PFC Chapter 2518: Xiao Xiao Down (2)
Chapter 2518: Xiao Xiao Down (2)
Chapter 2518: Xiao Xiao Down (Part )
Gotham’s traffic is still a common problem, but the traffic renovation project and the building renovation project started almost simultaneously, so considerable results have been achieved so far.
Before the renovation, the main problem with Gotham's traffic was the lack of public transportation functions, the large number of private cars, and the long-term lack of repairs on the ground roads, resulting in most traffic being stuck on just a few roads.
Unlike Metropolis, it is very difficult to build a subway in Gotham due to the structural problems of its underground water system. At a time when subway construction in major American cities was in full swing, they were temporarily unable to solve such technical problems, resulting in Gotham not even having a remaining subway. There are only two lines in the center of the main city, where the geology is relatively good. This is simply a disaster for a large city with a population of tens of millions.
Gotham's car market is very prosperous, with the largest used car market on the East Coast. In addition, car prices and oil prices are not that expensive, so any family with a little savings will choose to buy a car.
The terrain of Gotham and Metropolis is different. Most of Gotham City is hilly with many slopes. Riding a bicycle or a motorcycle is just asking for trouble, so many young people choose to buy a car after they start working.
This results in Gotham having a much higher rate of private car ownership than its more populous neighbor, Metropolis.
In contrast, Gotham has a terrible road maintenance system. The roads were not wide when they were first built, and the materials used were not good. There are also too many outlaws driving ridiculously overweight trucks to crush the roads, and repairs and maintenance require road occupancy, so Gotham's city center is always congested.
The technology for building subways has indeed developed a lot in recent years. Even without the Wayne Group, Gotham's subway could have started construction. But with the establishment of the Wayne Group, they decided to do it in one go and build a high-speed railway instead of a subway.
However, there is basically no group in the United States that can undertake the construction of high-speed railways, because this mode of transportation is not very important to them. The main modes of transportation in the United States are still roads and airplanes.
If Gotham wants to build a high-speed railway, it can either find a team from another country or start research from scratch. However, neither option is very realistic, not to mention that what Gotham wants to build is a high-speed underground railway that is spread across a complex water network. There is basically no similar technology and experience in the world.
At this time, a technology came into the Wayne Group's sight, that is, magnetic levitation. There have been many examples in history of using magnetic levitation trains as high-speed urban transportation.
But again, this type of patented technology is basically mastered by Germany, Japan and China. The United States does not have this kind of patented technology, so it can only either hire a team or do its own research.
But before, in order to improve Gotham's transportation network, Bruce got a lot of dark energy. In fact, the essence of magnetic levitation is to convert electrical energy into kinetic energy, so he can actually convert other energy into kinetic energy, as long as there is energy.
So Bruce decided to start the technology tree from the beginning and use the endless dark energy obtained from Barbatos to build a floating subway for Gotham.
However, before that, he took advantage of the previous relocation wave to build many new roads and overpasses to alleviate existing traffic problems, and then added buses, ferries, and even cable cars, and frantically built bridges in the Gotham River and Delta areas, which slightly eased the traffic situation.
As for the commercial part, the South District, which was originally a commercial cluster, is also undergoing new commercial integration. To put it bluntly, it is also gathering those scattered commercial shops into business districts and commercial centers.
This is actually a task that should have been completed more than 100 years ago, but Gotham has its own situation. The poor security environment makes investors feel uneasy about putting all their industries in one basket. Wouldn't it be a waste to build such a large commercial center just to be robbed?
Even if no one would rob every day, the gangs would come to the door every day to demand protection money. If they didn't pay, they would blow it up. The damage to a storefront was acceptable, but the cost of destroying an entire commercial center was too high.
Therefore, Gotham has never been able to achieve commercial concentration until recently, when the security situation in Gotham has greatly improved, traditional gangs have completely declined, and modern corporate gangs need new ways to make money, which has prompted the entire South District to begin large-scale construction and build various prosperous business districts.
In fact, from the perspective of municipal planning, the best option is to place the industrial zone in the north district, strengthen ties with inland industries, keep a distance from the wealthy areas, and place the consumption and entertainment centers in the west district bordering the south district to promote consumption.
But on the one hand, historical conditions do not allow it, and on the other hand, many people are gradually realizing that the consumption capacity of the rich is actually not that strong, and it is enough to give them a luxury street to stroll around.
On the contrary, a commercial district adjacent to a densely populated residential area with countless affordable goods and numerous food, drink, entertainment and experience centers is the real goose that lays golden eggs. Real consumption still depends on mass consumption.
This is also the most important reason why the city of Gotham was able to significantly surpass other cities after the Great Depression.
