Atlanta is rapidly consuming Barrow County, so I think I can comment as someone in Atlanta. It's much easier and far more practical to get people to change the kind of car they drive than to change what moves them.
I like to be able to take a peaceful ride along the highways that run through Barrow and go right up to any place along the way, then go back at will.
Cars have come a long way, and their impact on the environment will be just about none by the time we could get a ring of walkable suburbs built just outside the perimeter. The problems seem to be going away. Dense cities are potentially more efficient, but Georgia is a nest of roads and sparse population and still manages to be clean and productive. Forcing everyone into a skyscraper is probably overoptimizing.
// Cars have come a long way, and their impact on the environment will be just about none by the time we could get a ring of walkable suburbs built just outside the perimeter.
Your comment is uninformed. Cars lead to ever-expanding roads, which results in:
- Deforestation
- Poisoning of ground water sources (your soon to be drinking water) due to chlorides in rock salt used on snowy and icy roads, as well as the oils, grime and toxins that are released off the roads when it rains
- More air pollution (you think everyone can afford a Prius?)
- More taxes for YOU, regardless of whether you live in the suburbs or not. New suburbs require garbage trucks to go farther out to service the new areas, as do fire trucks, police and rescue. The power grid, plumbing etc has to be extended as well
- More taxes for YOU AGAIN, because now these roads need to be maintained and fixed regularly
- A greater reliance on cars, more accidents, more death to domestic animals and wildlife alike
- More suburbs, more roads and more driving results in higher blood pressure, road rage, higher risk of depression, flu and even heart attacks
And the list of harmful effects go on. Cars aren't just killing our cities, they are emptying our pocketbooks and compromising our physical and psychological health.
Comments
Atlanta is rapidly consuming Barrow County, so I think I can comment as someone in Atlanta. It's much easier and far more practical to get people to change the kind of car they drive than to change what moves them.
I like to be able to take a peaceful ride along the highways that run through Barrow and go right up to any place along the way, then go back at will.
Cars have come a long way, and their impact on the environment will be just about none by the time we could get a ring of walkable suburbs built just outside the perimeter. The problems seem to be going away. Dense cities are potentially more efficient, but Georgia is a nest of roads and sparse population and still manages to be clean and productive. Forcing everyone into a skyscraper is probably overoptimizing.
// Cars have come a long way, and their impact on the environment will be just about none by the time we could get a ring of walkable suburbs built just outside the perimeter.
Your comment is uninformed. Cars lead to ever-expanding roads, which results in:
- Deforestation
- Poisoning of ground water sources (your soon to be drinking water) due to chlorides in rock salt used on snowy and icy roads, as well as the oils, grime and toxins that are released off the roads when it rains
- More air pollution (you think everyone can afford a Prius?)
- More taxes for YOU, regardless of whether you live in the suburbs or not. New suburbs require garbage trucks to go farther out to service the new areas, as do fire trucks, police and rescue. The power grid, plumbing etc has to be extended as well
- More taxes for YOU AGAIN, because now these roads need to be maintained and fixed regularly
- A greater reliance on cars, more accidents, more death to domestic animals and wildlife alike
- More suburbs, more roads and more driving results in higher blood pressure, road rage, higher risk of depression, flu and even heart attacks
And the list of harmful effects go on. Cars aren't just killing our cities, they are emptying our pocketbooks and compromising our physical and psychological health.