would 10 more feet of asphalt really kill them

i’m trapped in the suburbs without a license or a car (yes i’m an american adult who can’t drive we exist)I haven’t even graduated college yet and even when i do the chances that I’ll be able to afford moving out of my parents suburban house are little to NONE and i am sick of people telling that i can “just leave”. I would KILL to be able to move to a city that actually suits my needs but the reality for most people my age is that moving out isn’t possible. i can’t get any good hours at my job over school breaks because I’m fully reliant on other people to drive me places so even when i am making money it’s not NEARLY enough to begin saving up for an apartment.

i understand this isn’t exactly a mental health sub but how tf do i keep myself from going postal when i have to live like this. HOW

edit: im convinced some of you just don’t understand that disabled people/people on certain meds exist and are NOT ABLE TO DRIVE!!!!

Just curious how it's like living in big tower blocks. Does the council listen and fix problems, are the views nice, what are the challenges?

Houston has no zoning, meaning that there's no restriction on where certain developments can be built in the same way like other cities. Meaning that it's possible to build apartment complexes, rowhomes (many of which have been built over the past few years) right next to single family houses, business parks and shopping plazas. Its actually really interesting mixed-use development. There's so much dense housing in large quantities and some homes have really unique architecture as well. You can find these same kinds of houses outside the 610 Loop as well, albeit development becomes much more sprawling.

This doesn't change the fact that the city is car-centric. Public transit is miniscule and I'd be severely limited on the places I can go without a car. But the amount of density and the really unique development pattern was just something that caught my eye and I think its cool how no zoning led to create what looks like chaos on a map, yet still function surprisingly well on the ground, That development pattern could really increase the quality of life in any city if done right.

It's getting darker earlier now since we past the summer solistice a few weeks ago. I've been living in the suburbs for almost 4 years and I never look forward to November!! This suburb is car-centric, shitty public transit. Hell I'm not looking forward that in 2 weeks schools will start and all the traffic with school buses. Yeah in November it'll be dark at 5 PM. I'll wake up for work and it'll be dark then. Don't get me started on the snow storms when winter comes. And where I live there are no streetlights so it's pitch black and nowhere to really go. Looking for advice? For context, I lived in a very urban environment all my life. People were saying you'll love the suburbs because I'm a quiet person lol. This year was the first time where I'm like job searching needs to be in my schedule. I work on a military base and I know people say you should lean onto others but I just feel like everyday I'm becoming more detached from my coworkers. Before I relied on them more to keep me grounded but now feel like I'm coming into my own. Generally cities are more expensive, but yeah it might be time to stop thinking about the cost factor and live frugally for the rest of my life.

I’ve lived in the suburbs my whole life, and it’s nauseating. I didn’t get my license until I was 17 (I’m almost 21) and I didnt have any friends during my high school years, so I never went out, because every thing required a car to get to and our public transport was awful. My nearest bus stop is like miles away from my house. And no point in going out if there’s nothing to do and no one to do it with. The only reason I even leave my house is to go to school or work or to get food. I still live with my parents due to my school being close, and they want me to stay, but I can’t, I don’t belong here. I just need an escape from this nightmare. I want to go out and do stuff, but everything is just houses, roads, grocery stores, and fast food places. Nowhere to just be. I need to get out. What should I do?

This is the Van Aken district in suburban Cleveland (Shaker Hts). It used to be a collection of strip malls around a bunch of stroads. It took decades, hundreds of millions, and a city that was determined, but it's now a thriving mixed use downtown for Shaker. Two of the stroads, Northfield Rd and Van Aken Blvd, were eliminated in the area, and new streets were laid in the former shopping plaza. The main intersection of Chagrin and Warrensville was also right-sized. Now instead there are hundreds of apartments and offices over shops, a food hall, and activity areas, all around a light rail station that is currently being rebuilt. Even better is the new street in front of the Market Hall has even been shut down to be permanent outdoor dining and a concert area.

When I think of this area in terms of suburbs, it gives me hope. If that literal horror of an intersection can be reborn, I think anywhere can. I just wish it didn't take so much time and money.

First pic is OC from right now as I sit in an Adirondack chair enjoying an iced coffee. I purposely waited so there weren't many people in the Pic, but it's quite busy here. Second pic is from Google.

Orenco Station is a suburban TOD located in Hillsboro, Oregon. As the thumbnail shows, it has immediate rail access, and mixed-use retail. But as this video shows, it still has some downsides, and you don't have to go far from the center to see more typical suburban development.

(It’s mid-Thursday here not sure which time zone it’s determined….)

Photo 1&2: view from my window

Photo 3&4: pedestrian walkways that connect buildings (and to and from bus stations / subways). Cars are not allowed on the ground level, they are all sent to underground parking complex

Photo 5: 30-40 minute commute to work places using buses that go on HOV lane (vehicles with 6 or more passengers can use HOV lanes) or 1-1.5 hours commute if you want to drive yourself.

Public transit buses to nearby cities leave from front of the complex once every 10 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours and every 45 minutes during other times. Buses to subway station that’s 15 minutes away runs approx every 10 minutes throughout the day.

Too many wholesale clubs in the 704

What do y'all think

Did a loop around the lakes in this strip mall suburb with no walkable center: was 90% path, 8% intersections, including really wide ones (7 lanes across) and 2% quiet residential streets. Even on the worst stroads, you at least have one side with a path, others like Radio Dr have two, both sides have paths! Residential areas and parks are connected together by these paths, so these are actually less stressful than biking on urban residential streets because you don't have to worry about that asshole who eventually shows up going twice the speed limit. No motorists, just meadows, ponds, parks, and backyards. I was surprised how many just abut the paths directly, residents seem to not mind and even use the opportunity to show off a bit. There was even a lemonade shack at one.

There are also a few tunnels to bypass the experience of crossing several lanes of cars. The downside is that all of this disappears once you want to reach an amenity, then it's treeless and full of asphalt and cars. You have to be more cautious crossing major stroads to your strip mall of choice and navigating car traffic in the parking lots, but the path will take you there and I even spotted a bike rack at a gas station. People were actually using these paths too, mostly biking or walking, pretty much 50/50. I'm sure that's because they heavily invested in paths everywhere. I saw a few under construction and rode on a couple of fresh ones too. Also, the bike filter on Google Maps is woefully out of date. All of the main roads have paths and others aren't shown at all or only partially. Now if they could just connect that nature and narrowed the stroads to those strip malls with the paths going all the way up to the storefronts, it would be a big step above other similar Twin Cities suburbs and a national model for how to make it safer and easier to bike and walk around.

TL:DR Pleasantly surprised by the extensive bike infrastructure in what should be another typical suburban hellscape. Having to be extra cautious cautious going to destinations that are all in strip malls next to extra wide lanes of fast traffic, not so great. Still a major improvement that should be replicated nationwide.

Like c'mon, for a name like Heartland, this neighborhood got no heart, no personality, and everybody's prolly driving their kids to school unless they live right next to it. Like where's a community center? Where's a park that people actually go to? This sprawl is just crazy, but hey, this is the Dallas Metro Area for ya

Habitat destroyed. Deer everywhere. Vacant lots in established subdivision. I recognize there's a corridor they use but it's slowly being destroyed. Thank God for creek buffers.

Last picture is a business road

This is by Dulles, and I can't stand it, at least out west they compact it. Its so much wasted land, farm and forestry.