Please hire people who live within their cities.

Hello, Dear Mayors and Heads of Corporations

Good morning, how are you doing today? First of all, my name is Jorge Sung, who is an urban study and planning in SFSU and lives in CA. I am sorry to interrupt you at this busy time. In fact, the purpose to write you this letter is because I want to tell you two things. The first one is I recognize American city needs a new neighborhood’s physical layout. After I read many books about city planning, I sense that I have to do something about it. So, I decided to write you about the issue. Second, since I have read so much news talking about the hurricane and tornados, my gut tells me that there must be something wrong with our climate. Moreover, at this time, it shall be summer now, but the weather is still like the spring cool and dim, which entices my curiosity about the global warming. A matter of fact about the phenomenon is that it is neither like the El Niño nor the La Niña, because the number of hurricanes and tornadoes has grown unexpectedly more frequently from a year to year. As I myself is a Urban Study and Planning student, to me the global warming issue is not only caused by the industrialization, but also the development of the cities such as highways, freeways, complex traffic system, skyscrapers, and also the increase of shopping malls with growth of population are relatively linked to each other, don't you agree with me? Having said that I have read many articles and books about a city planning, they really gave me the idea what a good city planning should look like. For instance, in the article, “Under the rubric of the “Garden City”, Ebenezer Howard reintroduced into city building two important ideas: the notion that there was a functional limit to the area and population of a city. The notion of providing more towns, which would form “town clusters,” to perform the more complex functions of a metropolis without wiping out the open recreational spaces and the rural activities of the intervening countryside. Fifteen such communities exist in England today as embodiments of his principle, mostly with populations ranging from sixty thousands to ninety thousands people, who working not as commuters to London but in their local factories and business enterprises...” Now, thinking about the city planning issue, shall the city planning dedicate on the city growth for economy or on the environmental and social justice. I would like to say that ideally it should be better the both issues, because a city depends on where it is located, the city can develop economically with its geographic advantages or disadvantages for the environmental issue to pave the social justice and vice-versa. Consequently, my idea for city is the same of both Ebenezer Howard and Lewis Mumford's city planning, which take care of both economy and environment for a city. This is because both city and its citizens really rely on both factors to survive. So, the purpose of the city and its city planning are especially created for its citizen, who live there, don't you agree? Furthermore, to reach the goal, I suggest that American city planning shall focus on neighborhoods and zoning policy instead of downtown and master planning. This is because neighborhoods have more lands than a city needs the most out of its geographic limitation for its office buildings, business and commercial areas, schools and governmental buildings, and residential areas as well that are separated each other from different neighborhoods. As a result, a city with its geographic location, population size, and economic planning should have at least 6 to 12 these neighborhoods with 1.5 to 2.5 miles of extension for those purposes, and a share of 1/8 miles or 1/16 individual of green areas around the neighborhood. Unlike what happens to the traffic congestion in the downtown area, by applying this new neighborhood layout design with a loose zoning policy for the office buildings, business and commercial areas, schools, and governmental buildings located within the residential areas can sooth the traffic congestion. Indeed, the reason that I raise the issue is because I really have a hard time to face the traffic condition every day from 5:30 am when I go to my university, and even I come back at 9:00 pm. Yet, if you don’t agree with my new neighborhood layout design, do you agree that government and private corporations or companies should hire people, who live within thier cities or much better next to the office buildings to sooth the daily traffic congestion as well as saving fuel consumption? In that end, by hiring the people, who live within their cities everyone can benefit from saving the traffic time, fuel consumption, and car insurance as well, don't you think so? Finally, thank you so much for your patience to take time to read my message and to take care of the issue for me. I wish you and your company be fine with all by God's blessing. Take care. Bye for now!

Best regards,

Jorge Sung