The Next American Metropolis

This is a reaction I had to a section of book written by Peter Calthorpe.

This article covers so much material that condensing my opinions into something concise will be very difficult, as the article touched on many things that I could easily fall into an in-depth discussion about. The creation of walkable communities, balancing the automobile with public transportation, open and public spaces, a connection with nature, mitigating urban sprawl, housing issues, etc., are all issues he [Peter Calthorpe] touched on, and all are issues I have deep concerns about.

One of my favorite issues of these is dealing with the car. The author had an excellent point when he said, “It is time to break the cycle of government investment in an “interstate system: of highways which fundamentally breeds sprawl...Our efforts to improve air quality, preserve...habitat [and] open space...and reduce congestion are constantly contradicted...by these highway investments.” This is so logical! When I read things like this, or talk to others that voice similar opinions in such an articulate manner, I feel my frustration rising. How do planners not see the direct correlation between encouraging the automobile and all our other societal woes? When all of the rest of us know that adding a lane to a roadway will only increase traffic congestion, how is it that they can face us with promises that it will help alleviate the problem?

We need to stop investing in cars. We need to stop building our cities around private transportation. Let’s stop pouring money into wasteful and broken systems. They are no longer even quick fixes, as there are just too many of us to be accommodated by any feasible amount of roadways. It is time to open our minds to other possibilities.

Although, admittedly, I do not know a lot about the new highway the state is planning since it changed from the “Legacy Highway” to its new, more environmentally aware sibling, however, I feel I still have a right to be angered by it. My generation does not want a new highway, yet we are the ones who will have to deal with it, much more than the one currently building it. If my generation does not want it, why is it being built? That gives the lifespan of that project about fifty or sixty years max, but yet we are pouring millions of dollars into it.

What would my generation rather see? Mass transit, walkable communities and safe city travel on our bikes. We want efficient light rail lines to take us where we need to go, bike lanes or paths so we can exercise and enjoy the outside air while commuting, and cities planned around mini-centers so we don’t have to take our cars to the grocery store to load up on supplies for the rest of the week. We want to be able to enjoy our life and not spend countless hours in traffic commuting to our jobs. We want reduced stress and a chance to spend time with family, friends or in recreational pursuits! Why is no one getting this? Isn’t this the same thing the “generation in power” wants as well? If it is, I wish they would show it. I feel as though they are creating huge messes that my generation will have to contend with for the rest of our lives.