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PierceHeardFirstEssay 3 - 23 Feb 2024 - Main.PierceHeard
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What is Wrong With City Design in America? | | | American Cities Lack Dependable Public Transit
Most American cities either entirely lack public transit or provide services that are simply unreliable and insufficient. In my hometown in Texas there was absolutely no public transit whatsoever, but the cities that do have some infrastructure are simply inadequate. Most cities don't have a bus or train system to allow its citizens to get from one place to another. The majority of the cities that do have such infrastructure are often still unreliable because the systems don't run frequently enough, or cover enough ground, or both. With a huge sprawl and lack of public transit, everyone is forced to purchase a car. This inevitably leads to too many people on the roads which causes hours long commutes to work and school and all but guarantees traffic. Not to mention of course car accidents, which are a leading cause of death in America, being stuck in a car for hours on end each day just to get to and from work plays a large role in Americans feeling unsatisfied with their lives.
American Cities Lack a "Third Place" | |
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> | Another major design flaw in America is the disappearance of the so called "third place". The idea of the Third Place is that a thriving community has a place where fellow neighbors can come together and interact outside of work and their homes. The first and second places are home and the workplace - where people spend the majority of their time. The third place is places such as churches, local parks, community centers, and libraries. They are essentially forums where people can go spend time alone or with their families and meet and mingle with their community members for free. Human beings are extremely tribal and social by nature, without a place where people from the area can all come to congregate leaves Americans feeling isolated and leads to greater division amongst citizens because people fail to connect with one another. | | | These Design Flaws are Magnified in Communities of Lower Socioeconomic Status | |
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> | Of course, these issues are much worse in poorer communities and communities of color. The infrastructure in these communities are even worse, with even less parks and less walkability. The only potential third place in these communities is often liquor and gun stores. These communities make their members feel even more isolated and trapped and just leads to the communities degrading over time. | | | Conclusion | |
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> | American cities face a lot of challenges as it stands. The lack of walkability, public transit, and third places leads to a very isolated and sad community. There are, of course, some steps we can take now to try to fix these issues. We can implement more sidewalks and bike lanes so people don't have to rely solely on cars. We can push for government funds to be redirected to public transit instead of more highways. And we can begin to shop local and get active in our local politics to promote more community centers and public spaces. | | |
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