Design a Better Boston: What Is This Forum?

[briv]

This new section has been added to provide a forum for new ideas. It is a request for proposals going out to all you amateur and not-so-amateur architects, urban planners, civil and transportation engineers to design a better Boston. If you have a design, scheme or idea that you believe would help make a better city -- whether it be a building design, a neighborhood plan or a chunk of infrastructure -- this is the place to share it.

If you simply want to describe your idea in words, this is perfectly fine. But nothing sells a good idea better than a pretty picture. So I encourage those who post to include some imagery with their proposals.

I'm excited about this new forum and think it can develop into something very cool -- perhaps even something that significantly contributes to the greater discussion on our city's built environment.

Of course, your feedback will help determine how this forum evolves. I look forward to reading your input.

 

[George_Apley]

This forum has evolved mostly into a "wishful transit & infrastructure ideas" realm. We've got a number of threads about transit & infrastructure including general transit pitch threads.

These threads sometimes break down into pointless arguments about what the threads are for. Well, let's break it down.

Reasonable Transit Pitches: Use this thread for transit projects and ideas that are a) not official, and b) could happen relatively easily given the right bureaucrats giving it their attention. Be prepared for folks to dig into the pitch for need/viability/etc.

Crazy Transit Pitches: Use this thread for transit projects and ideas that are a) not official, b) would require large-scale political advocacy and significant allocation of funds, c) fill a clear transit deficiency or gap, significantly improve existing service, or reconfigures the existing environment, and d) are connected to reality with regards to engineering, cost, politics, and ethical questions. Be prepared for folks to dig into the pitch for feasibility/need/etc.

Crazy Highway Pitches: Use this thread for road infrastructure projects and ideas that are a) not official, b) would require large-scale political advocacy and significant allocation of funds, c) would fill a road infrastructure deficiency or gap, significantly improve existing travel, or reconfigure the existing environment, and d) are connected to reality with regards to engineering, cost, politics, and ethical questions. Be prepared for folks to dig into the pitch for feasibility/need/etc.

If You Were God... Transit & Infrastructure Sandbox: Use this thread for musings that are not gonna happen. Just a thought experiment or fantasy with little or no consideration for existing conditions or realities. Don't nitpick these. Just have fun.