What? I don't understand this comment.Originally posted by urban19
The Boardwalk is not within walking distance of Pacific Avenue. Get yourself adjusted. The bums and losers piss off everyone on Pacific.
Just my take. I'm so happy I'm gone from there.
Last edited by Richmond Jake; 28 Nov 2010 at 9:24 PM. Reason: because I'm an idiot.
A nuisance may be merely a right thing in the wrong place — like a pig in the parlor instead of the barnyard.
I meant that most of California is suburban homes as close together as you can get them.
Rural is having more land and more space in between. Like acre homes and more.
I guess I am now wondering what one considers an urban area. Is it 4 story buildings one after another considered an urban area? At what height does an area make itself considered urban?
I would say Downtown SLO has many places that "hip urban" and "upscale urban" in larger cities would have. For instance, Art Walk in Downtown LA we have Art After Dark in SLO. Downtown LA has high-rise lofts. We have lofts too being the Wineman Hotel, but SLO's loft don't shoot up as much in feet.
"Urban" and "dense" are different terms. "Urban" is qualitative, while "dense" can be used quantitatively. Without getting into a long semantic explanation, I think there is a correlation between density and urbanism, but it's possible to have one without the other. I'd agree that downtown SLO has an urban feel to it, even if it lacks height, or 100-unit/acre multi-story structures, simply due to its pedestrian-friendly characteristics. Meanwhile, a city may have density, say from multi-storied office park structures, and not necessary produce an urban environment. I think the latter is more rare, since density often does produce a gathering of people in what would be best described as an urban environment.
So density relates to height of buildings and buildings close together where as urban refers to a large amount of people gathering.
So downtown SLO has an urban feel because it's a large gathering area. Wouldn't that mean downtown Paso is urban too then? Paso lacks density though. Or would downtown Paso be considered more of a main street downtown and not an urban feel?
Density, as used in planning, usually refers to "units per acre". Height of buildings can sometimes give an indication of "how many units" - but height is ultimately just an attribute or measure of form. This soon becomes a discussion of the definition of urban, and I don't think there's an absolute answer, since it's open to interpretation. There are certain characteristics of urbanism, like public gathering places, access to transportation, mixed uses, etc... but they are just that--characteristics.
Downtown Paso doesn't have mix-uses, has a park for public gathering, and no public transportation goes near the part of downtown.
It's a shame there that the definition of urban is open to interpretation because the definition which is anything above 1000 pq square mile which could be alot of people in smooshed together in grid homes or 1000 ppl in 5 story lofts or apartments.
And if anyone wants to be entertained here are two Youtube videos of old San Luis Obispo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkS5J...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKK3...eature=related
There is an interesting case in Toronto of a migrating “hip” area along Queen Street West. Back in the 1980’s, when I first moved to Toronto, the real “hip” somewhat-dangerous, independent-business area on Queen Street was between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue. There were grungy night clubs, jazz clubs, and bars, second-hand clothing stores, funky eating places and second hand book stores. It was the centre of the artistic community in the City.
By the 1990’s the section of Queen between University and Spadina had been infiltrated by McDonald’s, Lush and The Gap. Many of the more independent hip retailers had moved a block west to between Spadina and Bathurst Street, or rather old independent places had closed and new independent places had opened up further west. The artists had moved too leaving the eastern section to the wanna-bes, tourists and suburban day-trippers.
By the 2000’s the University to Spadina section had effectively become an outdoor mall, the section between Spadina and Bathurst was attracting American Apparel and Urban Outfitters, and the independent shops and clubs were opening up between Bathurst and Trinity-Bellwoods Park.
Now that the 2010’s are upon us the area between Bathurst and Trinity-Bellwoods is now the safer section of the “hip” neighbourhood and the area west of Trinity-Bellwoods is now where the real artists hand out.
True in US practice but not universally. Canadian jurisdictions often use the sum of residential and employment persons over gross (I think) km2 or ha as their primary density measure. Other countries use FAR/FSI as an overall proxy of density, either on a net or gross business. Still others use two different figures based on residential and employment persons, each over the same unit area (generally done on a gross basis). Even residential unit densities are calculated at least four different ways (DU/gross Dwelling Unit Acre, DU/net Dwelling Unit Acre, DU/gross area and DU/net developable area).
Last edited by Cismontane; 02 Dec 2010 at 11:04 AM.
Define "wet lands" "tidal wet lands" "vernal pools"
Quote