[Vladimir]

Ingliz your safety concerns are just a matter of good policing, so leave it to my ministry, I will place a police cell in every microdistrict and make structures enabling the residents to closely cooperate with the police. Why concern over something that is clearly solvable within my jurisdiction, and the examples of failure are due to insufficient measures in the past?

I live in a city of over 15 million most of whom by far (95%) live in high rises and we do not experience a single of the problems you describe. Also, it is the 3rd densest city in the word while being only a hour's journey across. Low-rise districts simply can't replicate the combination of the density, freed space, infrastructural accessibility and shortened transit achieved by high-rise microdistricts, and you haven't proved the opposite.
Mass transit is just commuter hell and will can only be of use to those living next to it, leaving those further in isolated and stranded in the monotonous suburbs. All areas of these low-rise suburbs would just become labyrinths isolated by distance from each other and from the rest of the city with its services and infrastructure. Urban spaces should be integrated and merged, in pace with modern life where communities are more interpersonal across the whole city rather than local, and what you would achieve is nothing but isolating and fragmenting of urban space.

[ingliz]

If you want to put all your social problems into high rise and most of your police force too go ahead. I am very happy in my state supplied "low-rise" palace, why should I care.

[Vladimir]

Well it's up to Zyx in the end.
The problems of criminality would simply be a matter of ordinary policing adapted to the new logistics, not a local problem of exclusively former slum areas.

The reason projects failed in Britain and the US is exactly because they didn't alter the city fabric but were local and in a narrow range. What is real faliure is the insufficient implementation of high-rise solutions, which resulted in ridiculous suburban sprawls, miserable transit, gridlocks, dilapidating centres, capital flight and inner-city poverty.

I am “obsessed” with the plan because in the rest of the world, such projects are the only successful mass-housing schemes; look at the housing and urban policies in China and the developed high-rise culture in Russia. Elsewhere there are only slums.

Your plan offers commuter hell, fragmentation and marooning; my plan offers a dynamic urban fabric, suited for fast transit, total accessibility and flexible spatial layouts (very important in a time of rapid investment capital flows).

[Dr House]

Urban Reconstruction Bill

This bill affects the following cities: Kvibille, Hjorring, Charlestowne, Bifrost, Norchester, Tarbot, Pofograd and Nouveau Espoirs.

Abstract:
This bill installs microdisticts across many cities with the purpose of housing many people and integrating them into a larger, conscious community. All that an urban community can depend on will be here, with a heavy emphasis on biking.


-

Size and Configuration
A Microdistrict will be shaped like a square.
Each side will be 1km.
From an birdsview, each microdistrict will appear circular, 1km in diameter, separated by roads every 66.428m [1/7 500m - 5m] so that circular roads are 10 meters in width that circle the centre of the district every 7th the way to the outer rims.
Each microdistrict will be constructed so that the walls of the outer square fit along standard compass directions (North, West, East, South.)
The microdistrict will be divided into seven sections. In order from the centre: "centre, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh."

Details of each section.

The First Section:
This centre will be focused around a statue on ground level with a podium facing south.
Around the statue will be a circular complex, tiers of which will be on the southern side of the circle. The floors of the initial building will be nineteen.
The lower five floors will be kindergarten and nursery.
The above five will be Libraries.
The top nine will be secondary school.

The Second Section:
This will focus on parks.
Many sports courts, basket ball and tennis, provided free.
Within its inner rim, 1/4 of the way, there will be service shops, clubs, building maintenance offices and shops.
Shops will be determined by microdistrict democracy.
On its North side will be Hospitals; East, Courts; West, Fire Departments; East, Police Offices.

The Third Section:
Start of Solar Panels that extend on 45 degrees away from each typical compass direction. They will be 30 degrees wide. Solar Panels also extend three districts back. The intervening roads go beneath it in safe zones.
Beside from these solar panels, this third zone has a strip of priority housing above free bicycle parking.
Priority housing will provide for the elderly and disabled.

The Fourth Zone.
Beside from the solar panels, this is true raw greenery. Trees.

