Disqus - Friends of Chad_Ludeman

Re: Stalled Construction at 19th and Arch But Not for Long

DTurner — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:39:08 -0000

I just love that the commenter is calling out city officials for being corrupt whilst supporting tax evasion. If you don't vote or buy into the system, you'll get a crappy government.

Re: Attacking the New Zoning Code in The United States of Philadelphia

DTurner — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:05:40 -0000

This is what drives me crazy with comments like those of Ron Avery on Philly.com recently decrying the jarring differences between CC and the rest of the city. This is not just the fault of Yuppies wanting to live in sanitized versions of urban living, it's the fault of council members and community organizations who believe that they must hold absolute power and must keep out the intruders. Until this dynamic is changed,it's hard to imagine a bright future for these little fiefdoms.

Re: How an Infrastructure Stimulus Could Boost Job Growth

DTurner — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:02:24 -0000

True, but there is a quite a difference between digging holes and filling them and building infrastructure. I hope that you are not daft enough to be incapable of telling the difference.

Re: City of Philadelphia Wants To Get ‘Instant’ Bicycle Rentals Rolling

DTurner — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:57:17 -0000

Whatever payment method they use, it should be something that can be connected to an SSN, otherwise the threat of theft will likely increase. I don't understand why they are spending time on developing other payment systems when this would be a great opportunity to get more Philadelphians bank accounts and cards to increase their financial independence.

Re: The Cost of Doing Business – Next American City

DTurner — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:03:37 -0000

Ryan, you mention that subsidies allow government officials to award the politically connected. So you think they also allow governments to proclaim that they are "pro business" without having to implement real reforms to actually attract new businesses?

Re: No Death Knell for Philly Bookstores – Next American City

DTurner — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:42:55 -0000

Can someone tell me why it seems like no one in Philly has thought about linking a bookstore with a restaurant, bar, cafe, or a combination of the three? In DC, there are many great examples of this, such as Kramerbooks, and the Busboys and Poets location on 14th Street to a lesser extent. This seems like it would be incredibly successful, especially if they had a liquor license to make up struggling book revenues. It seems like this would be a very successful model in Center City, given the university crowd and such.

Re: Md. Metro riders get surprise ride to Pentagon station -- then are left there

DTurner — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:33:10 -0000

No wonder the next train signs never work, WMATA really has no idea where their trains are!

Re: If Only Every City Had a Masked Lucha Libre Defender of Pedestrians

DTurner — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:54:58 -0000

This reminds me of the mime traffic safety campaigns started by Antanas Mockus in Bogota. It's a good reminder that while laws are always important, they need to be coupled with a public education campaign to ensure that the rules are actually followed. I wish U.S. cities would start campaigns like this; they are a public good and they are a great way of tapping into a city's creative well.

Re: SimCity 5's Multiplayer Blues - Henry Grabar - The Atlantic Cities

DTurner — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:13:08 -0000

While I do not understand the level of anger about the online-only aspect of the game (I preordered the game), I think most SIm City fans are frankly scared of what will happen in the future. Many people still play Sim City 4, and continue to develop new buildings and mods for the game, so the thought that their investment could evaporate at the whim of EA is pretty terrifiying. I think EA needs to be willing to give at least some ground on the issue, perhaps allowing private servers or the like in the future.

Re: SimCity 5's Multiplayer Blues - Henry Grabar - The Atlantic Cities

DTurner — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:41:56 -0000

Sorry to correct you, but the main reason the original flopped was that they online aspect was the main selling point and they forced you to pay a monthly fee (on par with most MMOs, if I remember correctly) for the privilege of having access to these features. I don't really think the comparison holds much weight.

Re: Searching for an Effective Strategy in the Fight Against Blight

DTurner — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:04:21 -0000

I would love to see a more organized process of demolition which would allow for larger, more continuous parks and community spaces in Baltimore. I agree, though, that attracting immigrants to these neighborhoods will be key to turning them around, even if the population will be significantly smaller than before.

Re: SimCity 5's Multiplayer Blues - Henry Grabar - The Atlantic Cities

DTurner — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:06:27 -0000

I think that's a stretch, that's akin to complaining that your computer uses electricity, requiring a monthly payment to your power company.

Re: How Free Transit Works in the United States - Eric Jaffe - The Atlantic Cities

DTurner — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:13:19 -0000

I don't think Chapel Hill is necessarily the best example. As you mention in the article, Chapel Hill Transit's ridership base is UNC students, staff, and faculty. A more interesting example might be the Charm City Circulator in Baltimore. Yes, the entire transit system of the city is not fare-free, but I think the Circulator has a lot more relevance to most U.S. cities.

