The idea that cities should be designed around 15 minute hubs, where you should be able to walk to everything you need (job, grocery, school, hospital, restaurants, etc) within 15 minutes. From Paris's new plans to Barcelona's superblocks, it looks like cities across Europe at least are beginning to catch on to how appealing this way of living is. Thoughts on how to apply this to cities outside of Europe?
EDIT: The discussion going on here is fantastic and I love you all :heart-sickle:
I would gladly eat a 20% hike (or like 5% a year for 5 years) increase to property taxes in Toronto for free public transit
It really wouldn't even be that much in many cities, more like 1% a year
Below 2% a year for us is sub inflation, so city services would shrink
A one time 20% increase would effectively add transit onto taxes instead of fares
And then of course inflationary increases after that
I reran the numbers, and it looks like it would be closer to what you stated. Phrasing is important with these things, and the income taxes that fund my transit district would go from .73% to .94%, a two-tenths of one percent increase (which is what I was trying to refer to by saying it'd be around 1 percent, although it's an increase of 20-something percent). Does that make more sense?
I was looking purely at property taxes
We don't have municipal income taxes in Toronto
<3
I see, I see, it would be a small amount nonetheless. Unfortunately the head of our county transportation department is on the record saying it won't go fareless on his watch, although activists have been working toward it.
:(
It's sad
It's fareless if you don't pay for it! 🚋 😉