this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2023
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Fuck Cars
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That looks so pleasant but seems like a nightmare if you have to go long distances to somewhere specific.
Getting groceries would also probably be a pain. You would have to probably get a wagon or something.
Can't you walk for like 10 minutes to get stuff?
I can, but the 40t truck that delivers the groceries to the store might have problems.
Is the truck supposed to drive down the walkway with the pedestrians? That seems fucking terrible.
I'm in a fairly dense, walkable neighborhood with grocery stores within a 5-minute walk of me. Stopping by a few times a week and carrying the groceries is very feasible. Else, I sometimes go to another grocery store that's like a 10-minute bike ride away for certain items, and plenty of people just put pannier bags on their bikes for grocery shopping. I also see plenty of people with wagons for groceries in my neighborhood.
I walk about 15-20 minutes 1 way to my grocer about twice a week and much prefer it over driving and buying in bulk. Carrying my grocceries home helps prevent me from over spending and buying junk foods and I end up eating more fresh produce and animal products than processed foods. The walk is also great for my physical and mental health.
Less waste too. You buy only what you need, not what you might need
generally places with high enough population density for streets have grocery stores often enough so you rarely have to walk more than 5-10 mins to get there so you dont have to buy enough food for a week on one go
Yep, when people say that they're imagining their 3 mile drive commute to the shop being replaced by walking when that's not all that would change
Exactly. No one's advocating that walking be a drop-in replacement for all our driving trips. What this community wants is neighborhoods dense and walkable enough that you don't have to travel 3 miles just to get groceries. Or if you do, there ought to at least be a high-quality bike path and/or public transit to get you there and back. Car-oriented urban design just needlessly spreads things out and needlessly segregates uses. Neighborhoods should be denser and mixed-use.
Walk short distances on quiet, low-stress streets, having chance encounters with friends and neighbors? I can see why people are afraid of this nightmarish hellscape! /s
Seriously, I do sort of understand. Decades of isolation and media brainwashing has made Americans literally terrified of each other. We have a huge loneliness epidemic, and research finds that those sort of loose, community ties are what would best fix it. Yet, we refuse, and cower behind the wheel of our Suburban Assault Vehicles.
Honestly, I suspect this is a large part of why cities tend to be so socially liberal. When you have to exist in the same space as people of all manner of different skin tones, appearances, lifestyles, religions, etc., you eventually realize that they're all just normal people wanting to live out their lives, get groceries, get to school/work, etc.
It's when you're isolated away from everyone and everyone that paranoia kicks in. When you live in suburbia, your house starts to feel like a fortress that needs to be protected from everyone, and anyone on the street starts to seem a threat. But when you live in a city, the abundance of people on the streets becomes a source of safety -- hard to commit crime when there are so many potential witnesses! There's a reason crime statistically congregates in places like under freeway overpasses and in dark alleyways and other places with few pedestrians -- crime doesn't like witnesses.
Parking lots. Don't forget parking lots! A large proportion of assaults happen in parking lots because there are no witnesses around to help.
There would still be roads just not everywhere. The roads would connect communities and since these community would be built around walking you would just take public transport.
For convenience, the wagon could be motorized. Perhaps even have a nice, comfy seat or two.
That's just a fat people scooter
Convenient for whom? Ever hear of the Tragedy of the Commons?
Is that the one about the guy who was so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life?
That guy had a motorized wagon?!
I mean, have you seen the rush hour traffic on Coruscant?
If you have to go long distances, in modern countries, you take a train. Groceries are at a walkable distance, you can go 2 or 3 times a week easily, on the way back from work for example. Also tape water is drinkable there so you don't need to carry heavy luxury plastic wrapped water.
only if you are in bad fitness and adjusted to sitting around and driving all the time
Found the American :)
I have been on roads like that in Asia in urban areas. Basically mopeds are the answer to every "well what if I have to move a lot of stuff or get somewhere fast" question. It isn't a perfect solution but it is a decent one.
I've seen come crazy people on bikes man, surely that can be used
But then you've got people on bikes trying to dodge pedestrians.