A muddle
@amuddle.bsky.social
Likes science, programming, chess and world news. Not always serious.
Did BBC fail to call the Caspian Sea the "Lake of Azerbaijan"?
February 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Did BBC fail to call the Caspian Sea the "Lake of Azerbaijan"?
I agree with JD that free speech is important but he didn't seem to defend that. He bizarrely defended foreign interference in Romania's election.
Free speech doesn't include the right to skirt campaign finance laws, or to use botnets.
Fair elections are essential to democracy.
Free speech doesn't include the right to skirt campaign finance laws, or to use botnets.
Fair elections are essential to democracy.
February 20, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I agree with JD that free speech is important but he didn't seem to defend that. He bizarrely defended foreign interference in Romania's election.
Free speech doesn't include the right to skirt campaign finance laws, or to use botnets.
Fair elections are essential to democracy.
Free speech doesn't include the right to skirt campaign finance laws, or to use botnets.
Fair elections are essential to democracy.
As much as I love it, I don’t think Hong Kong is a town to emulate. People live there single room appartments, with the toilet in the shower.
November 25, 2024 at 3:08 PM
As much as I love it, I don’t think Hong Kong is a town to emulate. People live there single room appartments, with the toilet in the shower.
The problem, as I see it, is to encourage businesses to leave the city to build other centres…. Not to force more and more density there.
November 25, 2024 at 3:00 PM
The problem, as I see it, is to encourage businesses to leave the city to build other centres…. Not to force more and more density there.
That way the exponential cost of higher density infrastructure can be reduced.
And cities can be arranged in a way in which costs are roughly linear, not quadratic.
People have shorter commutes, and the cost of housing closer to their workplaces is less.
And cities can be arranged in a way in which costs are roughly linear, not quadratic.
People have shorter commutes, and the cost of housing closer to their workplaces is less.
November 25, 2024 at 2:57 PM
That way the exponential cost of higher density infrastructure can be reduced.
And cities can be arranged in a way in which costs are roughly linear, not quadratic.
People have shorter commutes, and the cost of housing closer to their workplaces is less.
And cities can be arranged in a way in which costs are roughly linear, not quadratic.
People have shorter commutes, and the cost of housing closer to their workplaces is less.
What needs to be done is that we need to stop that high density before costs become irrationally high.
Businesses need to be encouraged to set up in places other than the centre - perhaps as one or several of smaller satellite centres.
Businesses need to be encouraged to set up in places other than the centre - perhaps as one or several of smaller satellite centres.
November 25, 2024 at 2:51 PM
What needs to be done is that we need to stop that high density before costs become irrationally high.
Businesses need to be encouraged to set up in places other than the centre - perhaps as one or several of smaller satellite centres.
Businesses need to be encouraged to set up in places other than the centre - perhaps as one or several of smaller satellite centres.
It’s also expensive, as the maintenance costs grow nonlinearly (quadratic) with the radius…
And as long as you arrange your city like this, that is inevitable. Eventually as the centre grows exponential infrastructure costs balloon the debt, and you can’t even provide the basics for outer suburbs.
And as long as you arrange your city like this, that is inevitable. Eventually as the centre grows exponential infrastructure costs balloon the debt, and you can’t even provide the basics for outer suburbs.
November 25, 2024 at 2:47 PM
It’s also expensive, as the maintenance costs grow nonlinearly (quadratic) with the radius…
And as long as you arrange your city like this, that is inevitable. Eventually as the centre grows exponential infrastructure costs balloon the debt, and you can’t even provide the basics for outer suburbs.
And as long as you arrange your city like this, that is inevitable. Eventually as the centre grows exponential infrastructure costs balloon the debt, and you can’t even provide the basics for outer suburbs.
They naturally make concentric rings around the city, with the poorer (and longer commute) workers at the edges.
But this costs. The density of the city means any infrastructure there becomes exponentially more expensive… but you need to get more and more workers to workplaces.
As
But this costs. The density of the city means any infrastructure there becomes exponentially more expensive… but you need to get more and more workers to workplaces.
As
November 25, 2024 at 2:37 PM
They naturally make concentric rings around the city, with the poorer (and longer commute) workers at the edges.
But this costs. The density of the city means any infrastructure there becomes exponentially more expensive… but you need to get more and more workers to workplaces.
As
But this costs. The density of the city means any infrastructure there becomes exponentially more expensive… but you need to get more and more workers to workplaces.
As
I suspect that the real problem is that we put too much in the city centre, not too little.
The businesses concentrated there need workers… hundreds of thousands more than can reasonably live in the city area (and it’s just too expensive). So workers are priced out, and must live in the suburbs.
The businesses concentrated there need workers… hundreds of thousands more than can reasonably live in the city area (and it’s just too expensive). So workers are priced out, and must live in the suburbs.
November 25, 2024 at 2:32 PM
I suspect that the real problem is that we put too much in the city centre, not too little.
The businesses concentrated there need workers… hundreds of thousands more than can reasonably live in the city area (and it’s just too expensive). So workers are priced out, and must live in the suburbs.
The businesses concentrated there need workers… hundreds of thousands more than can reasonably live in the city area (and it’s just too expensive). So workers are priced out, and must live in the suburbs.
I have been thinking about this way to much, so thanks for the good conversation.
I do have an alternate way of understanding what’s going on… you might not like it, or you might. But hear me out.
I do have an alternate way of understanding what’s going on… you might not like it, or you might. But hear me out.
