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.
Read the 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".
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.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
California city breaks ground on transit connector
The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.
After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker
Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority