Over the past century, our reliance on automobiles has skyrocketed.
Since we’ve become so dependent on them, it’s easy to overlook all the negative effects that they have on our lives.
Commuters in Los Angeles spend an average of 119 hours per year stuck in traffic (that number has doubled since the 80s when it was about 60 hours per year).
Imagine what else we could be doing with all that wasted time.
It’s also estimated that there are around 2 billion parking spaces in the US, even though there are less than 300,000 registered vehicles (roughly 7 times the amount of spaces versus cars).
“That excess space comes at a high premium. A single spot can require tens of thousands of dollars to build. Adding five parking spaces per 1,000 feet can increase the cost of building a large shopping center by roughly 37 percent if they’re located above ground, and by more than 50 percent the cost if the spots are underground.”
Imagine if we could use that land to build more common areas and parks.
Air pollution from exhaust is linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths globally each year and over 1.25 million people are killed yearly due to traffic accidents.
Tack on the fact that Americans love their trucks and SUVs, which are significantly worse when it comes to both CO2 emissions & traffic fatalities.
In the US, trucks are the most popular vehicle, with 166,079,082 registrations in 2021, compared to 101,601,344 car registrations.
These stats are frightening, but the good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way.
This article was spurred by my recent trip to Greece. I just got back from visiting a magical little island called Hydra, about an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Athens.
What sets this island apart is the fact that there are no cars.
Aside from emergency vehicles and garbage trucks, there has been a ban on all motorized vehicles since the 1950s.
No horns, no traffic, no air pollution, no drunk driving, no pedestrian fatalities.
In the mornings, you see locals loading up donkeys and mules with supplies from the mainland. Life seems to be calmer and less stressful here. I’d be curious to see how someone from Hydra would respond to rush-hour traffic in the US.
It’s refreshing to see that there are a number of cities taking progressive steps to move to a car-free environment. Europe has done a much better job at this in recent years, but the revolution is taking place all over the world.
In Freiburg, Germany, more than a third of residents do not own a car. The use of public transport and bicycle trips has doubled.
Major cities, like Paris and Bogota, have implemented “car-free days” once a year.
In Tempe, Arizona, there is a new neighborhood being built by a company that calls itself the world’s first post-car real estate developer. Culdesac founders Ryan Johnson and Jeff Berens say they want to provide people the option of living a car-free lifestyle.
These are all signs that we are finally waking up to the fact that eliminating cars makes people happier and healthier.
I have hope for the future and the direction we’re heading.
Alright, it’s Sunday afternoon in Barcelona, I’m going to wrap this up and head out for a bike ride.
Until next time my friends.
<3 B
Wow super nice and interesting topic. For sure can happen we didnt have them in the past. Thanks for sharing Brian.
Are there any post car cities?