The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Zone.
Beside from the solar panels ending in the fifth, this is the residential zone.
High rise buildings with bike parking on the bottom.
There will be windows in each room, so the centre of each section may be empty.

Outside of the seventh zone.
Trees.

There will be main roads running the typical compass directions. These roads will be twenty meters wide. Also, bus stops will go at each section along these main roads.
Buses will go from North to South or East to West--repeating the diameter of the microdistrict during busing hours as determined by the microdistrict.
The main road will not intersect the centre district.
The smaller roads will not have buses.

How many people will each microdistrict house?

How many is each city estimated to contain?

[Zyx]

Oh, lol, umm, I was running by SN-RF first as is rules, but uhh, 1,500 a building I believed, but then I realized that I didn't have buildings, so I can't really tell.

What's your recommendation.

It turns out that I don't have 'square buildings' so I can't tell how high they go up.

My buildings are about thirty degrees wide, I think. Which makes them rather larger.

I don't know how large a typical building is so I can't really do anything with the numbers.

If you can, I'd listen to the estimates.

It's so hard coming up with a floor plan . . ..

[Dr House]

If each building is 30 degrees wide, then a loose estimate would have each building being 60x250 meters in the 7th section, 60x230 in the 6th section, and 60x210 meters in the 5th section, which is fucking huge. We could easily house over 4,000 people per building very comfortably (and by very comfortably I mean each flat would be as fucking large as an American middle-class house), if such a large building is feasible (If it's not the design could easily be broken down into smaller buildings). Essentially, each microdistrict as you've planned it would be a city on its own.

I like it.

The only problem is that the whole thing may be too expensive, especially if we design this as a public housing project and the whole thing comes out of your budget. Especially the part about the solar panels.

[ingliz]

Low-rise high density urban micro villages

•A recognizable center for the town/city/community, such as a green square or distinctive intersection, in which the transit stop is also situated.
•Buildings in the neighborhood center placed close to the street, to form a well-defined space.
•A walk of not much more than 5 minutes from any home to the community center, or approximately 2,000 feet.
•Mixed housing types, including apartments, rowhouses and detached homes, to provide a suitable dwelling for people of all ages and all economic means.
•An auxiliary building for workspace or a garage apartment is allowed in the backyard of each home.
•Parking lots or garages in the back of homes and businesses, rather than fronting the streets.
•Shops and offices to sufficiently serve the weekly needs of residents on the edge of the community.
•An elementary school close enough for most children to walk from home.
•Small parks or playgrounds near every home, not more than a tenth of a mile away.
•Streets that create a linked network to disperse traffic.
•Relatively narrow streets, suitable for pedestrians and bicycles, preferably lined with trees.
•Some major spots in the neighborhood center reserved for buildings to facilitate community meetings and activities, or for religious, cultural, or educational purposes.
•A self-governing community, guided by a council that makes decisions on maintenance and change.

[Dr House]

How high-density are we talking here? Kumatto's microdistricts would house well over 100,000 people in a 1-kilometer square with plenty of amenities.

[ingliz]

I00 units per hectare

Individuals are able to design their own homes under the guidelines provided by the design codes. These individuals consult with the architects in organised workshops, challenging them to meet their needs by responding creatively to the design code.

[Dr House]

Zyx's microdistricts would have 1,200 to 1,500 units per hectare.

And wouldn't custom-built houses be too expensive, considering these are public projects? I realize that we need to create amenable housing for our urban working class, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

[ingliz]

The cost of building is small compared to the life of the building, a well built house can stand for 200 years or more

[Dr House]

With regards to Zyx's project, my initial recommendation is as follows:

The three outer rings should consist of incrementally sized units, as each ring section would be progressively larger. The innermost residential section would consist of 1-bedroom units measuring 13 by 12 meters. The middle section would consist of 2-bedroom units measuring 13 by 13 meters. The outermost section would consist of 3 bedroom units measuring 13 by 14 meters. Each section would consist of 24 buildings (2 across, 12 around) each measuring 210x26 meters at the base, and 25 stories. Each floor of each building would contain 34 (17x2) units, for a total of 850 units per building.

