Re:The US has forgotten how to do infrastructure
by chrischen on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @06:27PM
(#14456433)
Build public transit, then build high density residences, then profit. This simple formula is applied extremely well in Japan.
Re:The US has forgotten how to do infrastructure
by eric_the_read on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @07:07PM
(#14456640)
Japanese zoning restrictions also contribute heavily here. It's not just that higher-density residences are available, it's that you can put them nearly anywhere. According to http://urbankchoze.blogspot.ca/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html, not only are there vastly fewer zones (12, nationally), Japanese zoning laws specify only the "maximum use", instead of exclusive uses. So anything zoned for commercial use, for example, could also have neighborhood stores and residential.
Public transit only works when people live in high density areas. It makes no sense to have a transit stop where very few people live in walking distance of it. People with cars don't really want to drive to the bus stop and then catch a ride downtown, though some do. But most companies are spread out just as much as peoples homes, so business isn't even high enough density to warrant public transit in most cases.