SMART URBAN DESIGN – SUBURBIA OR DOWNTOWN?

The September 11th 2001 happening to our number one city New York is a good cause to re-assess the centripetal or centrifugal forces underscoring the correct approach to the future urban design of our cities.

One may draw a conclusion that populations found in highly dense centralized concentrations are a perilous scenario. More than New York City's financial location of the symbolic World Trade Towers, centralized institutions such as the Soviet Union, or Japan’s centrally planned economy have both cracked. Large US Corporations such as AT&T, Polaroid and Digital Equipment have proven unable to adapt to change and have fallen by the wayside.

New destinations call for new and creative planning strategies. New maps must be made for these new places. New “where’s” must be found to locate city living settlement opportunities. Only fresh new ideas will lead to lasting settlement results.

One must get over the hurdle of a deeply rooted idea that people and jobs are the only key element to what Joel Kotkin attempts to define a city as “a living breathing organism whose various parts function together with reasonable efficiency,” but rather look for an new urban enterprise that should form the mental and transportation connections that should give rise to new and hopefully better urban forms.

Centripetal forces tend toward the center, progressing by changes from the exterior of an environment (object) to its center. Centrifugal forces tend to recede from the center to the exterior and fly off a circle or oval. Centripetal and centrifugal forces in nature tend to act as a counterpoise. What we haven’t learned to clearly understand in our urban city building is what these forces are and where they might come into balance with nature.

Centripetal urban forces may be construed to be people migrations moving towards center to find jobs, thus the formation of downtowns. Then centrifugal urban forces may be construed to be people migrations away from downtowns, thus the formation of suburbs.

To more clearly understand these two forces shouldn’t one look to what mental communications form these attitudes to cause people to migrate? This century our electronic communications include the Internet over and above radio and TV. This is the new organizational tool, which powerfully influences people and their choices of “where” to live. It diminishes all the old tactics of handout incentives and tax breaks of the past.

The historic ebb and flow of people between suburbia and city has not been in balance during the last century. What should never disappear is the need for people to cluster in order to take advantage of a new industry formation. It’s the short-term rush that draws a migration. Whether by word of mouth or via instant email communications of a possible “dream pot of gold” such rumors cause instant movement toward a geographic place. The penchant for creating storylines for this promised quality of life is accomplished through luring talented and highly motivated minorities. If the rumors and risks are realized it is the perseverence of people who create a thriving place for immigrant business survival.

It is the use of these new telecommunication technologies tomorrow, which should hasten changes in all cities from our great old cities to low profile cities such as Tulsa, Kansas City and Hartford. Yes and even Bakersfield should be included in this grouping. Lower rents, lower housing costs, lower land costs for campus style settlements and lower power costs are the most important local requirements for success.

One should never forget that both academic mind skills and hand skills are as important as cultural and natural environmental amenities. Enhancing friendly local financing and banking with ability to send products to local and international market via rail, air and road closes the circle to provide some balance. The private–public atmosphere must function with face-to-face contact to instigate and initiate deal making and creative collaboration from citizens to corporate leaders. If these activities can be accommodated the accomplishments should reveal new decades of creative people, the young, singles, childless couples, lovers of the arts, immigrants and skilled craftsman working together from near and far a field.

Communications are only part of the story for urban growth and change. The most important element we have forgotten in the equation of the two centripetal and centrifugal forces is the mobility needs of people. Again the centripetal force may be likened as how to shorten the distance to satisfy the need of face-to-face contact. This is contrasted against the centrifugal force, which may now be likened to telecommuting over worldwide distances for people to contribute their intelligence toward their business or industry of choice via satellite.

Collapsing distance for people and products needs a new advanced transportation system. These demands are not being satisfied by our current congested air, rail, shipping and road transportation systems. We do however have hope to make advances only if we place real challenges in front of the right people of vision who should advance transportation in the context of a private public partnership.

The characteristics, which should reveal communication in concert with transportation, should become the cities of the future. It is these places, which should reflect a substantive sense of place, excitement, willpower and commitment for a beautiful humane environment in balance with nature.

BY Graham Kaye-Eddie – Master Urban Designer.

Makabusi Inc. – Bakersfield – California

Email – makabusi@pacbell.net

NYC commuters offered electric car lottery

The New York Power Authority is offering $199 monthly leases on electric cars to 100 New York commuters. Oct 26 -- Reuters.

Please look at my 10/2801 pictures of a few new electronic vehicles now available. It will be a huge Bakersfield attitude change to use these vehicles to clean the air - or will it?

ST LOUIS GOES FOR TWO

A new proposed 49,000-seat Cardinals baseball stadium would give downtown St. Louis a huge mixed-use redevelopment project.

This is something to consider with our next Downtown Urban Renewal request for proposal. It does need an approved Bakersfield Downtown General Plan.

Architects can't seem to design affordable housing

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Do the Golden Empire Architects need another challenge? Let's get the Construction Industry involved!

Trend toward telecommuting continues

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Keeping Track: relocation resistance

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Airlines try to get their bearings

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San Jose Emergency Plans Set Example

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US cities short on children: San Francisco leads the list

San Francisco was the only major US city over the past decade to add population overall while seeing a decline in the number of children, according to the Census Bureau. In the process, the City by the Bay passed Seattle as the least likely to have households with kids. Only 14.5 percent of San Francisco's population is under 18, compared with 25.7 percent of the US population as a whole. Major cities with the fewest children, and the percentage in each, according to the census:

1. San Francisco 14.5

2. Seattle 15.6

3. Boston 19.8

4. Washington 20.1

5. Portland, Ore. 21.1

6. Denver 22.0

7. Nashville, Tenn. 22.1

8. Austin, Texas 22.5

9. San Diego 24.0

10. Columbus, Ohio 24.2

- Associated Press BUSINESS & FINANCE

Schools built as community centers

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Engineers to the Rescue

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California Public Employees Retirement Systems

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It sure would be nice to see RREEF invest in California's future Maglev transportation!

23 Are Named Winners of Annual 'Genius Awards' Given by MacArthur

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Shame in the House

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The bill's primary author, Representative Bill Thomas, a Republican from California, piously proclaimed that there is an urgent need to help businesses because they are the nation's employers. "They're the hardware store," he said, "the diner down the street, the gas station on the corner."

The Defense Department chose Lockheed Martin Corp. over Boeing

This contract to build the high-tech F-35 fighter jet, a contract that appeared certain to be worth at least $200 billion. The F-35s, which are expected to cost $40 million each, will replace the aging jets of the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. They also will be used by Britain's Navy and Air Force. Lockheed said the deal will allow it to add up to 9,000 jobs at its aeronautics division in Fort Worth, Texas. Boeing said the loss of the contract would cause it to lower its revenue forecast by $1 billion next year, although both companies left open the possibility of collaboration on the F-35 project. Ultimately, 3,000 of the supersonic, radar-evading fighters are expected to be built, with first deliveries projected to come in 2008. The contract is the largest in US defense history.

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