Site of the Day for Thursday, October 28, 2021
CityLab: The Commuting Principle that Shaped Urban History
Today's site from Bloomberg's CityLab publication offers an insightful account
of a primary concept of urban life -- the acceptable distance to work. Gentle
Subscribers will discover a thoughtful analysis tracing this principle
throughout history to today.
"From ancient Rome to modern Atlanta, the shape of cities has been defined by
the technologies that allow commuters to get to work in about 30 minutes. ...
In 1994 ... an Italian physicist, described an idea that has come to be known
as the Marchetti Constant. In general, he declared, people have always been
willing to commute for about a half-hour, one way, from their homes each day.
... This principle has profound implications for urban life." - from the website
After a barrage of notices, the CityLab's site settles down into a
straightforward consideration of the Marchetti Constant and its presence in the
creation of urban landscapes throughout history. Beginning with one of the most
notable and significant ancient cities -- Rome, and then moving on to 14th
century Paris, the analysis incorporates outline maps and graphics to
illustrate the movement of traffic in these environments, which was essentially
carried on by foot. Moving into the 19th century and the newly emerging
industrialized cities of England and America, the report notes the
technological developments in transportation speed which permitted greater
urban / suburban areas but still remained within the boundaries of the critical
half hour commute. It concludes with a speculative section on the possibilities
for The Cities of the Future.
Nip over to the site to consider the relationship of commuting and urban life
at:
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/08/commute-time-city-size-transportation-urban-planning-history/597055
A.M. Holm
Comments? Suggestions? amholm@xxxxxxxxxxx
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