In Search of a City: Define Sustainable
The Columbus Dispatch recently ran an article, “Dublin emphasizing a sustainable future“, that made me chuckle. It described the suburb’s new efforts to be “green”, including a new “sustainability administrator” who will try to make it more walkable, protect robins, and explain why the city has “no mow” areas in its parks!
If people want to live in Dublin, that’s their business, although I should not have to subsidize the lifestyle. But to call Dublin sustainable is an oxymoron.
According to the city’s web site, the average home value for Dublin is “347,633, which buys a big house, and homes account for the biggest carbon footprint a person makes in the U.S. The city is also one of the most automobile-dependent places on Earth, and personal vehicles make the second biggest carbon footprint. All other forms of environmental degradation pale in comparison.
Here’s how to make Dublin more sustainable:
1. Eliminate its zoning code and allow mixed uses and much higher densities;
2. Redevelop the city along transit corridors;
3. Worry about the robins later.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:06 pm
You don’t seem to be aware of this but Dublin wants to make the entire 161 corridor from 270 to Sawmill Road a dense mixed use area that is pedestrian friendly. They have also been in touch with COTA about getting expanded service for the city.
Plus, Dublin has 96 miles of Bike paths. Columbus doesn’t even have half that distance. All in a city that’s less than a tenth the size of Columbus. You can’t beat zero emission travel.
Listen Cleve, I get that you’re trying to promote urban living and it’s a admirable goal. But you’re not going to win over very many people with this skewed anti-suburban information which seems to come out of this blog time and again. Try working on being pro-urban rather than anti-suburban.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I think you are missing the point Cleve. While Dublin wishes to be more sustainable, they have no desire to be like Columbus.
Btw, I wouldn’t mock the average home price of Dublin. According to last week’s (2-26-10) Business First story about mortgages “underwater”, Downtown (43215) has one of the highest underwater rates in central Ohio with an average negative equity rate of 14%…ouch! In comparison, Dublin (43017) has performed the complete opposite, maintaining a nearly 15% equite rate for property values…double ouch for you!
In defense of the robins, funny that you would be so cynical when the City of Columbus just spent millions of dollars opening up the Audubon Center downtown. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
My husband and I live in the city as do both our adult-aged “children”. I love urban living and prefer it to the suburbs. Having said that, however, I don’t think it’s an either/or scenario. The city needs the residents of Dublin (and Westerville, Worthington, Gahanna, Grove City and all the suburbs) to support the arts, sports, jobs creation, restaurants, retail etc. Likewise, home values in Dublin wouldn’t be worth nearly as much if not for the city-connection with its culture, university, diversity, restaurants and so forth. It’s a symbiotic relationship. One point of correction on the bike/walking paths; I believe Columbus has about 100 miles of paths completed or planned in the near future with more planned in the next few years. AND I hear plenty of bird chirping when I am walking my dog or jogging
Robins are totally urban birds!