Comments on: What’s Next for New York State DOT? http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/15/whats-next-for-new-york-state-dot/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Glenn http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/15/whats-next-for-new-york-state-dot/comment-page-1/#comment-66446 Glenn Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:43:21 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5879#comment-66446 Agreed - pre-1920 urban planning was quite good at integrating good architecture, mixed use and efficient transportation systems. Most of the improvements in basic hygiene have also been a plus. The air conditioner has been a mixed blessing. While it's really great when you're stuck inside, it tends to keep people inside when the streets used to be full of people. NJ's DOT has done some really good work with helping build real village plans around train stations and creating intermodal hubs. There's a lot that could be done around the state. Agreed – pre-1920 urban planning was quite good at integrating good architecture, mixed use and efficient transportation systems. Most of the improvements in basic hygiene have also been a plus. The air conditioner has been a mixed blessing. While it’s really great when you’re stuck inside, it tends to keep people inside when the streets used to be full of people.

NJ’s DOT has done some really good work with helping build real village plans around train stations and creating intermodal hubs. There’s a lot that could be done around the state.

]]> By: Rhywun http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/15/whats-next-for-new-york-state-dot/comment-page-1/#comment-66442 Rhywun Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:10:39 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5879#comment-66442 <i>The next commissioner, says Alexander, should be someone "who's looking at best practices, instead of old practices. The last thing you want to do is take a step back."</i> Actually, "old" practices sometimes are the best practice, if by "old" you mean older than the automobile age. I guess that's what he meant, right? One of my pet peeves is that we often avoid perfectly good solutions that have been in place elsewhere forever in favor of reinventing the wheel, AKA the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Invented_Here" rel="nofollow">"Not Invented Here"</a> syndrome. The next commissioner, says Alexander, should be someone “who’s looking at best practices, instead of old practices. The last thing you want to do is take a step back.”

Actually, “old” practices sometimes are the best practice, if by “old” you mean older than the automobile age. I guess that’s what he meant, right? One of my pet peeves is that we often avoid perfectly good solutions that have been in place elsewhere forever in favor of reinventing the wheel, AKA the “Not Invented Here” syndrome.

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