The Non-Binary* of Urbanism
Channel: More Than Transit
Date: 30/12/2023

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*DISCLAIMER: this video is NOT about being non-binary or talk about the gender or politics surrounding it, it is about the binary and polarized ways of thinking in urbanism.

Happy Holidays! This video will wrap up my 2023! What are some other urbanism-related binary thoughts that you have heard of? Comment down below! 

Urban Planning in the 21st Century involves a lot of transformation processes for communities, including a lot of mix and match in creating urbanism and livable communities. Following the examples inspired by many places across the world, many urbanists and advocates have voiced their concerns and contributed to the transformation of many North American communities. However, applying binary thinking to your advocacy and professional work as a planner can be dangerous and harmful for you, as well as your community. Many things can co-exist, and intermingle. This should be what we are heading towards in building the future urbanism for North American cities, besides not being pessimistic about things!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Why I made this video
00:27 Bad infrastructures are opportunities/The unnecessary criticism
00:40 Things are changeable - as they should
00:51 The Need for Intermingle
01:05 The first Binary thought: The concept of "Car-Free"
01:24 Living Car-Free is a Privilege
01:36 The unnecessary criticism of personal choices
01:46 Why it is harmful and inconsiderate
02:09 Watch the Blindspots!
02:23 The alternatives to Car-Free
02:46 Small changes derive big impacts/Design influences our behaviours
03:18 The second Binary Thought: High Density = High Rise
03:40 The cost of High Density
04:07 NO I'M NOT A NIMBY
04:15 The impacts of missing amenities
04:49 The consideration of existing/surrounding infrastructure and density
05:06 The Alternatives to High-Rise Housing
05:22 #1 Addressing the Missing Middle Housing
05:37 #2 Upzoning/Infill Development/Co-housing
06:14 #3 Brownfield Re-development
06:38 The last binary thought: Greenery and Green Spaces
07:00 The impacts of trees in an urban context
07:35 The Alternatives to Trees
07:50 Consideration for Green Spaces
08:06 Conclusion about Binary Thoughts
08:14 There are NO One-size-fits-all solutions
08:32 Why NJB's take on "fixing North America" was problematic
09:06 Ending and Donours Shoutout

Sources used for the video: 
Environmental Protection Agency: Smart Growth and Economic Success: Investing in Infill Development: Challenges in Urban Infill and Last-mile Development: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-06/documents/developer-infill-paper-508b.pdf  
Urban Design Challenges with High Rise Infill in Mature Neighbourhoods: https://global.ctbuh.org/resources/papers/download/4288-urban-design-challenges-with-high-rise-infill-in-mature-neighborhoods.pdf 
Housing Affordability Top Concern for Canadians: New Survey Findings Reveal Attitudes on Homeownership and Housing Affordability Crisis: https://assets.habitat.ca/images/NEWS-RELEASE_-Habitat-for-Humanity-Canada-Affordable-Housing-in-Canada-Survey-FINAL.pdf?_ga=2.50161058.508639586.1689699739-1810695844.1689699739 
Minneapolis Rental Housing Brief: https://housinglink.org/docs/default-source/mainlibrary/rentalhousingbriefminneapolis202012.pdf?sfvrsn=bae46fda_4 
https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01192 
A Life Without Car Ownership: The Challenges Are Not What I Thought They’d Be!: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/8/31/a-life-without-car-ownership-the-challenges-are-not-what-i-thought-theyd-be#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20cons%20of,cab%20that%20inexplicably%20never%20comes. 
Going Car-Free: Exploring the barriers and benefits: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/opinion/2022/september/going-car-free-exploring-the-barriers-and-benefits
The Benefits and Challenges of Living Car-Free in Urban Areas: https://novehicle.com/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-living-car-free-in-urban-areas-a-complete-guide 
Options for Sidewalk Repair Around Existing Trees: https://shadetreeexpert.com/sidewalks-and-tree-roots/ 

Music in the video:
"Sappheiros - Embrace" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0)
https://www.youtube.com/c/Sappheiros  
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/embrace-song

Other recommended readings
"Happy City" by Charles Montgomery
"Dream Cities: Seven Urban Ideas That Shape the World" by Wade Graham
"Strap Hanger" by Taras Grescoe

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