To ensure maximally efficient utilization, in order for a family to move into a dwelling it must be the appropriate size for the flat, at minimum. 1-bedrooms would be reserved for single people and childless couples. 2-bedroom flats would be reserved for families with a minimum of one child, or other dependent. 3-bedroom flats would be reserved for families with a minimum of two children or other dependents. A penalty surcharge would be levied for flats being used "under capacity" and a reduction in rent rates, if there are any, will apply for flats being used over capacity.

This should result in each microdistrict housing approximately 170,000 people.

Strict background checks would be required before moving into a microdistrict. Any felony conviction in the last 7 years woiuld disqualify a person from moving in.

As the site value represents the single highest cost of development, introducing a land value tax or simply confiscating the development sites would be appropriate.

[ingliz]

"The research demonstrated that, contrary to earlier thinking, older housing actually costs less to maintain and occupy over the long-term life of the dwelling than more modern housing. Largely due to the quality and life-span of the materials used, the Victorian terrace house proved almost £1,000 per 100 m2 cheaper to maintain and inhabit on average each year."

[Dr House]

Whether we make low-rise villas or high-rise apartment complexes we're building brand new structures, Ingliz.

Another thing that occurred to me is that while heavy investment in public transit should presumably make cars less necessary, car parking for the residential complex is still necessary. What I'm thinking is three floors of underground parking under each building, with one parking spot allotted per housing unit, which can be used on a first-come first-serve basis by residents and resident-authorized visitors only.

[ingliz]

Not everything is new in my plan, which is cheaper and what people want (All surveys I've seen show people want to be no higher than the 3rd floor)

Keeping out the criminals:

Any felony conviction in the last 7 years woiuld disqualify a person from moving in.

Seeing as 90% of male slum dwellers have a criminal record (US figures, Washington) who are you building these monstrosities for?
Or is it SN/RF policy to split poor families, the women and children living in these new, very expensive, superduper, 'vertical' slums while the men make do with shop doorways, hostels, etc.

Low-rise:

“The area of the UK with the highest housing density is Kensington and Chelsea,” says a housing spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. “And if everywhere was designed like Eaton Square, where Nigella Lawson lives, it would solve London’s housing crisis.”

[Zyx]

If each building is 30 degrees wide, then a loose estimate would have each building being 60x250 meters in the 7th section, 60x230 in the 6th section, and 60x210 meters in the 5th section, which is fucking huge. We could easily house over 4,000 people per building very comfortably (and by very comfortably I mean each flat would be as fucking large as an American middle-class house), if such a large building is feasible (If it's not the design could easily be broken down into smaller buildings). Essentially, each microdistrict as you've planned it would be a city on its own.

Hmm, can you explain this more. The metric system is out of my ken.

What if I made TVs in the Parks and had sparse miniature rooms. Couldn't I 'force' people out of their homes and into communal areas?

Maybe I wouldn't need as much solar power, then--as rooms would pretty much be beds, water and clocks.

Also, maybe I should replace my lane of trees with community agriculture.

I don't really want too many 'cars' in the name of environmentalism, hence the maximizing of bike paths.

Ideally, people would go to their beds to sleep and then go to the city center for fun.

As these are urban areas, they may take their bikes to the outer edge of the city and catch one of Zagadka's trains (Zaggers) to a port or so, but as far as developing a system where there are TVs in every 'flat' and people stay far a part and separate, sociologically, this isn't a communal arrangement.

I don't think ingliz' alternative recognizes this.

•A recognizable centre for the town/city/community, such as a green square or distinctive intersection, in which the transit stop is also situated.
•Buildings in the neighborhood centre placed close to the street, to form a well-defined space.
•A walk of not much more than 5 minutes from any home to the community centre, or approximately 2,000 feet.

I have these, sort of. I emphasize bikes--maybe a surplus of bikes--so its no worries traveling around.

