I used to run a few miles every morning. On the rare days I didn’t run, I swam laps, played tennis, hiked in the woods, or went on a bike ride. And I owned a library of yoga and pilates DVDs. These days I hardly even think about exercise, and the tennis rackets and workout…
The 5 U.S. cities (1,000+ population) with the least car ownership* (2000 census): Hooper Bay, Alaska (Pop. 1022) – 95.65% of households car-free. New Square Village, NY (Pop. 4707) – 73.77% of households car-free. Kaser Village, NY (Pop. 3299) – 68.57% of households car-free. Kiryas Joel Village, NY – (Pop. 13,214) – 57.78% of households car-free. Kotzebue, Alaska –…
The British Government announced they will build four ecotowns by 2016 to address their housing shortage and model environmentally-sustainable living. The ecotowns will feature: Electric car charging stations. Public transit and everyday services within a 10 minute walk from all homes. At least one job per household accessible by foot, bike, or public transit. Less than 50% of all urban trips…
(The third in a series highlighting U.S. Movements to celebrate, support, and spread the word about.) Suburban sprawl has been the dominant development pattern for the last fifty years. By 2000, more people lived in suburbs than in cities, small towns, and the countryside combined. Most of these suburbs were built after 1950 to accommodate the automobile,…
My baby pulls himself up now, teeters on a knee and one foot, and then plunks down. He’ll take his first steps soon, sway and totter across the living room floor, and join me in one of my favorite activities – walking. I’ve loved to walk for as long as I can remember. My parents…
Imagine a suburb with no cars. No traffic jams. No drive ways. No garages. Vauban, Germany, a suburb of Freiburg, is pioneering this revolutionary concept. The 5,500 residents of Vauban are not forbidden from owning a car. But they must purchase a parking space in a shared garage at the edge of the development for $40,000. 70% of the residents do…