Communities like Quarry Falls provide a higher quality of life for residents
Another great article, this time in the Wall Street Journal, shows how expensive oil is forcing Americans to reconsider their suburban lifestyle. Moving closer to work in the city can be a very enjoyable experience.
Matt Overmyer, a resident of a new compact development in Roseville, CA, describes how “he now bikes to the grocery store…and because the houses in his neighborhood are closer together and share a back alley, he interacts with his neighbors a lot more.” Like Quarry Falls, Mr. Overmyer’s community is designed around a village square that will provide shops and restaurants within half a block of his home. His commute to work, formerly 45 minutes long, is now only 15 minutes.
Dave Morris, a developer in the Sacramento area, presented a forecast of the region in 50 years, which showed poor air-quality and ridiculously long commutes, indicating that you could commute faster by bicycle. If suburbs of California continue to develop the way that they have over the last 40 years or so, “the quality of life for communities without jobs nearby would nose dive,” according to Morris.
The future does not have to look this way, though! In another city near Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, residents in townhomes and small houses “can walk to work at nearby office parks. The light-rail line built to commute to Sacramento now serves as a tram for local residents.” This is very similar to what Quarry Falls proposes, which includes places to live, work, and play without having to drive, as well as easy access to the trolley stop for commutes to downtown San Diego and other nearby job centers.
Read the original article for more details:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121538754733231043.html
Here’s a link to a great video on the topic as well:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid452319854/bctid1649956635
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1 comment:
This junk about live/work opportunites is baloney. There are housing and jobs in Mission Valley already, near public transit, and people still drive everywhere. This development isn't going to just draw people that are going to walk, bike, or take the trolley to work. And the retail is going to attract people from outside the valley. It's not going to transform Mission Valley and it's only going to make traffic worse.
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