Having grown up in the most
pronounced suburbia in the world, I chose to live the last 20 years in some of
the most urban and dense locations in Asia. All my friends and family back in
L.A. always ask me what’s it like living in a “City”?
 |
| Suburban Street Southern California |
 |
| Serangoon Road Singapore - Historic Urban Area with New High Density Living |
Well I always start by talking about
convenience and ease of getting everywhere without owning a car. Then I go into
how much extra time I have to do other things because I do not need to spend so
long commuting. I guess that’s what some of my worst memories of driving to
work every day was 2 to 3 hours of frustrating traffic. I mention about coming
into constant contact with people on subways, buses, taxi drivers and just
walking down the road shopping. Then I get into some economics about how much I
save on buying and maintaining a car, insurance and gasoline. And then
basically round it off by summing up, I save time and money and have the choice
to use those resources in any way I choose for my personal enjoyment!
I also note the elderly, young and
financially challenged. Urban living with all its conveniences within walking
distance empowers them and gives them freedom and a sense of community not
found in the suburbs.
Remember as with everything there
are both good and bad. Some urban areas are too dense, poorly laid out and as a
result are miserable living environments. Likewise some suburbs are close to
lots of amenities and are infact quite pedestrian friendly, but because of low
density these end up being few and far between. My personal comparison is
tabled below based on living in the suburbs of L.A. vs Singapore and Hong Kong.
But remember Singapore and Hong Kong are cities that are well managed and have
a good public infrastructure.
Singapore, October 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep comments brief. Thanks for visiting our site. Jiwa Studio.