Cars

Yes, I stole the title from a successful Disney movie. I don't expect them to knock on my door with a lawsuit anytime soon...

How should cars enter in to the urban lifestyle today and in the future?

With so many cars already on the road, they're a habit we're not likely to give up easily. Cars have given us a sense of independence and freedom we didn't have before, and we love that. We don't have to depend on anyone when we want to get somewhere.

But if any of you read Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, our most effective state is when we've moved beyond dependence and independence to interdependence. So, how does that work with cars? I suppose carpooling is one option. That sounds somewhat like interdependence. But we've seen how many actually carpool - frequently, the car pool lanes are the only ones where traffic can actually move. In fact, in suburbia, it's hard to get around without a car. That's not independence - that's dependence.

My opinion? Minimize car use. I'm not saying we should outlaw cars; rather, we should mold our world over time into one in which cars really aren't that necessary. If rail, buses, shuttles, and walking are a viable option, people may actually use them. What a world!