You nailed it with your coda: "And once my family and I move out to a more rural area, I only ask that proselytizing but well-meaning urbanists don’t follow us. I want us all to have the opportunity to live in a place that makes us happy at a cost we can afford."
Unfortunately, those who are committed to the use of governmental power to influence the future of living spaces aren't like to leave you alone. EVER. It's just not in their nature; they cannot understand how the rest of us don't want their genius forced onto our individual lives. The struggle will continue so long as the state continues to enact egregious, neighborhood-ruining policies like "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing" that destroyed my community in Southern California.
For now, my only advice is to get out of cities while you still can. I hope you and your wife find a wonderful new home in rural America, as I have.
I live in Tucson. Here, the downtown area is on the far west end of town. North and south of it are classic suburbs where you have to travel long distances to get from place to place. But directly East of downtown, stretching for about 12 miles, are one mile square neighborhoods that have the best design of any city I have ever lived in. They very much service the 15 minute concept.
The outside streets are commercial streets. The residential streets are on the inside of each square. The commercial streets that border my neighborhood have everything I could possible need. You name the service, and it's within walking distance of my house. That doesn't mean I walk to get my groceries, but it does mean I don't need to drive a lot, and when my car is broken I can drop it off at my selection of several auto mechanics, and then walk home. I don't need to worry about a second car to pick me up and take me back.
Great piece, Randy.
You nailed it with your coda: "And once my family and I move out to a more rural area, I only ask that proselytizing but well-meaning urbanists don’t follow us. I want us all to have the opportunity to live in a place that makes us happy at a cost we can afford."
Unfortunately, those who are committed to the use of governmental power to influence the future of living spaces aren't like to leave you alone. EVER. It's just not in their nature; they cannot understand how the rest of us don't want their genius forced onto our individual lives. The struggle will continue so long as the state continues to enact egregious, neighborhood-ruining policies like "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing" that destroyed my community in Southern California.
For now, my only advice is to get out of cities while you still can. I hope you and your wife find a wonderful new home in rural America, as I have.
Great article Randy.
I live in Tucson. Here, the downtown area is on the far west end of town. North and south of it are classic suburbs where you have to travel long distances to get from place to place. But directly East of downtown, stretching for about 12 miles, are one mile square neighborhoods that have the best design of any city I have ever lived in. They very much service the 15 minute concept.
The outside streets are commercial streets. The residential streets are on the inside of each square. The commercial streets that border my neighborhood have everything I could possible need. You name the service, and it's within walking distance of my house. That doesn't mean I walk to get my groceries, but it does mean I don't need to drive a lot, and when my car is broken I can drop it off at my selection of several auto mechanics, and then walk home. I don't need to worry about a second car to pick me up and take me back.