[pedalling_faster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('socrates1fan', 'I') think it is just fear of poorer people in general that you get in the suburbs.
Why else would they have the gates? They want to keep out us animal-like lower class. lol

[Muckingfess]

It's easy-2 steps

1> Any vehicle on the road must be lien free

2> Only legal citizens can drive

Done deal!

[Farknight]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') liked your "even the city," like this is some absolutely scary, radical idea. Many, many of us have been living happily in inner cities all of our lives, not contributing massively to the problem like you good folks in the god-forsaken, car-dependent suburbs and exurbs.

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', 'P')eople simply commute too far for their jobs. The solution is to move closer in to the inner-ring suburbs or even the city. People don't want to do it because of the crime situation. So I suggest a combination of huge carbon taxes + depopulate the inner ring of criminal elements = massive reduction in oil usage.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '
')I'm not a big fan of telecommuting, I just don't see it becoming popular. Most corporate managers like to be physically near their staff. There's a psychological factor.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ki11ercane', '
')Sorry everyone, but no matter what direction you're pointing in, you're still surrounded by an ocean of dead end solutions.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MarkJ', '.')...
The majority of our employment, shopping and services are located in the suburbs, hence why I mentioned shopping malls, super centers, businesses, homes, housing developments, hospitals, professional buildings, hotels and industrial parks were built outside the cities.

Big industry, small scale manufacturing, cottage industry, small businesses, mom & pop stores and downtown businesses in many areas died many decades ago. Many people that live in the cities travel to the suburbs or other cities to work, shop, bank etc. The majority of all my tenants and our employees that live in the cities travel to the suburbs or other cities to work.

If city properties were high in demand, myself, family, friends and other developers, builders and investors would be demolishing/rebuilding/renovating/reselling. At the county property tax auctions, there are tons of city properties for sale, but no decent suburban building lots, acreage or farmland since they're grabbed up by investors like myself. We picked all the low hanging fruit years ago.

My most rent-able homes and apartments are in the suburban and village areas on or near the lakes. Before a tenant moves, I have dozens of people hammering me about renting.

[hope_full]

People are already leaving the suburbs. McMansions experienced their great build-up in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now that gas is getting pricey, their value is falling quite dramatically.

The city is the place to be.

I think of myself as quite the optimist but I think the suburbs (30 miles out and more) are going to become ghost towns or *maybe* they'll be cut into apartments. The people are voting with their pocketbooks and it seems that 15 miles is the breaking point. Anything more than 15 miles out is bad, bad, bad.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0521/p01s ... tml?page=2

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')lthough America's housing downturn has rippled nationwide, its impact varies greatly by geography – right down to individual streets, developments, and ZIP Codes. In many metro areas, far-flung suburbs and exurbs face sharper price declines than neighborhoods closer to city centers.

[Aaron]

Conservation & efficiency efforts are never effective.

And here's why... link

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Farknight', '1'). All necessities from food, energy, clothing, and virtually all commodities must be brought into the city at an increasing cost;
....

[Revi]

For the individual conservation and efficiency are really effective. The only reason you have extra energy to expand your lifestyle is because you conserved and pushed efficiency.

I know a guy who just put a couple of extra solar panels in to power his plasma TV. Why not? He has the extra power now.

I agree that it may not help out the overall picture, but each individual now has a powerful incentive to conserve and make efficiency happen.

It has worked for us. We're thinking of getting an LCD TV (uses the same amount of power, but a much bigger picture).

Jevons be damned!

[MrBill]

Changing consumer habits:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')nother report Thursday from Scotia Economics said record-high gas prices are leading to a big change in purchasing habits.

"With Americans abandoning their gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks for small, more fuel-efficient vehicles, we estimate that the average fuel-efficiency of this year's fleet has climbed by nearly 20 per cent from the previous model year," said auto industry specialist Carlos Gomes.

Small cars now account for one-quarter of overall U.S. sales, up from 16 per cent last year, the Scotia report said.

"In fact, small cars and fuel-efficient crossover utility vehicles now account for 42 per cent of the U.S. market, up from 30 per cent in 2006 and double their sheared as recently as 2001," Gomes said.

One the other hand, sales of pickups and SUVs are down to only 19 per cent of U.S. volumes, compared to 36 per cent in 2001.

[pedalling_faster]

the stay-at-home vacation is one idea that we talked about in an earlier thread.

it's since been given the term "staycation".

one week, every 3 months, maybe with some energy counseling at work.

this is something for big corporations to sink their teeth into, when they roll out an expanded van-pool etc. to help employees deal with rising fuel costs.

of course it may result in a lot of divorces. Single people can go to Club Med in Cleveland & get there via Amtrak.

[MrBill]

Club Med in Cleveland? I had to read it twice to figure out whether you were joking or not? ; - ))
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he plunge in the value of large SUVs and trucks has prompted some dealers to stop taking them at trade-in.

"It has been unlike anything I've seen in my career," Tom Folliard, chief executive of CarMax Inc, the largest U.S. used car retailer, said last week, noting the large vehicle depreciation had been especially dramatic since April.

"People just can't afford to write a multi-thousand-dollar check to get out of their sport utility to get into a car that gets better gas mileage," he added. "The math doesn't work."

Used-car prices are a closely watched barometer for new vehicle sales as a majority of purchases involve a trade-in model and better prices tend to spur more trade-ins.

The average wholesale price of used, large SUVs fell 24 percent last month. Prices for used pickup trucks were down 21 percent in May, according to Manheim, a firm that provides auction pricing benchmarks for dealers.

The collapse in demand for large vehicles has automakers and analysts cutting forecasts for U.S. auto sales this year.

Sales in the world's single largest market for new cars and trucks are expected to drop to about 15 million units in 2008, down from 16.1 million for 2007. Few see a recovery in 2009.

[joelcolorado]

I giggle every day I read the paper and see ppl trying to sell used SUV's for premium prices. There was a 2001 in there last night for ONLY $20,000. What fool will buy that? Come on ppl Wake up. If you dont want it neither does anyone else. duh

[JoeW]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MarkJ', '
')
The majority of our employment, shopping and services are located in the suburbs, hence why I mentioned shopping malls, super centers, businesses, homes, housing developments, hospitals, professional buildings, hotels and industrial parks were built outside the cities.

[MarkJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JoeW', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MarkJ', '
')
The majority of our employment, shopping and services are located in the suburbs, hence why I mentioned shopping malls, super centers, businesses, homes, housing developments, hospitals, professional buildings, hotels and industrial parks were built outside the cities.

[pedalling_faster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MrBill', 'C')lub Med in Cleveland? I had to read it twice to figure out whether you were joking or not? ; - ))

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pedalling_faster', '
')i think part of the trick is to grow crops that nobody knows what they are.

[pedalling_faster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pedalling_faster', '
')i think part of the trick is to grow crops that nobody knows what they are.