My semi-regular reminder of a really important reality about cities, density, services and taxes. Any questions? Graphic recently cleaned up by @kathrynmathias.bsky.social. #CityMakingMath - ThreadSky

brenttoderian.bsky.social • 2 days ago

My semi-regular reminder of a really important reality about cities, density, services and taxes.

Any questions?

Graphic recently cleaned up by @kathrynmathias.bsky.social. #CityMakingMath

Comments

vancitymike.com•2 days ago

am i on the right track to say Vancouver basically sits in the left and bottom thirds of this Venn?

daviskyle.bsky.social•2 days ago

My impression of Vancouver, seeing the crumbling state of some parks, the pool and train being nonfunctional, etc.

Is that it’s red and green . The services are not in fact stable.

reluctantaxe.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think Metro Vancouver in left and bottom third but it's being dragged kicking and screaming there by the province

shayananaraki.bsky.social•2 days ago

Well, Coquitlam is more like low density, high taxes, and stable services imo. But density certainly is improving fast.

ggowe.bsky.social•2 days ago

I am fully in the Stable Services circle. I’m okay with a combination of higher density and relatively high taxes to get a higher standard of living and enjoyable life, for everyone. Isn’t that’s what is important?

burning-fish.bsky.social•2 days ago

And I feel like Calgary currently sits right in the middle, full of denial.

vancouvergordo.bsky.social•2 days ago

vmcat.bsky.social•2 days ago

Doesn't this assume that every service is provided by a paid (government) entity that depends on money/taxes? What if some services not provided by government, are done by cooperatives and/or volunteers for mutual benefit? "Does not exist" needs an asterisk, I think.

dracinon.bsky.social•2 days ago

Who would want low density?!

danepavitt.bsky.social•2 days ago

People who've bought into the individualism con

nharper.bsky.social•11 hours ago

📌

beck7422.bsky.social•2 days ago

What if you don't mind taxes if they provide public services and you prefer a city or suburb with excellent public services especially round the clock handicap accessible public transportation?

umbrios.bsky.social•2 days ago

If it was once every 2 hours at day & 6h at night but in a schedule with no big delays it would be heaven already.

janicembaker.bsky.social•2 days ago

You have perfectly captured the conundrum. What gets resourced gets delivered. That requires funding of people, systems and infrastructure. Yet the politics of promising to deliver more with lower or no taxes is alive and well.

charlse.bsky.social•1 day ago

The problem with cities in a nutshell.

amymrankin.bsky.social•2 days ago

Shouldn’t the middle say “tax the wealthy”??

crazyeddie404.bsky.social•2 days ago

Or "redistribution."

You can HAVE low density, low taxes and good services IF the community has enough wealth among its own members to fund these things. If they do not, then high density redevelopment just leads to the concentration of poverty and ghettoizarion.

costrike.bsky.social•2 days ago

Where's the version with high taxes, high density, and stable services that we all dream of?

thetruemichael.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's... on the venn diagram, man

costrike.bsky.social•2 days ago

Woah

uhjustin.bsky.social•2 days ago

Reminds me of the engineering maxim. “Low costs, high quality, short production time? Pick two.”

futurebird.sauropods.win.ap.brid.gy•2 days ago

@brenttoderian.bsky.social

Like what is the benefit of low density? It's less safe, more boring, everything is far away.

Maybe you can have a bigger place because it's less expensive, but lower density is mostly a negative.

umbrios.bsky.social•2 days ago

For very specific people like me, with MCAS & a lot of triggers that are common in urban environments (diesel fumes, tabaco & marijuana smoke, etc) low density is a need. I consciently choose the ability to breath & to be in a little less pain, knowing that I pay for it by not being able to...

umbrios.bsky.social•2 days ago

receive deliveries in my house, needing to drive for about 1h to the nearest hospital, needing to drive because there's no public transport etc (& believe me, those are BAD things). I'd love to be able to live in a city, but I just can't anymore.

umbrios.bsky.social•2 days ago

Of course, I need to live in rural, preferably forested areas & by low densities you guys are probably talking suburbs. Suburbs are hell, all the bad things of rural areas and of city areas together with none of the good stuff.

futurebird.sauropods.win.ap.brid.gy•2 days ago

@brenttoderian.bsky.social

OK but I want stable services and HIGH density.

compulsiveobserver.bsky.social•2 days ago

Same. I’m disabled and can’t drive. My Edmonton neighborhood is so much boring than where I lived in Montreal. High density means it’s easier to get around, more and more diverse services, more interesting, more social, and better infrastructure-wise.