all amenable to being hand-carried and walked in highly “walkable” neighborhoods.
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I have a feeling high-walkability is partly a NIMBY dogwhistle against transience, mobility, renting. I’ve moved 20 times across 7 cities in the last 20 years. You feel pain of anti-cargo urban design most when moving, not when going shopping or getting a single big box delivered
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And note, I’m not a fan of cars personally. I barely drive anymore and would prefer to be carless (wife does almost all the driving). I walk everywhere. But I recognize that cars and light trucks are essential to urban life absent alternatives. Because people own larger goods.
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Replying to @vgr
Couldn't agree more; I too hate driving but it's just a reality. Even places like Whole Foods, you might walk to the store, but the goods are all delivered to the store by truck.
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And if you’re buying a lot hard to walk back with a dozen bags.
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Replying to @vgr @h_thoreson
bah, I used to wheel my granny cart from the grocery store every week. Even my xmas tree got home that way.
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