The "Circus Tent" of Beijing
Dense cities, argues Daniel Garst, are shaped like a pyramid, with the most density in the middle and sloping sides. Beijing, on the other hand, has developed more like a circus tent, with density at the sides but single-story homes in the middle.
While the low-level homes are packed tightly together, says Garst, they'll never reach the density of tall apartment buildings. The result is a sprawling metropolis, and Beijing residents spend a lot of time commuting.
Garst's solution? Get out of town:
"One solution is to channel growth to Beijing's satellite cities. This is, in fact, already starting to happen because many of those who are able to, voting with their feet and choosing to live in places like Shunyi for better air and easier access to outdoor recreational activities."
Full Story:
Published on Monday, September 27, 2010 in
- Every Parking Lot, Visualized
- Millennials Prefer Revitalized Historic Areas, Not Malls
- How Planners Can Liberate the Next Amazon
- Coffee With Your Gentrification?
- An Interactive Map of the World's Climate in 2100
- A New Video to Explain the High Cost of Free Parking
- Trump Administration Suddenly Drops Fair Housing Concerns in Westchester, New York
- Friday Funny: Infrastructure Woes Cause National Case of Insomnia
- Lawrence Halprin and the Public Realm: Can the United Nations Plaza Unite San Franciscans?
- Like City, Like Stadium
- No More Parking Minimums in Mexico City
- Philadelphia to Consider Bus System Redesign
- In a Perfect World, Maintenance Is the Coolest Trend in Infrastructure
- A Boring Lesson for Planners
- Bikes That Talk in a World of Self-Driving Cars
- Congress Confirms a Controversial Number Two at the Department of the Interior
- Traffic Concerns Sink Light-Rail-Adjacent Development in San Jose
- Op-Ed: To Lower Housing Costs, Make it Cheaper and Easier to Build Housing
- Gov. Jerry Brown's High-Speed Gamble
- Texas Bill Would Immunize Property Rights From Zoning Code Changes
