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
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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".
Friday Funny: Satirizing the War on Cars
A new voice in the wilderness of YouTube: the War on Cars.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
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5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
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Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
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After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association