More on Sprawl

[MadVlad]

A nice little get together about everyone's favorite topice..... sprawl.

Forum Examines Suburban Sprawl

October 7, 2005

By JEFFREY B. COHEN, Courant Staff Writer

It's not just that big suburban sprawl destroys neighborhoods, compromises the environment and adversely affects the nation's poor.

It's ugly, too, Douglas I. Foy said.

"I wonder how many people in the audience have vacationed in Atlanta's suburbs," asked Foy, secretary of the Massachusetts Office for Commonwealth Development, with a touch of sarcasm.

Suburban sprawl - its roots, its manifestations, and its potential solutions - was the subject of a live broadcast Thursday evening from the studios of Connecticut Public Television in Hartford. The forum was sponsored by The Hartford Courant and CPTV.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-sprawl1007.artoct07,0,1797162.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

[LItoCT]

Hartford...I lose.

[MadVlad]

The Hartford Courant went to town in the Commentary Section today, some real good reading. At least 3 different articles....

Deleted. Please read the rules and don't post copyrighted material in the future

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editor...0,1424973.story

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commen...0,5823815.story

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commen...0,7943926.story

[HartfordTycoon]

The NIMBY's wont let us build verticle as should be the plan to conserve open space. Sprawl is the worst, and those who oppose high concetration urban living are keeping it alive.

[Garris]

When recently driving through CT, I remember hearing on CT NPR that I think they and CPTV were doing a broadcast of a panel discussion about sprawl. Does anyone know when this is or if it already happened?

CT is going to be a tough place to fight sprawl. So much of this state's history and self identity is built around the quest for the ultimate utopian suburb...

- Garris

Providence, RI

[MadVlad]

Just for you, Garris.....

Sprawl Forum

[Garris]

Just for you, Garris.....

Sprawl Forum

That forum didn't seem to go anywhere . That was an interesting article. The quote at the end is interesting...

"'We don't have an answer for getting out of it," said panelist and state Rep. Lewis J. Wallace Jr., D-Danbury."

That's the problem. We have an entire nation now built around sprawl from the ground up. How do you deconstruct it? How do you centralize a nation where the majority of a generation has grown up only knowing and expecting decentralization?

When my parents moved to the "rustic" area of NY near Danbury (where I grew up) in the 1960's, they saw it as a "lifestyle" decision then. In exchange for living in the "country" where land was cheap enough for them to build their own home and be near nature, they realized they were giving up the shopping, conveniences, attractions, TV reception (that's right, TV reception!) of urban living.

Well, in the 35 years since that decision, the world has turned 180 degrees on its head. All the shopping, restaurants, services, etc that they gave up moved to them, and their rustic community near Danbury is now a full fledged suburb, with all the amenities that most urban areas now lack!

Danbury has itself become a classic sprawl example. It started as a dense little urban town, but is now a mish-mosh of big box stores, malls, strip plazas, office parks, and radiating residential developments. What a mess. And Danbury has popped up on some metro NY area lists recently as a "hot" and "up and coming" community. Why? It's a sprawl disaster!

- Garris

Providence, RI

[SOCOM]

Danbury is a nice place

to get lyme disease.

[Germaine]

I'm hoping that high-speed commuter rail is extended to Hartford sooner rather than later. I know this will probaby make most people angry, but I don't necessarily think it'd be a bad thing for Hartford - in addition to its other efforts to revitalize itself - include becoming a home to commuters to/from New York City.

[HartfordTycoon]

I'm hoping that high-speed commuter rail is extended to Hartford sooner rather than later. I know this will probaby make most people angry, but I don't necessarily think it'd be a bad thing for Hartford - in addition to its other efforts to revitalize itself - include becoming a home to commuters to/from New York City.

I think if people start commuting from New York Hartford's chances are greatly improved. My family lives in Montclair, NJ and when the commuter rail for NJ Transit put a station in the town the property values went up by about 300%. I would love to see that happen here.

[JC3124]

Who the heck would commute from Hartford to NYC? That's a haul, no matter how you cut it.

[fivedayrental]

Who the heck would commute from Hartford to NYC? That's a haul, no matter how you cut it.

my dad has been commuting to hartford from danbury about 2 1/2 years, not because he likes to buyt because their weren't that many jobs in his industry, computer stuff, in westchester as there used to be in the post 9-11 world.

[Germaine]

Who the heck would commute from Hartford to NYC? That's a haul, no matter how you cut it.

The key is high-speed rail operating along existing corridors with express service.

[LItoCT]

Who the heck would commute from Hartford to NYC? That's a haul, no matter how you cut it.

People commute from the Poconos in northern Pennsylvania and I've heard of people commuting from as far as places like Old Lyme and New London.