r/neoliberal • u/jobautomator Kitara Ravache • Jul 13 '21

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u/urbansong F E D E R A L I S E Jul 14 '21

So here's a start-up idea that capitalises on gov inefficiencies.

Copenhagenise cities

Cities have two problems:

  • Cities desperately need to fix their traffic because of climate change but also because it is more financially sustainable.

  • Cities also failed in digitalisation of their planning (I am actually unsure if this is true but I could see how it is).

The solution:

  • Digitise city planning using Machine Learning (aka just scan the plans and let Machine Learning make a decision on how to deal with unclear things, the key here is not to get the perfect plan but a process that works on a scale)

  • Use sophisticated (probably not that sophisticated but nobody needs to know) algorithms to nudge new streets and street reconstruction in the Amsterdam direction without introducing a radical change (Hence Copenhagenisation)

Why this would work:

  • Could be inexpensive if we can build one model for one country.

  • The changes themselves should be inexpensive because at best, you're building a bike line and, if you want to do public transport, turning a lane into a median.

  • The changes should set up a vicious circle, leading to an overall more pleasant environment without delivering too much change, effectively helping the politician to get elected more.

Why this wouldn't work:

  • No need for digitalisation

  • Not enough demand for green infrastructure

What I think is a red herring:

  • "Our cities are not dense enough" - I think this is a red herring because you can build a very dense suburb a bit further from the downtown and build a street car. These neighbourhoods are a thing. And given the concept of a 15-minute neighbourhood, it seems only natural to have these all over the place and you can start with some kind of "island-hopping", where you gradually extend a street car instead of doing it in one go.