•Mixed housing types, including apartments, rowhouses and detached homes, to provide a suitable dwelling for people of all ages and all economic means.

Doesn't emphasize community.

•An auxiliary building for workspace or a garage apartment is allowed in the backyard of each home.
•Parking lots or garages in the back of homes and businesses, rather than fronting the streets.

People don't need cars.

•Shops and offices to sufficiently serve the weekly needs of residents on the edge of the community.

I made the shops and offices in the center, which is better as its more communal.

You want people converging not diverging.

•An elementary school close enough for most children to walk from home.

Most children will ride bikes where only Buses (or Trolleys) frequent the main road at predictable times and maybe Trucks bringing in food to support the city centres.

Plus, this makes the schools more communal. What's the point of having kids in the West and kids in the East? This will only divide them. Next we'll have kids who support one sports team over another and then we'll have little battles that they've no business vying over.

•Small parks or playgrounds near every home, not more than a tenth of a mile away.

Already have the mega park that's very communal. Many people on their days off would just hang around and sit in the fields, enjoying free entertainment and just good fun.

•Streets that create a linked network to disperse traffic.
•Relatively narrow streets, suitable for pedestrians and bicycles, preferably lined with trees.
•Some major spots in the neighborhood centre reserved for buildings to facilitate community meetings and activities, or for religious, cultural, or educational purposes.
•A self-governing community, guided by a council that makes decisions on maintenance and change.

Done. Mine is less pollutant and more communal, what's your objection?

Seeing as 90% of male slum dwellers have a criminal record (US figures, Washington) who are you building these monstrosities for?

These are comrades. They'll have solidarity in the community or spend long hours in the library, occasionally marveling at the statue of whatever emblem of good life we construct and then will leave the cities whenever to work outside and bring back more money into the microdistrict community.

The three outer rings should consist of incrementally sized units, as each ring section would be progressively larger. The innermost residential section would consist of 1-bedroom units measuring 13 by 12 meters. The middle section would consist of 2-bedroom units measuring 13 by 13 meters. The outermost section would consist of 3 bedroom units measuring 13 by 14 meters. Each section would consist of 24 buildings (2 across, 12 around) each measuring 210x26 meters at the base, and 25 stories. Each floor of each building would contain 34 (17x2) units, for a total of 850 units per building.

Ideally, the order should be reversed as children would prefer to be closer to the center as they'll make daily commutes for school and the young adults will be the one's going without the district to the factories, docks or railroads. I like this idea--though it's hard to visualize--how high are these towers?

Drawing up these plans were draining.

--
Can anyone make a Paint diagram? Or a price estimate?

[Vladimir]

Zyx do you have AutoCad?

If not, you could at least draw aerial view plans.

[Dr House]

Seeing as 90% of male slum dwellers have a criminal record (US figures, Washington) who are you building these monstrosities for?
Or is it SN/RF policy to split poor families, the women and children living in these new, very expensive, superduper, 'vertical' slums while the men make do with shop doorways, hostels, etc.

Your excuse for wanting low-rise apartments was that the criminal element only consisted of 20% of the working class, and you wanted lower density residential sectors to keep it sparse. Background checks were designed to keep that "minority" criminal element out.

If 90% of slum dwellers are criminals then obviously it can't work, but then separating the criminal element from the rest of the working poor by any means is an exercise in futility as the criminal element is everywhere. Therefore, there is no advantage of low-density housing over high-density housing.

Also, slum dwellers are most likely less criminal in Pofo than the US given that Pofo is much more racially homogeneous than the US (92% of the population is white). The impoverished deep South has much lower crime rates than the slums in the more racially diverse North.

[Zyx]

Vladimir I tried.

I was using Gimp but the circle command makes no sense. Come to think of it, maybe I had to 'fill' the circle, but when it comes to making 45 degree solar panels--I'd be hopeless.

The description would suffice, I suppose.

Dr House, any idea how high rise I'll go?

[Vladimir]

If you can you should definitely make a sketch at least. Perhaps you can draw by pencil and scan ?