Treehugger recently posted an article about high gas prices in the UK and how demand has gone down sharply there. The article brought up a really interesting point; many/most US cities, unlike older (read: pre-automobile) European cities, were designed so that their citizens are almost dependent on cars to get anywhere/do anything.
Definitely got me thinking about differences between European and American cities as far as culture, public transport and layout are concerned. There’s definitely a lot to say on the subject and I would love to hear any thoughts or personal experiences (since I myself don’t have any experience living in a European city for more than a couple weeks). I personally think it’s a pretty good insight and does help explain American dependence on automobiles and oil on a deeper level than “Americans are lazy and don’t care about the environment”. As long as we don’t use it as an excuse not to try and lower our own dependency on cars and oil, it’s definitely something to think about whether you’re a city planner, developer, or everyday citizen.
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