Defined by cars

Looking through photos the other day, I was struck by how cars appear in so many of the photos, even though they are rarely the focus of my photography. It's just that they are almost always there, it seems. The one exception is the pictures from Osler Island, a place cars can't get to and inhabit.

I love cars-- I'm from Detroit, after all. But it is worth reflecting on how much these mobility devices shape our communities. Physically, it is inescapable: the sheer amount of concrete in a place like Waco, all designed to allow for plenty of parking, is the defining characteristic of the landscape. An alien visiting from outer space might, at first glance, think that cars are the sentient inhabitants of the planet. And yes, I do know that there is a series of animated movies about that.

Freeways, of course, take out entire neighborhoods when they are built, but that is just a fraction of the impact of roads, parking lots, and everything else that cars demand. Is it worth it?

The next generation seems to not be so sure. I'm often surprised at the number of young people I know who don't have a driver's license and don't care about it. They have found other methods of mobility. In New York, it looks like congestion pricing will be the latest attempt to limit traffic in Manhattan, and it might work. In Europe, the central parts of many cities are largely free of traffic, something that is always a surprise to me. 

Are we moving to a different landscape?