As much time as I spend on my bike, it never really crossed my mind until this weekend what it might be like to live in a place where bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles were the only modes of transportation.
The idea excites me so much so that it's got me thinking I'd like to make this a big part of my life's work. Surely somewhere (Oregon?) somebody's advocating for the creation of a city like this.
Imagine how quiet it would be.
Imagine how much easier it would be to meet your neighbors. Not only because they will travel beside you in open air, but also because the chances are greater that you'll end up traveling beside someone who lives relatively close to you.
In some regards, this would be a lot like stepping back in time. But, not entirely. With all of the mobile technologies of today, it's easy to conduct business remotely. Do we all really need to make these commutes to work? Let's think about re-centralizing things, about downsizing and distilling. Let's think about the health of ourselves, our neighbors, our land.
I think it has to start somewhere like Burning Man. I guess in some regards it would be like a permanent Burning Man, only with its focus and purpose changed. Roads would be designed for bikes or other roll-able things. Businesses could remain unchanged; there would likely just be fewer of them. Companies could still HQ their offices there. Why not? What a pleasant lifestyle.
I need to look further into this.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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