Re: funding idea

It is a painfully obvious idea in Manhattan, where realestate is valuable,
many roads are too wide and many sidewalks are too narrow. Even apparently main-stream people here can be heard to say, "why don't we ban the cars?"

(though I was imagining them as parks with cafes, ... people just walking
around, without fear)

The more people we have working on this in the more different ways the
better. (some unity will be necessary of course)

One difficulty is that tearing up roads & even new construction often
involves dealing with state codes/DOTs in addition to local ones!

Don't discount the zillionaire possibility-

Some carfree supporters may really like fundraising (especially the
ones who like money) and they could pull something like that off.


I really am impressed with David- he clearly has an idea of how he's going
to do this (?)- how did you get the idea?

Whose example do you have to follow? (your brother's?)


I suppose the most amazing part is that someone (1) would believe he can
dedicate himself to it (commit to it)-- that this is what he wants to work
on most. (or to put it another way, why isn't everyone on this list doing
what david's doing? Why hasn't it already been done?)

(nevermind me- you don't have to explain yourself- just do it!)

But then- if I knew the answer, I might be more able to make there be more david caesars!

For whatever reason, I think I aspire to be a gypsy or a disciple of a chinese hermit-nun* (it is my autistic nature).
But I will also be a cheerleader for a carfree city & related projects.

David: I saw illustrations somewhat like you were looking for at an
auto-free ny meeting (the only one I've been to) only the comparison was:
what if the WTC had to be built under the same zoning codes as a suburban
business? The required parking lot would have covered all of manhattan.

I know what you're looking for is out there, but not sure exactly where. Joel or George H. (auto-free ny) should know- or any of the others- Lundberg, Register.

Colin

*"Road to heaven: encounters with chinese hermits" - Bill Porter

> The ideal of car-free (or nearly so) living is sufficient to motivate
> the readers of this posting, all of whom I presume are of limited
> resources as am I. It is not, by itself, going to motivate anything
> like a critical mass of the public, anywhere in our continent, for
> the forseable future. But add the money from the sale of streets, and
> the political mindset may change. Developers, if properly incented
> and managed, may be relied upon to fund the speculative building
> required.
> What thoughts are stirred by this idea?