Brillaint take on how municipal competence compounds over time. The part about neighbors bringing snacks to the repair crews really captures something deeper than efficency--it's proof that when government delivers tangible results, people actually want to participate. I've seen this kinda thing firsthand where a well-executed street repaving in my area led to residents pushing for more infrastructure improvements, suddenly everyone cared about the next bond measure.
Yes, well said! Get the basics of blocking and tackling right before moving on to the razzle-dazzle plays. Trust begins at the local level and builds up.
Different story, but: in my city, there was a particular location where cyclists (including myself) always rode against traffic, because it was the most obvious path to get from an existing bike lane to another. A few years later, the city had built a bike lane there, and I remember feeling very impressed with state competence. There was an obvious solution and they just did it. (Maybe my bar is low but it's good to celebrate small wins!)
Love this article for so many reasons. We used to live in Baltimore City, and sidewalks were a crapshoot. Sometimes they were great, sometimes they were in terrible shape, and sometimes they were non-existent. My kids were certainly tougher for it with all the falling. I contacted our awesome city councilman, but his hands were tied as you mentioned: sidewalks were the resident's responsibility. Very frustrating.
I will say that Baltimore City government shows good state capacity in at least one area: graffiti removal in public spaces -- IF you submit a 311 request, they often will have it gone within a day. I'm not a "broken windows" theory guy, but getting rid of graffiti can make a community feel a little more family-friendly and enjoyable. And, to your point, it makes you believe that the local government can actually do things to help people.
Brillaint take on how municipal competence compounds over time. The part about neighbors bringing snacks to the repair crews really captures something deeper than efficency--it's proof that when government delivers tangible results, people actually want to participate. I've seen this kinda thing firsthand where a well-executed street repaving in my area led to residents pushing for more infrastructure improvements, suddenly everyone cared about the next bond measure.
Yes, well said! Get the basics of blocking and tackling right before moving on to the razzle-dazzle plays. Trust begins at the local level and builds up.
Different story, but: in my city, there was a particular location where cyclists (including myself) always rode against traffic, because it was the most obvious path to get from an existing bike lane to another. A few years later, the city had built a bike lane there, and I remember feeling very impressed with state competence. There was an obvious solution and they just did it. (Maybe my bar is low but it's good to celebrate small wins!)
Love this article for so many reasons. We used to live in Baltimore City, and sidewalks were a crapshoot. Sometimes they were great, sometimes they were in terrible shape, and sometimes they were non-existent. My kids were certainly tougher for it with all the falling. I contacted our awesome city councilman, but his hands were tied as you mentioned: sidewalks were the resident's responsibility. Very frustrating.
I will say that Baltimore City government shows good state capacity in at least one area: graffiti removal in public spaces -- IF you submit a 311 request, they often will have it gone within a day. I'm not a "broken windows" theory guy, but getting rid of graffiti can make a community feel a little more family-friendly and enjoyable. And, to your point, it makes you believe that the local government can actually do things to help people.
Vetocracy is a great word. I'm going to use it more now. Great article.
It’s long seemed to me that this should apply to sidewalk snow clearance as well!