In late fall, the big thing that Gotham residents are paying attention to is not the second Great Depression that the whole United States and even the whole world are paying attention to. There are many more important things that are worth their attention and seizing opportunities.
One is that Mayor Roy has become the strongest candidate for the gubernatorial election. His achievements in Gotham are obvious to all. Even the mayor of Metropolis cannot compare with him. He has said in interviews many times that he has little hope and that Roy is the popular choice.
It is good news for the people of Gotham that their mayor is going to become governor, but they like their current mayor very much and feel that no one in the future will be able to surpass him, so they still feel sorry for his departure.
But no matter what, Roy is definitely going to be promoted, and the citizens are very worried about who will be the new mayor.
The most promising candidate among the current candidates is Oswald Cobblepot, who has made significant contributions to the construction of Gotham, but has been criticized for his gangster background.
Of course, James Gordon also ran for the election, but he said he was just a runner-up because if he became mayor, Gotham would really not be able to elect a competent police chief, and the citizens agreed with him.
Another candidate is Harvey Dent, but his argument is the same as Gordon's. If he becomes mayor, what about the attorney general?
Many people also called on Bruce Wayne to run for election, but most people did not have hope for this. They believed that if Bruce Wayne participated, he would only participate in the presidential election, and he would not come to be a small mayor.
Some of the remaining candidates have the same problem as the above-mentioned people. Either they have a bad background or they are unable to leave their duties. Therefore, in the past few days, the local news has been discussing this topic, and even the Great Depression has been put aside.
Another big event is that Gotham University is moving. To be more precise, it is going to build a branch campus and move most of the majors there.
The reasons for this are, on the one hand, Gotham University is too old and many of its teaching buildings are not worth demolishing and rebuilding; on the other hand, the area it covers is indeed too small and there is no space for expansion of many high-tech laboratories.
Moreover, the land where Gotham University is located is very important. It can be used to build anything else that will generate higher returns than building a university. In urban planning, this is the best terminal for Gotham's levitating train, so even a university has to make way for it.
However, the good thing is that Gotham University's target location for relocation is the West District, where a large area is reserved for the construction of a university town. The high-tech laboratories can also interact well with the high-tech industrial zone, so that professors and technicians do not have to run back and forth. It is also closer to the densely populated East District, and the commuting distance is shortened. Most faculty and students are happy to see this.
The same is true for Schiller, of course. His estate is in the West District. Although it is on the suburban line of the West District and is basically the same distance from any place in the city, it is at least closer than before.
However, after the industrial zone was built, Schiller also considered moving, because the few facilities for maintaining people's livelihood in the West District had to be moved to other places. Even if only one manor area was left in the end, it would be impossible to live there without supporting facilities.
Schiller now has two choices: either move to the South Side and buy a similar villa in the wealthy area of the South Side, or move to the East Side and buy a bungalow.
Indeed, no matter how you look at it, the former is better, but the problem is that the United States is now in a serious economic crisis, and basically no one would be so desperate as to buy an estate that is destined to decline. Schiller's estate in the West Side cannot be sold.
That is to say, he can only buy a house with the money he has on hand, but you can imagine how expensive houses in the South District are.
Some people may say that if they can't afford a manor, is it that difficult to buy a villa? In fact, villas are the choice of most rich people. Even if Wayne is rich, it is not the Middle Ages now. The living comfort and convenience of a manor are completely inferior to modern luxury villas. Everyone who sees him will say that he is sick.
In fact, Bruce had wavered more than once, because Alfred was old, and it was extremely difficult for him to clean up such a huge Gothic manor.
And the children are getting older. Dick is about to take the college entrance examination, Jason and Tim are about to go to high school, and Elsa has not graduated from elementary school because she was not tall enough and was held back two grades, but she has been growing faster recently.
They are exposed to modern equipment at school and live like normal modern people. They play skateboards and basketball when they have nothing to do. Jason even wants to join the football team.
The Gothic Wayne Manor is indeed very high-end, but they are not taking the final exam for vampires or werewolves. If they want to play basketball, they have to go to the basketball court in the community across the street. Otherwise, breaking any bottles and jars at home will be considered damaging cultural relics. Who can stand this?
But Wayne Manor was built too early. Now this area is not a suburb but an urban area. The surrounding communities and supporting systems are too mature and there is no place for expansion. If they want to have a sports field or something, they can only demolish the garden.
But Bruce has another way, which is to dig underground. The technical difficulties for others are not a problem for him.
He used to laugh at other Batmen digging holes under their houses, but after all the twists and turns, he still had to build a Batcave.
(End of this chapter)