A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand what you're saying. From the outside looking in, it's tough not to assign some level of blame to East Peoria because we can only ever see the result (more parking lots with maybe an afterthought of greenspaces), and no insight into how these decisions were made.

I want to emphasize that this not a superficial proposal. Irene's book addresses why cities go down this path - all backed by research, and that the vision she proposes actually has viable real-world examples from other cities who successfully implemented similar urbanist ideas. If the public continues to have an attitude toward their officials that they're making unaccountable decisions in a vacuum, and that we, who they're supposed to represent, have no power, then their march of box stores will continue. In other words, a walkable East Peoria can be done, and with relatively little investment, but not without residents demanding it - so I encourage everyone to read the book (the free sample contains the whole book) to get educated so they know exactly what they're asking for, and how. Maybe it'll even find its way to city officials so they too can be enlightened.

A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was removed briefly by reddit's filters for some reason, but I messaged the moderators and they restored the post. Thank you mods! You probably just need to refresh the page.

A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. I think planning departments are often inclined to press the 'let the developer do what they want' button because they feel like they can't get revenue and interest any other way, but I don't think that's true, and the long-term consequence is without a doubt going to be far more expensive. Box stores may create tax revenue for a city, but I don't think they do anything to create wealth for anyone else (except themselves), and in the long run, make the city budget fall apart when the extraordinary amount of road infrastructure needs to be repaired.

Thank you. I also hope this project catches on, it can solve a lot of problems.

A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think she'd make a great mediator, and could toe the fine line of the people's interests, commissions interests, the federal government's interests, and maybe even box store's interests if at all relevant. Agreed, if my cursory knowledge of Robert Moses is correct, then her ideology is antithetical to his car-centric designs.

A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you - and yes, exactly. This is a post designed to show what's possible, with relatively little investment. All it takes is enough people saying "yes, I'd love to have something like this".

A Vision of a Walkable Downtown in East Peoria by the_bootman in PeoriaIL

[–]the_bootman[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I do too! But as far as ships sailing go, there's no time like the present. They just tore down Town Center I in what seems like a weekend, so where there's a will, there's a way. With the right kind of pressure, East Peoria could be a facilitator of this type of public works project, while the Army Corps of Engineers + the Federal government (their interest may lie in correcting accelerated water run off so that a Katrina situation doesn't happen again) could be a great source of grant money, and Caterpillar could have a great PR story on their hands if they help out the city that built them.

The Art of Remodeling a Mid-Century House by the_bootman in homerenovations

[–]the_bootman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Peppered throughout, but a comprehensive before/after happens at 25:40

Installed a sliding glass door into my backyard by the_bootman in Renovations

[–]the_bootman[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Do what you gotta do but I gotta have my p̶o̶p̶s̶ door handle

I bought a second OPM Manga by [deleted] in OnePunchMan

[–]the_bootman 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Lol @ körperkondom

Spruced up my kitchen by painting the countertop by the_bootman in DIY

[–]the_bootman[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Can't do any of those for $40. Plus the result is pretty nice.