Welcome to Accessibly Urban
May 21st, 2024
Coral reefs are complex ecosystems that provide shelter for a quarter of all marine life. They represent a specialized habitat tailored to the specific needs of their inhabitants. Similarly, cities represent specialized habitats tailored to the specific needs of their inhabitants. Urban economist Edward Glaeser often refers to cities as “our species’ greatest invention,” reflective of the degree of cooperation required to build a city in the first place. This habitat, like many others, has been evolving and adapting for centuries, with the earliest known city, Çatalhöyük, establishing itself nearly 10,000 years ago in modern day Turkey. Today, over half of the global population lives in urbanized areas, with projections estimating this share will grow to over 70% by 2050. Despite only covering 1-3% of global land area, cities generate over 80 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, as cities have grown in magnitude, their inner workings have become onerously complex. Some of this complexity is necessary to manage the natural strains of living in close proximity to a lot of other people (i.e. - how do we keep trash from accumulating or how do we ensure that everybody feels safe to live their best life), however, an increasing share of it has become counterproductive to the functioning of a healthy city. From my view, this presents two key problems.
Problem #1: It makes cities hard to understand
Do you know when your local zoning board appeals (ZBA) meets? Do you know what the ZBA is? Props to you if you do know what it is, but I’d argue that most people probably do not and that’s perfectly understandable. Most of the time, we can get by without knowing the nuts and bolts of urban mechanics, but when we find ourselves needing to get more involved, it shouldn’t require a master’s degree in urban planning or civil engineering to meaningfully engage with the process. More concerningly, it disenfranchises through obfuscation. It makes cities hard to understand, which makes less people interested in trying to understand them in the first place (Why should you take the time to learn what the ZBA does?). Given that we all share this space, we really should ensure that its operations are accessible and understandable.
Problem #2: It dehumanizes cities
Cities are inherently human, representing the interaction of thousands of individual life stories, pursuits and desires existing, and coexisting. In our attempts to understand and control cities in a very mechanical way, we threaten to squeeze out the organic interactions that make cities the vibrant places that they are. Take for example street vendors. Street vendors can provide access to food in a way that is more accessible and locally informed than more formal vendors, while providing a stable income for people situated outside of the formal economy (by choice or by force). However, many cities seem to view street vendors mostly as a nuisance to be managed and mitigated. I’m not arguing that street vendors are free of negative externalities, but I am suggesting that the general approach (see permitting and regulation) largely overstates the potential of negative externalities and crowds out any room for positive externalities to be realized. Here’s a scholarly article (with an international focus) about street vendors and their relationship with cities if you want to fall down that rabbit hole.
This page is going to be part knowledge sharing exercise as someone who has some understanding of how cities work, and part personal journey as I explore the nuance of myself as a practitioner of urban development and a resident of our shared urban environment. I plan on posting longer form written content here, pictures and videos from my personal experiences exploring Chicago (my home) and other cities by foot and by bike on Instagram, and GoPro videos from my bike rides on Youtube. Stick around and engage with the content that speaks to you!
About me: I am a transit planner based in Chicago, IL. Currently, I work as a transit planner for a consulting firm. Before this position, I held transit planning positions at three other consulting firms. Before entering the private sector, I worked at several transit authorities in various transit planning and operations capacities. While the bulk of my professional career has been in public transportation, my interest lies in sustainable transportation (walking, biking, transit) generally. As a result, I try to engage with transportation from a variety of perspectives. Near the beginning of my career, I obtained my CDL and drove fixed route transit buses in revenue service regularly. I still drive trolleys and motor coaches part time for a charter bus company. Beyond transportation, I have an interest in urban governance, zoning, and public safety that will probably show up in this page. I live in Chicago, IL and walk or ride my bike to accomplish most of my daily errands. I own a car that I primarily use to visit friends and family outside of the city.
Bonus: The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) allows citizens that had their zoning request denied to appeal the decision. It typically consists of an appointed or elected board, and their decision is typically final. In Chicago, it’s a five member board with all 5 members appointed by the Mayor and approved by the city council. According to the Chicago Zoning Ordinance, “a majority of said members at the time of appointment shall be members of the Illinois Society of Architects, the Western Society of Engineers, the Chicago Real Estate Board, the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, the Cook County Real Estate Board, the Building Manager's Association of Chicago, the Building Construction Employer's Association or the Chicago Building Trades Council, or shall be the incumbent of the office of Commissioner of Planning and Development, City Architect, Superintendent of Police, or Corporation Counsel, or shall be a City resident who has had outstanding experience in zoning administration.” The ZBA typically meets the third Friday of every month both virtually, and at City Hall. Here’s a link to their website.