Re: Someone Should Show Richard Florida the Piazza at Schmidt’s

DTurner — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:21:13 -0000

Florida's Creative Class theory is a little strange, but I think his underlying argument that city government should be focused on making cities places wherepeople actually want to live is quite sound. People are increasingly less tied to geographic regions when it comes to employment, so recognizing that governments need to market their cities in more than simple economic terms is crucial to reducing the brain drain.

Re: PlanPhilly | Draft plan for Central District released

DTurner — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:51:36 -0000

Agreed, much in the same way that I would like to see those who want to save the Roundhouse to front the money for some decent renderings of how the space could be utilized. It might be unique, but if it is impossible to envision a good use for it than it has overstayed its welcome.

Re: I can’t find a job that will keep me in Philadelphia: Alyssa Dingwall

DTurner — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:03:07 -0000

Good piece, but I am not sure if it is really much easier in other cities. I went to university in DC and we constantly have stories in the local media about people who move to DC and continue to work as unpaid interns into their late 20s. I think this is a tough market to begin with and an even tougher market for people who lack STEM or similarly niche skills for other industries.

It's hard to say how this situation could be remedied; perhaps young professional job training or co-op programs with local firms where young professionals could obtain grants from the city? It would be expensive, but they could pay for themselves over the long-term.

Re: PlanPhilly | Old City objects to use of councilmanic privilege for 205 Race St. project

DTurner — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:44:20 -0000

A poor decision to ignore the more community-oriented approach to obtain the zoning change, but 205 Race St. is the best possible option for that location, given the proximity to the bridge, and clearly better than the empty lot currently there. If we are serious about integrating Old City with the waterfront, this is the way to do it. When walking over to the Race Street Pier, this area is entirely uninviting, making it hard to imagine that anyone would get to the pier by accident or if they were not absolutely determined to reach the waterfront.

Re: PlanPhilly | Old City objects to use of councilmanic privilege for 205 Race St. project

DTurner — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:52:44 -0000

Interesting to know; seems to be a constant theme in Philly development, no?

Re: PlanPhilly | SEPTA to close Bridgeport Viaduct, bus passengers during construction

DTurner — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:01:31 -0000

That would most likely be very expensive, given the overtime labor costs, as well as the necessity for additional lighting.

Re: PlanPhilly | SEPTA to impose TransPass limits

DTurner — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:44:53 -0000

“There [are] probably some offices that have an office SEPTA card that they use for individuals on the staff,” he said as an example of TransPass abuse.

So Rich Burnfield's example of abuse is a hypothetical situation? Also, how would this be any different than the current pass system, save for the gender stickers?

Re: New “Cultural Corridor Line” Would Speed Philadelphians Between City’s Top Attractions

DTurner — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:56:19 -0000

Or you two could just share the damned tunnel; the tunnel originally had 4 tracks, correct? That seems like more than enough space to accommodate both uses.

Re: New “Cultural Corridor Line” Would Speed Philadelphians Between City’s Top Attractions

DTurner — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:14:10 -0000

I'm still somewhat skeptical that this plan (or rather the tunnel portion) is not simply a Dilworth Plaza for the 21st century, providing a surplus of underground public space. Given that the concourse network in dense Center City is downright scary for large portions, how will Friends of the Rail Park ensure that this tunnel, which is likely to have far fewer users does not become an "imagined reality", if integration with a BRT/LRT line is not considered?

Re: PlanPhilly | SEPTA to impose TransPass limits

DTurner — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:22:27 -0000

So you want to limit mobility in order to encourage students to not participate in flash mobs? I am the last person to defend flash mobs, but it is pretty clear that the reason many people join these flash mobs is that they have nothing better to do. I hardly see how restricting opportunities for these students would reduce the chances of flash mobs occurring especially given that many have occurred near Center City schools after classes have ended.

On the other aspects of the pass restrictions, I think there needs to be a better way; if SEPTA absolutely needs to keep trip restrictions in place, why not allow people to add more trips (70 vs 50 or 60) for extra? That would raise additional revenues and reduce some of the rider anger.

Re: PlanPhilly | SEPTA to impose TransPass limits

DTurner — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:24:51 -0000

Good to know. I'm fully willing to admit that it is a problem, I just take umbrage with SEPTA officials using hypothetical situations instead of using hard data to increase revenues.

Re: Inga Saffron Heads to the New Republic, Where Readers Are Smarter

DTurner — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:12:23 -0000

This just reinforces my impression that Philadelphia desperately needs an equivalent to Greater Greater Washington from the DC area to champion urbanism. PlanPhilly has been successful in some ways, but it seems to follow events in the region, rather than being the nexus of debate for urbanism issues that this region must address in order to thrive.