Car Free Communities

I recently read this article in Business Week by Alex Steffen who thinks he has the solution to the American car; the problem being cars are expensive, dangerous, and have a death wish for the environment.  He posits that well designed, compact cities will have more of an impact in reducing emissions than improving gas mileage, due to the decreased need to drive everywhere.   

Ok, so we live in America where everyone likes to have their space, because let’s be honest, we have beau coups.  Encouraging people to give up their cars and live in denser communities is going to be harder than one might think, considering it’s more of a way of life that is indicative of Americans, who are proud of the way they are.  We like to have our space, save for the people who live in large cities on top of each other, and such a radical shift in our living situation is only going to be met with resistance.

One thing I think people would be more apt to try would be public transportation that is efficient, reliable, and clean.  Many large cities, Houston for example, have a bus system and a light rail, but neither of them are trustworthy or have an extensive area they cover.  There is no way I could depend on it to get me where I needed to be on time.  I do feel that Houston could benefit from a subway system that could take people from the suburbs to the city for work.  The subway in Washington D.C. is a good role model to follow, but hey, I’d be happy with what we have here in Boston. This would decrease the amount of cars on the road, reduce congestion, and could even make people’s life less stressful.