The increasing affordability of, and access to cars has ensured that most of us rely on them in one way or another; they have significant impacts on the way we live our lives and have become integral to our social interactions, employment, entertainment, personal liberty, and consequently urban planning.
For decades we have designed our cities around the use and ownership of cars, prioritising private car accessibility and connectivity over bio-diversity, urban landscapes and our environment – is there really a future where personal cars will no longer be the primary way in which we move around our cities?
Is there really a future where personal cars will no longer be the primary way in which we move around our cities?
|
To drive or not to drive?
We were all warned in the mid 20th century about the impact of cars; renowned town planner Sir Colin Buchanan noted in 1963: “It is impossible to spend any time on the study of the future of traffic in towns without at once being appalled by the magnitude of the emergency that is coming upon us. We are nourishing at immense cost a monster of great potential destructiveness, and yet we love him dearly.”
Although the personal car has opened up endless opportunities for people, the disconnection of local communities, increase in urban sprawl, lack of connected pedestrian facilities, and to some degree an increase in loneliness can also be associated with the rise of in car ownership, while the sedentary lifestyles driven by a lack of active transport options have increased cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Of course, the toll that mass vehicle ownership is taking on our planet also sends out an alarming signal. Transport is now the USA’s biggest CO2 contributor, and emissions have more than doubled in the Middle East over the last 30 years, despite new technology improving fuel and emissions efficiency.
A 2018 global study revealed that 68% of people surveyed perceive climate change to be a major threat, while simultaneously SUV sales (the most emission-intensive cars) have increased by 60% over the last 10 years. This data suggests that our relationships with cars are completely irrational. American phycologist Jonathan Haidt has a great analogy of our moral logic: “The emotional side is the elephant; the rational side is the rider. The rider of the elephant looks like he or she is in charge, but when there’s a disagreement between the elephant and the rider, the elephant usually wins.”
So, can we give up cars? The rider will say ‘yes’ and the elephant ‘no’.
It’s not an argument solely for logic; cars don’t just take us from A to B, they have become an extension of us, a status symbol, fashion accessory, storage space, a lullaby for our babies, and a ticket to go anywhere we like at anytime. The idea that this could change might seem alien to some, however, our younger generations seem to be welcoming the notion. It appears that the first instinct of many teenagers around the world is no longer to obtain a driving license and cruise down the road, windows down and music blaring. Teenagers in the United States of America (USA) are now 20% less likely to get a driving license than 25 years ago, and the United Kingdom (UK) is experiencing the same move with a 20% reduction over the last 20 years.
