The ability to get from point A to point B makes a "Great City"
More on urban planning issues... if you live in an urban area, then you most likely know how bad traffic can be (and how it is getting worse) and how it impacts your quality of life. We certainly make decisions about where to go, and where NOT to go based on the ease of travel and the congestion we will encounter. We ran across this article about the future of Houston based upon planning decisions the city is facing today. It is an interesting look at a typical American city and the issues of sprawl, increasing population and quality of life.
Looking back, the critical turning point was when people realized mobility investments were crucial enablers of quality of life, not detractors. Mobility is the lifeblood of our city. When it deteriorates and going places becomes just too much of a hassle, the loss is subtle but significant: the lunch with a friend not taken, the handshake business deal not made, the romantic dinner forgone, the family outing canceled, the volunteer or charity event missed, or that great little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that slowly dies because customers can't get to it. Real quality of life is when people can make connections to other people the true essence of any city. Great cities — world-class cities — are not a closed collection of isolated islands. They are open cities. Connected cities.Via: Houston Chronicle