The Times They Are A-Changin'

apologies to Bob Dylan.



Come gather 'round people,
Wherever you roam
And admit the gas prices
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be stuck in your home
If your gas to you is worth savin'
So you better start walkin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come hybrids and civics
More fuel-efficient
And dump your big trucks
The trend won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
The cost of one now
Will be later paid off
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come buyers and drivers
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your SUV’s and mini-vans
Are beyond your command
Your gas-guzzlers are rapidly agin'.
Please get into a hybrid
So you can lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The gas it is steep
The trend it is past
The small-scale now
Will later be mass
As the gas-prices now
Will never be slashed
The order is rapidly fadin'.
And the green one now
Will help the earth last
For the times they are a-changin'.

American Cities vs. European Cities

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.