November 25, 2024 at 2:23 PM
I have been thinking about this way to much, so thanks for the good conversation.
I do have an alternate way of understanding what’s going on… you might not like it, or you might. But hear me out.
I do have an alternate way of understanding what’s going on… you might not like it, or you might. But hear me out.
In fact, in the city, if we’re being fair, city should be considered to have a smaller catchment, as they can often get where they want to go without using a train at all, eg. by tram. We have basically only one PT option, so everyone is funnelled through the single station.
November 25, 2024 at 2:08 PM
In fact, in the city, if we’re being fair, city should be considered to have a smaller catchment, as they can often get where they want to go without using a train at all, eg. by tram. We have basically only one PT option, so everyone is funnelled through the single station.
Yes. It has many other train lines, also serving the inner suburbs. And free trams and buses (which are very badly patronised) too.
I think it apples to apples - catchment is just the closest station people use.
I think it apples to apples - catchment is just the closest station people use.
November 25, 2024 at 2:02 PM
Yes. It has many other train lines, also serving the inner suburbs. And free trams and buses (which are very badly patronised) too.
I think it apples to apples - catchment is just the closest station people use.
I think it apples to apples - catchment is just the closest station people use.
Hit me with it. Maybe choose the best one? :)
November 25, 2024 at 10:05 AM
Hit me with it. Maybe choose the best one? :)
The value of commercial areas in the city is accounted to the people who live there.
But the cost of transport in the city is accounted to the suburbs?
But the cost of transport in the city is accounted to the suburbs?
November 25, 2024 at 3:21 AM
The value of commercial areas in the city is accounted to the people who live there.
But the cost of transport in the city is accounted to the suburbs?
But the cost of transport in the city is accounted to the suburbs?
I’m just saying there a lot larger catchment areas in the suburbs than in the city.
November 25, 2024 at 2:59 AM
I’m just saying there a lot larger catchment areas in the suburbs than in the city.
They’re not. We have to get onto one of those four busses… which like the train, are packed.
Sorry I didn’t understand about the 54k comment?
Sorry I didn’t understand about the 54k comment?
November 25, 2024 at 2:58 AM
They’re not. We have to get onto one of those four busses… which like the train, are packed.
Sorry I didn’t understand about the 54k comment?
Sorry I didn’t understand about the 54k comment?
Well, our suburb has 70k people, and one station. This area has 324,000 people and 4 metro stops, two on regional rail. So say 54,000 people per station?
November 25, 2024 at 2:50 AM
Well, our suburb has 70k people, and one station. This area has 324,000 people and 4 metro stops, two on regional rail. So say 54,000 people per station?
They are from the newspaper. My suburb is from Wikipedia. City centre from the council webpage. I might have miscounted the number of existing stations, but it’s close…
November 25, 2024 at 2:45 AM
They are from the newspaper. My suburb is from Wikipedia. City centre from the council webpage. I might have miscounted the number of existing stations, but it’s close…
It’s not as bad as I made out because the city is full of businesses which the people from the suburbs work in. But yes, I agree it’s not rational.
They should build in the suburbs where although the stations are further apart average catchment areas are much larger, and construction costs less.
They should build in the suburbs where although the stations are further apart average catchment areas are much larger, and construction costs less.
November 25, 2024 at 2:42 AM
It’s not as bad as I made out because the city is full of businesses which the people from the suburbs work in. But yes, I agree it’s not rational.
They should build in the suburbs where although the stations are further apart average catchment areas are much larger, and construction costs less.
They should build in the suburbs where although the stations are further apart average catchment areas are much larger, and construction costs less.
The new train line in the city costs about $14bn for 5 new stations. Assuming equal catchment areas per station, this serves 50,000 people. That’s $300,000 per person. At 5.6% state bond rate, that’s around $20,000 per year per resident ($780m total).
How is that a net positive?
How is that a net positive?
November 25, 2024 at 1:57 AM
The new train line in the city costs about $14bn for 5 new stations. Assuming equal catchment areas per station, this serves 50,000 people. That’s $300,000 per person. At 5.6% state bond rate, that’s around $20,000 per year per resident ($780m total).
How is that a net positive?
How is that a net positive?
There’s around 10 buildings per acre in new developments (not including the road).
The city centre has a population of 177,000 in 37sqkm and already has around 16 stations, buses and trams.
My suburb has 9.3 sq km and has a population of 66,000. We have one station and four buses.
The city centre has a population of 177,000 in 37sqkm and already has around 16 stations, buses and trams.
My suburb has 9.3 sq km and has a population of 66,000. We have one station and four buses.
November 25, 2024 at 1:26 AM
There’s around 10 buildings per acre in new developments (not including the road).
The city centre has a population of 177,000 in 37sqkm and already has around 16 stations, buses and trams.
My suburb has 9.3 sq km and has a population of 66,000. We have one station and four buses.
The city centre has a population of 177,000 in 37sqkm and already has around 16 stations, buses and trams.
My suburb has 9.3 sq km and has a population of 66,000. We have one station and four buses.
No. I’m saying that the cost of providing infrastructure (whether road or rail) in dense areas is astronomical. The cost of servicing those debts dwarfs the cost of maintenance.
November 24, 2024 at 11:08 PM
No. I’m saying that the cost of providing infrastructure (whether road or rail) in dense areas is astronomical. The cost of servicing those debts dwarfs the cost of maintenance.