The Nib takes on the latest trend in car culture: massive vehicles.
A new cartoon by Jen Sorensen for The Nib skewers the psychology and corporate interests behind the ever growing size of trucks and SUVs in the United States.
Whether this satire is actually funny is part of the point, of course. The stakes are incredibly high in terms of air pollution, climate change, and traffic and pedestrian safety. It's clear which side of the issue Sorensen is on—imagining a new "Chey Stretch" to "dominate the highway" in a world full of "Chevy Exurbans" and "Ford Insecures."
Here is a sample of background reading from Planetizen on the U.S. trend to larger vehicles, starting with recent news about how the federal government is finally starting to push back on car companies:
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Will Finally Make Carmakers Consider Pedestrian Safety (December 2021)
- Study: More SUVs Lead to More Pedestrian Deaths (August 2021)
- As Trucks Grow in Size, So Do the Safety Risks (June 2021)
- Men and SUVs: A Bad Mix for Traffic Safety (December 2019)
The cartoon is found at the link below.
FULL STORY: King of the Road
Friday Funny: The Onion Satirizes the Federal Government’s Electric Car Fetish
The totally satirical, not-at-all-real website The Onion is back with another planning-related fake news take.
The Onion: SUV Drivers Buy Into 'Them Versus Us' Mentality at All Costs
The headline of the latest foray of The Onion into the tragic world of traffic safety: "Conscientious SUV Shopper Just Wants Something That Will Kill Family In Other Car In Case Of Accident".
Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.
Houston Apartments To Be Demolished for Freeway Widening
Despite a federal hold on the controversial freeway widening project, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing ahead with the demolition of an apartment complex in downtown Houston.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.
Transit-Oriented Walking Tours Highlight the Value of Density
Housing advocates in Connecticut are leading walking tours that fight misinformation about transit-oriented development and emphasize the benefits of increased density.
State Reports Seeks To Guide Warehouse Development in New Jersey
With demand for sprawling e-commerce warehouses growing, New Jersey’s State Planning Commission has released a series of documents outlining best practices for cities examining warehouse proposals.
Manhattan Congestion Pricing Could Start in 2023
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resubmitted its environmental impact assessment to federal officials, who sent the agency over 400 additional questions earlier this year.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Rolling Hills Estates
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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