Sustainable Growth

Sustainable Growth implies that the City can grow into the foreseeable future without suffering the previous Consequences of Growth which have been defined as:

  1. Traffic Congestion;
  2. Car accidents between bicyclists and pedestrians;
  3. Overcrowded schools.

By removing cars from the equation the major source of growth consequences is removed and replaced with bicycles which have no significant consequences at least for the foreseeable future.

Overcrowded schools is dealt with on three levels two of which are relatively near term and one the ultimate goal:

  1. The continued passage of bonds will finance the necessary building of classrooms (Near term);
  2. The reduction of parked cars at schools will permanently free up parking space which can be used for classrooms;
  3. Ultimately technology will allow each child to receive all of their instructional education at home through customizable technology of the future being developed.  Social, labs, extracurricular, and athletic activities can be done a nearby neighborhood facilities.

The saving of real estate usually taken up by cars in terms of roads and parking spaces can be used to build more housing units, businesses, shopping and other venues.

Current homes with large lots and specious houses with garages will over time be replaced with condominium-like housing units which will be much smaller and space efficient.  Generations of the future will become used to living in much smaller quarters than today out of necessity in order to sustainably grow in population.  It will resemble more closely many large cities today.

Roads will be only one narrow lane wide to accommodate small emergency and delivery vehicles consisting of 2/3 bike road and 1/3 sidewalk all at the same level but marked by color coded flashing lights on the ground of the future for indicating traffic direction, nighttime illumination, emergency vehicles, etc.

With proper engineering the city can easily accommodate 10 times its current population.  By that time other technology will replace bikes as smaller and more efficient means of transportation, perhaps teleportation or flying devices 100+ years into the future.

It is sufficient to plan about 50 years into the future before change will be too far beyond our imagination.

About Frank Geefay

Sustainable Bicycle and Smart Growth Advocate
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