Madison Area

[Rothman]

Madison should adopt Houston-like zoning laws that permit the easy construction of highrises, of course without breaching the height limit. Then it should reconstruct the Beltline and I-39/90 and convert US 51, Pleasant View Road/McKee Road and US 12 north of Middleton into freeways. Of course, all of this extra space would probably spike the population and necessitate the introduction of a subway system...

The last time I saw this many bad ideas in a single paragraph, it involved FritzOwl

I'll just wait (assuming that I live long enough to see it) for the USSupremes to rule that a local zoning related development denial is a 'compensatible public taking' under 5A (yes, I sense that the current Court could very well do that), overturning a century-old decision to the contrary.  Also the (related?) trend towards 'desuburbanization' that I see starting within the next several decades.

Mike

I definitely think you're right that this is a plausible action by the current court. I find it ironic, however, that the political impetus for doing so is to favor a group who will find the likely outcome appalling—not only the bizarre results that Houston gets from lack of zoning laws, but it will also remove the primary tool NIMBYs use to obstruct development. That makes things like 15-minute cities and other forms of New Urbanism more attainable, as well as potentially resolving the California housing crisis, which would probably put that state back on the path to long-term population growth.

This seems a very optimistic view.  There could be a whole host of negative outcomes from such a ruling as well.  Could even go the other way and result in more single-family housing being built...

You aren't wrong, but having always lived somewhere where more single-family housing being built is the default anyway, I don't really see that particular outcome as being much of a change in the status quo.

Madison should adopt Houston-like zoning laws that permit the easy construction of highrises, of course without breaching the height limit. Then it should reconstruct the Beltline and I-39/90 and convert US 51, Pleasant View Road/McKee Road and US 12 north of Middleton into freeways. Of course, all of this extra space would probably spike the population and necessitate the introduction of a subway system...

The last time I saw this many bad ideas in a single paragraph, it involved FritzOwl

I'll just wait (assuming that I live long enough to see it) for the USSupremes to rule that a local zoning related development denial is a 'compensatible public taking' under 5A (yes, I sense that the current Court could very well do that), overturning a century-old decision to the contrary.  Also the (related?) trend towards 'desuburbanization' that I see starting within the next several decades.

Mike

I definitely think you're right that this is a plausible action by the current court. I find it ironic, however, that the political impetus for doing so is to favor a group who will find the likely outcome appalling—not only the bizarre results that Houston gets from lack of zoning laws, but it will also remove the primary tool NIMBYs use to obstruct development. That makes things like 15-minute cities and other forms of New Urbanism more attainable, as well as potentially resolving the California housing crisis, which would probably put that state back on the path to long-term population growth.

This seems a very optimistic view.  There could be a whole host of negative outcomes from such a ruling as well.  Could even go the other way and result in more single-family housing being built...

You aren't wrong, but having always lived somewhere where more single-family housing being built is the default anyway, I don't really see that particular outcome as being much of a change in the status quo.

...just accelerated.

[The Ghostbuster]

The reconstruction of John Nolen Dr. is beginning: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/john-nolen-drive.

[paulthemapguy]

There's an intersection of "Nolen" and "Olin".  lol.

[mgk920]

There's an intersection of "Nolen" and "Olin".  lol.

LOTS of kewl street names in and around Madison. 

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

There's an intersection of "Nolen" and "Olin".  lol.

LOTS of kewl street names in and around Madison. 

Mike

Yeah, Madison has only eight numbered streets - 1st through 8th. None of them are long, just a few blocks each, and they start at kind of a random point on the east side of town.

So every other street is named for something or someone.

[The Ghostbuster]

8th St. is easy to overlook since it is very short: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1050698,-89.3521924,301m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

[SEWIGuy]

8th St. is easy to overlook since it is very short: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1050698,-89.3521924,301m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

To be honest, I always thought it just went up to seven, but looked at a map to confirm before typing my post!

[mgk920]

8th St. is easy to overlook since it is very short: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1050698,-89.3521924,301m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

To be honest, I always thought it just went up to seven, but looked at a map to confirm before typing my post!

I also note that the City of Madison spells out the street names of its eight 'numbered' streets.  That is identical to the 'numbered' streets here in Appleton, First through Eighth.  In Appleton, Second through Eighth Sts were in a previous 'Village' that was combined (by the state legislature) with two others to form the City of Appleton in 1857 and now run opposite from the current addressing grid on the city's southwest side. Present-day Wisconsin Ave (WI 96) was originally 'Second St', this because it was planned to be the city's 'second' main street.  'First Ave' was named as such because it is the first east-west grid street north of Northland Ave (now Outagamie County 'OO', then US 41) on the city's middle to far north side.

Mike

[hobsini2]

8th St. is easy to overlook since it is very short: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1050698,-89.3521924,301m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

To be honest, I always thought it just went up to seven, but looked at a map to confirm before typing my post!

I also note that the City of Madison spells out the street names of its eight 'numbered' streets.  That is identical to the 'numbered' streets here in Appleton, First through Eighth.  In Appleton, Second through Eighth Sts were in a previous 'Village' that was combined (by the state legislature) with two others to form the City of Appleton in 1857 and now run opposite from the current addressing grid on the city's southwest side. Present-day Wisconsin Ave (WI 96) was originally 'Second St', this because it was planned to be the city's 'second' main street.  'First Ave' was named as such because it is the first east-west grid street north of Northland Ave (now Outagamie County 'OO', then US 41) on the city's middle to far north side.

Mike

I wouldn't say the numbered streets start at a random point. Looking southwest, 1st St is the 1st street east of the Yahara River. A lot of cities use rivers as a dividing spot or a starting point for a group of streets to have a theme to them.

[SEWIGuy]

8th St. is easy to overlook since it is very short: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1050698,-89.3521924,301m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

To be honest, I always thought it just went up to seven, but looked at a map to confirm before typing my post!

I also note that the City of Madison spells out the street names of its eight 'numbered' streets.  That is identical to the 'numbered' streets here in Appleton, First through Eighth.  In Appleton, Second through Eighth Sts were in a previous 'Village' that was combined (by the state legislature) with two others to form the City of Appleton in 1857 and now run opposite from the current addressing grid on the city's southwest side. Present-day Wisconsin Ave (WI 96) was originally 'Second St', this because it was planned to be the city's 'second' main street.  'First Ave' was named as such because it is the first east-west grid street north of Northland Ave (now Outagamie County 'OO', then US 41) on the city's middle to far north side.

Mike

I wouldn't say the numbered streets start at a random point. Looking southwest, 1st St is the 1st street east of the Yahara River. A lot of cities use rivers as a dividing spot or a starting point for a group of streets to have a theme to them.

You are probably right that they started it there intentionally, but the Yahara River isn't exactly a major crossing or anything.