Quote:
Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller
I think what makes this not just an issue of walkability and transit access is, as you say, the "out of place" location. It's very low density for its proximity to the city's core. Other than detached single family homes, I can't imagine anything lower density for this area than returning the Northern Liberties to grazing livestock. At least the cows could walk to the bus!
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My sentiments exactly.
It is absurd and ironic, for example, that at the Hawthorne low income housing (not bad looking row house replicas), a block from the Broad Street line and 50 bus lines, half of each block is wasted with a freeway-width "back alley" for parking and lawns. Meanwhile, 100 yards away, new (and existing) market rate housing selling for $500K+ is packed together with no lawns or vast rear parking right of ways.
This striking juxtaposition highlights the stupidity the PHA planners: blatantly waste a valuable and precious resource (i.e, land in close proximity the CBD) for parking and BBQ grills, while people making a few hundred thousand a year are willing to fork over $600K for a house with no parking and a 14'x5' enclosed concrete yard a half a block away.
At the same time we frequently hear the somewhat valid claim that not enough resources are allocated to low income housing . . . as if the housing agency is not wasting its most valuable resource for parking and BBQs that even the richest folks nearby can't afford with their beautiful, new (but land use efficient) townhouses.
When the advent of the 21st century eventually dawns on the brilliant minds at work at PHA sometime in the next couple decades, one of them will look up brightly and say:
"Hey, wow, cool IDEA: we can sell our valuable land near the CBD for a mint and use all that money to build lots more housing for many more needy people lacking adequate housing somewhere else in the city where the land is less valuable! WoW!"
Then, a colleague will say: "Um, so are
you going to ask our existing impoverished tenants to sacrifice their three car parking driveways and BBQ party lawns just so we can build more and more cost efficient low income housing options elsewhere for everyone else who needs a hand?"
". . . oh, yeah. Um, I guess not".