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An Anonymous Coward writes:
BusinessInsider reports on some creative solutions that have been submitted for "The Trump Wall"
Main link:
http://www.businessinsider.com/design-trumps-border-wall-hyperloop-2017-4
Homeland Security has put out a request for proposal and some of the submissions are truly creative. This article focuses on a joint Mexican-US proposal to convert land along the border to a neutral zone and build a Hyperloop along the border.
The Trump administration is reviewing design bids for its proposed wall along the US-Mexico border. But not all plans are interpreting the word "wall" literally.
A group of Mexican and American engineers and urban planners called MADE Collective want to build a $1 trillion hyperloop transportation network instead. The plan would turn the border into a shared nation, called Otra Nation, with an independent local government and nonvoting representatives in the US and Mexican legislatures.
...
The plan would cost approximately $15 billion — less than the $21 billion that the Department of Homeland Security estimated a border wall would cost. The designers also predict that their system would create $1 trillion in trade.
...
The group submitted its design to the US Customs and Border Protection's official call for proposals in March.
While this certainly wasn't what your AC was expecting, it appears to be a completely serious proposal from experienced builders and planners -- http://www.otranation.com/proposal
Other proposals submitted include:
MADE Collective is not the only one to submit a fantastical design for the border wall. Other proposals include a wall covered in solar panels, a binational park, and an "Inflatoborder" made of plastic bubbles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @02:33AM (5 children)
Read the article. Plan calls for a neutral zone that is jointly managed. The hook that could catch Trump's nose is the plan also predicts an additional trillion ($T) of additional trade by connecting all the current border cities together with Hyperloop. The way he's been flip flopping on campaign issues says to me that he might forget the wall and go for increased trade. Can't you see Trump Tower hotels along both sides of the border?
My take on Hyperloop is that it may never be "human rated" -- one crash at high speed with only very small pieces left just doesn't sound appealing to climb into. However, it could be a very economical way to transport freight. The combination of maglev and low air drag means very low losses in steady state motion. And if deceleration/descent of one pod can be turned into power to accelerate/hill-climb another pod, the regen could also be very efficient. The fact that it's perhaps 10x faster than truck shipping and doesn't need a driver goes without saying...(but I'll remind you of that anyway).
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @02:46AM (1 child)
Plane crashes are not easy to survive either, but humans love flying so much that you have to drag them off the plane. 😂😂😂😂😂
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @05:17PM
Can't beat that.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @03:40AM (2 children)
Read the article.
Shirley you jest.
Plan calls for a neutral zone that is jointly managed.
Sounds like the Berlin Wall already. Prolly will have a Checkpoint Donald too.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Monday April 17 2017, @04:19AM (1 child)
I was going to say the same. Crowd-source it all you want, it will still be an Albatross to future sane governments, very akin to the Berlin wall. Of course, most of the people running the show right now will be "vacationing in Brazil" as seems to be the tradition.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @05:15AM
It looks like the Canucks are about to make weed legal. [google.com]
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