Worldchanging: Is ‘The Old Economy of Car Dependence’ Over?
If you’re not reading Worldchanging on a regular basis, you’re definitely missing one of the most positive, encouraging, and exciting daily blasts of news from the world of sustainability and innovation. Alex Steffen and his team have been tirelessly working to point the way to a brighter future for America and the world that contrasts powerfully to the most dire predictions of energy shortages and global warming if we do nothing.
Sometimes when we’re so focused on innovation, there can be a blind trust in some mystery technology, not yet created, that will solve our energy problems. This is especially apparent with regard to our automotive fleet that will “one day soon” run on banana peels or solar power. Alex and Worldchanging, to their credit, have looked around and seen obvious, ready-to-go solutions to curb our energy thirst and cut emissions, while still getting us where we need to go, outlined in a wonderful essay from a year ago, entitled “My Other Car is a Bright Green City.”
We bring up Worldchanging also to point you to a short piece written by Transportation For America communications director David Goldberg on the connection between the current housing crisis and the old development model based on inexpensive fuel.
In truth, the phenomenon of sending people ever farther into the countryside to find houses that they (barely) qualified to purchase played no small role in the current global financial crisis. The epicenter of the U.S. foreclosure crisis can be found on the metro fringes. The buyers who stretched and took on variable-rate or interest-only mortgages, along with punishing commutes, to get into houses on the edge found themselves caught in a double bind.
As gas prices and commute costs rose, their “cheap” houses became ever more costly, even as mortgage payments adjusted along with rising interest rates. But when they went to sell, they found the bottom had dropped out of that market, thanks not only to higher gas prices, but also to demographic and cultural changes that were leading more households to look for homes in more convenient locations.
Read the full article at Worldchanging, and bookmark them for return visits. Our thanks to Alex and Worldchanging for the space.
October 9, 2008Bailout gives tax break to bicycle commuters
Through a provision in the $700 billion bailout package, people who commute to work on two wheels will become eligable to receive a $20 tax-free reimbursement each month. (San Francisco Chronicle — Rachel Gordon)
October 6, 2008Don’t Build Parking, And They’ll Come–Without Cars
Washington DC’s planning commission considers reducing or eliminating parking requirements in the city, giving people and businesses more options for using space in their neighborhoods. (Washington Post — Marc Fisher)
September 30, 2008On Your Bike
The Economist looks at the recent success of Giant, the world’s largest bike manufacturer, which is capitalizing on a growing interest in cycling as an antidote to obesity and high transportation costs.
September 19, 2008Lance Armstrong: Secret Weapon to Fight Global Warming?
A writer at the New York Times‘ Freakonomics blog wonders if Lance Armstrong’s comeback from retirement could push even more people to strap on a helmet and pedal their way to work.
September 18, 2008Scott Bernstein on Smart City Radio
The president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology talks about the true cost of commuting and the impact high gas prices will have on where people choose to live. (Smart City Radio)
September 15, 2008Run on bikes leaves slimmer pickings at some shops
Bike shop owners are having a hard time matching demand as more and more commuters look to bypass heavy traffic and high gas prices for a ride on two wheels. (Associated Press — Ernest Scheyder)
September 15, 2008Transit users get a San Francisco treat — a tax break
Taking inspiration from a recently-enacted law in San Francisco, a Los Angeles councilwoman is considering introducing legislation that would require employers to let workers pay for mass transit on a pretax basis. (Los Angeles Times — Steve Hymon)
September 3, 2008Car-less on the east side
Freelance writer and Milwaukee resident Kristine Hansen finds that living on the east side of the city with little more than a bike and her two feet for transportation opens a world of possibilities. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
August 28, 2008Bummed at the Pump
Like everyone else, students across the U.S. are reacting to high gas prices by finding a litany of cheap transportation methods. (Newsweek — Patrick Crowley and Keith Naughton)
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- Why Jackson, MS needs better transit and complete streets
December 17, 2008 - Introducing the Streetsblog Network
December 8, 2008 - Americans overwhelmingly support new transportation investments
November 20, 2008 - Governors call for new approach to transportation
October 15, 2008 - Reinventing American Transportation
October 10, 2008
- Why Jackson, MS needs better transit and complete streets
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