Living Outside the Car

Unfortunately, too much of my thinking takes place, literally, in my car. My confession is that I’m one of those people with a long commute for which no realistic public transportation option exists, unless you consider three hours and three busses at either end realistic. I’d like to have that kind of leisure time, but I don’t.

And that’s what gets me really thinking. Several years ago, before kids, my husband and I took a trip to France (we’ll leave thinking outside the plane for another month). We spent most of our time in two areas, but got by, with the exception of one day, without a car. This is thanks in part to France’s lovely train system and Paris’ slick metro (oh, for a Seattle metro!).

But we also came to the conclusion that it was because of a very different mindset, lifestyle expectation, what-have-you, that seemed to exist there. For one thing, we noticed that most people walked a lot! For another, we noticed that neighborhoods and market areas were organized differently. Neighborhoods generally had most of what you needed or wanted – parks, food markets, cafes, etc. – all within walking distance. So we walked like the French.

Though we did some of the touristy things, mostly we enjoyed slowing our pace. Moving at the speed of foot makes you live differently than moving at the speed of car. You see more, you talk more, you listen more, you know your surroundings, you know who lives in your surroundings. You connect.

When we returned, we did our best to hold onto that pace of life, but it’s been hard and I can’t say we’ve succeeded. I often ask myself why, and during Think-Outside-the-Car month, I’m plumbing that question again. The question is not solely about not using cars; it’s about how cars have shaped our lives. Reliance on cars is at the foundation of how we build our lifestyles and communities. We all know this. We’ve all heard the term “car culture.” But how do we change that culture?

The big answer is always public transportation. Of course, we need public transportation. It’s not just an environmental imperative. It’s an imperative for social equity so that those making the least amount of money don’t have to spend the most getting to and from work. The gentrification of urban professional centers has represented a European-style movement among the middle class to live near where you work. Cool. Seriously. But what about the people who still work there and whose incomes force them to live in Federal Way (approximately 24 miles from Seattle)? It just goes to remind us that we cannot separate people from the environment. Sustainable world: sustainable communities.

But as we continue our efforts towards public transportation, maybe we can also think about what it would look like to live in a world where a work commute by car, light rail, or commuter rail would be more the exception than the rule; where trips that required more than bike or foot – for necessities or recreation – were occasional, at best. What cultural fixtures would have to be moved, adjusted, or rebuilt to put us back on our feet and reconnect us with so much of what we miss as we wiz along the roadways? And how do we start to change them?

I guess those are the question I’m caught up with this month. Maybe some of you reading this blog want to join me and weigh in. If so, please do.