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| writing:seasonal_roads [2025/11/25 01:44] – JacobCoffinWrites | writing:seasonal_roads [2026/01/01 21:38] (current) – JacobCoffinWrites |
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| ==== Seasonal Roads ==== | ==== Seasonal Roads ==== |
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| Seasonality is an important aspect of solarpunk. For most of the existence of our species, the understanding that the world changes throughout the year and that we should change our behavior to match was a huge part of the human experience. Our technology, cultures, routines were all linked to our surroundings and the seasons. It wasn't just efficient, it was necessary, given their general | Seasonality is an important aspect of solarpunk. For most of the existence of our species, the understanding that the world changes throughout the year and that we should change our behavior to match was a huge part of the human experience. Our technology, cultures, routines were all linked to our surroundings and the seasons. It wasn't just efficient, it was necessary, given their general level of technology. |
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| An incredibly complex web of supply lines, technology, and infrastructure, has allowed some of us, perhaps briefly, to abandon those practices. We build the same building in all climates and simply burn more fuel to heat or cool it until its comfortable. Our homes and workplaces generally remain comfortable indoors, whether it's a scorching summer day outside, or a howling blizzard, and our ability to travel during winter storms [[road_salt|comes at a tremendous environmental cost]]. | An incredibly complex web of supply lines, technology, and infrastructure, has allowed some of us, perhaps briefly, to abandon those practices. We build the same building in all climates and simply burn more fuel to heat or cool it until its comfortable. Our homes and workplaces generally remain comfortable indoors, whether it's a scorching summer day outside, or a howling blizzard, and our ability to travel during winter storms [[road_salt|comes at a tremendous environmental cost]]. |
| **Seasonality in Cities** | **Seasonality in Cities** |
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| [[https://www.amsterdamsights.com/events/skating.html|In Amsterdam and other Eurpoean cities, people use the frozen canals as ice skating highways.]] Urban Cross Country Skiing is comparatively rare, but [[https://acrossthesnowline.com/2023/12/31/the-dream-urban-xc-skiing-in-north-america/|some cities already do it]]. And there's certainly [[https://www.reddit.com/r/xcountryskiing/comments/p9fnes/xc_ski_destinations_close_or_in_urban_settings/|some demand]] [[https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/the-strange-allure-of-urban-cross-country-skiing/|for it]]. In my current city, today, I often see cross country skiers getting up early to use the clear, smooth snow on the bike path before the plow trucks come through. Perhaps as a solarpunk city reclaims streets into parks and other human spaces, more of them could be used as ski trails in the winter. Perhaps even old highway overpasses/aqueducts could be left unplowed for skiing. | [[https://www.amsterdamsights.com/events/skating.html|In Amsterdam and other Eurpoean cities, people use the frozen canals as ice skating highways.]] Urban Cross Country Skiing is comparatively rare, but [[https://acrossthesnowline.com/2023/12/31/the-dream-urban-xc-skiing-in-north-america/|some cities already do it]]. And there's certainly [[https://www.reddit.com/r/xcountryskiing/comments/p9fnes/xc_ski_destinations_close_or_in_urban_settings/|some demand]] [[https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/the-strange-allure-of-urban-cross-country-skiing/|for it]]. In my current city, today, I often see cross country skiers getting up early to use the clear, smooth snow on the bike path before the plow trucks come through. Perhaps as a solarpunk city reclaims streets into parks and other human spaces, more of them could be used as ski trails in the winter. Perhaps [[https://urbandesignlab.in/seoullo-7017-transformed-from-abandoned-overpass-into-thriving-green-walkway/|even old highway overpasses/aqueducts]] could be left unplowed for skiing. |
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