Clearly, the American love affair with the automobile is far from over, despite lessons from the recession, dire environmental warnings, plummeting traffic safety, or the wishful thinking of tech companies.
Aarian Marshall pumps the break on a politically useful narrative about the demise of car ownership in the United States. Ride-hailing companies and car sharing companies claim private ownership of cars is an outdated concept, cities block streets to cars partly from the assumption that there's growing demand for car-free places, and Census data have shown a growing number of households without cars.
Still, there's an elephant in the room, according to Marshall: "Personal car ownership in the US has actually increased in the past 10 years, even in the frenzied urban places where Uber and car-share have become verbs."
There's more. "According to research from former New York City transportation official Bruce Schaller, the number of vehicles has grown faster than the population in some of the cities where ride-hail is most popular: Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago."
Companies that were built on the assumption that fewer people would want to own cars in the future have also "hit the skids," according to Marshall, like Car2Go.
The reversion to the car-centric mean could be traced to post-recession austerity, according to experts cited by Marshall in the article. Unmentioned, however, is the kind of cars are buying. Consumer trends in the United States have shifted back to large vehicles, as full-size SUVs and pick-up trucks again are best sellers in the United States, despite evidence that they are unsafe for everyone inside the car and out.
FULL STORY: The Death of Cars Was Greatly Exaggerated
Americans Would Prefer to Drive Themselves After the Pandemic, Survey Says
A massive survey on the sentiments of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic reports that many people are less likely to ride public transit, or rely on Uber and Lyft, in the future.
More 'Car-Rich' Households Mean More Car Ownership
More people are buying cars, even while more people are choosing to go without cars.
The Harms of a Car-Centric World
While most of the world’s population doesn’t drive, cars have an outsized negative impact on public health, the environment, and land use.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
