This Comment on a post about lazy localvores at Grist really made me think today.

“The history of 20th century United States is that of the combines grabbing land that had been originally given to citizens during the 18th. The Powers-That-Be sought to remove the independent pioneers and make them dependent wards of the state…that effort is alive in the efforts of Big City types like Mayor Nichels who want to herd everyone into cattle car sized condos and tax them to death for light rail. We need to re-agrarianize the American family — falling real estate will help.”

I don’t agree completely but is the rush to build Urban Condominiums a good thing?

Sure it brings everyone into walkable communities, pushes them to use mass transit and builds up our urban populations to sustain our cities, but is it the right thing to do and is it the green thing to do? So now I am going to lay out my feelings on the subject.

The push to build these urban communities is driven by the desire of people to live close to work, close to where they play and close to their friends. It is supposedly a cheaper way to live and less taxing on our resources as well. Mainly because the inhabitants will drive less and consume less/locally. All true and all compelling reasons to join this lifestyle. Besides, there is the coolness factor of doing the latest thing.

So here is where I see the problem. The biggest problem is a whole demographic that is completely dependent on the city and building in which they live. They are dependent on the whims of the commercial enterprises that sustain them and the government that controls their municipality. They are dependent on the HOA that controls them and dependent on each other. They have no means of self sustainability (such as land with garden space) and will rely completely on the world around them to provide as long as they have a job and can pay for it. Sure their building is green, sustainable and even possibly LEED platinum. The environment loves them! But break a spoke in the wheel of their lives and then what? What happens if the 500 condo units can’t support the main floor grocery and the grocery closes? How many Gaps and Banana Republics can they sustain? What if the inhabitants loose their job? Then what? No money to buy food at the farmers market in the local park and no where to grow their own, no money to shop at the main floor gap. Certainly no money to eat out. I could go on and on about what what could go wrong with this. To top this off, the retail that is part of their development doesn’t pay enough to make it worthwhile for an actual inhabitant to live in the building and work there too.

So what is the best idea? What do we need to do? I personally think that rather than build up our city centers, we need to build up our neighborhoods near the city centers and build up the suburbs. Build them up by improving public transportation options and encourage gardening and self sustainability. Loosen HOA rules against gardens and clotheslines and allow people to live off the land. Urban and suburban farms are a good idea as well and keep the urban infill coming. Condo projects are not a bad idea if they have community gardens, are built to be affordable and are built to run off of renewable energy? Now that is a clever idea. Forget the main level Gap, build a rooftop community garden instead. Build them green and build them to last.

Enjoy the video below from a Wall Street Journal Article on Suburban Farming.

I realize that this is a Utopian idea, but all I see in today’s urban condo/mall/corporate center/hotel/live work spaces is low income housing and dilapidated apartments in 20 – 30 years. All destined for the wrecking ball to make way for the next great idea.