flynn23 wrote:
...missing the fact that neither are "real cities" and that there's plenty to like about Nashville that Portland will never have (like, um, weather).

lol

flynn23 wrote:
This is our seemingly instinctual response to think that there's a silver bullet solution for everything.

Very true. Rarely are problems caused by a single factor, and rarely will problems be solved by a single factor. Comprehensive, well-thought-out measures don't make for sexy politics, though. Also, people will always disagree about which factors should be part of the solutions.

flynn23 wrote:
I'm a little sad that there is real change being affected in car culture. But where is that not the case? As a society - globally - we have to adjust and get used to the fact that we've lived off the fat of the land and created too much abundance for the last 100 years or so. That is neither in harmony or respect of the delicate balance we must achieve with the rest of the universe. That sounds really hippy spliffy, but there's tons of science to support it.

Well, it doesn't sound all that hippyish to me (with the possible exception of that "too much abundance" part). It's just common sense. Change (actually, entropy) is the reality of the known universe, and our culture is no exception. Granted, the twentieth century arguably brought about more significant change (especially in the West, particularly the U.S.A.) in a short time span than any other period in human history, but we're still undergoing significant changes. While I wouldn't necessarily criticize our culture for its own success (progress is a good thing), I do think that recent generations have been a bit spoiled; not just by advances in commerce and technology that have made our lives easier, but also by a growing sense of entitlement.

It stands to reason that the ways in which we do things in 2009 won't necessarily be the ways in which we do those same things in the year 2109. Ultimately, we do have to realize that the planet's size and resources are finite, and as our population continues to grow (domestically and globally), the proverbial shit and fan are on a potential collision course, in which case, something has to give, sooner or later. However, that doesn't mean that I'm going to change my lifestyle by pretending that it's the year 1700. I'm still going to drive, as are many other Americans. True, your beloved car culture will change, but it doesn't have to go away. It was change that brought about car culture in the first place. Hopefully, we'll come up with a cleaner, cheaper, more abundant energy source for our vehicles in the relatively near future, but there's no reason we should have to give up size, comfort, performance, or the entire car culture in the process.

RE: The End of Car Culture