Cities are Gas Guzzlers, Too

"As difficult as it is for General Motors to restructure its business, with so-called legacy issues embedded in the way it does business (gas guzzlers, too many dealerships, union contracts and so on), so it is difficult to restructure the shape of our cities. But it is not impossible, and like GM, we have no option. The sooner we acknowledge the problem, the better our prospects for a sustainable future.

There are ways to begin the necessary transformation. First, higher densities should be zoned within walking distance of existing public-transit stops. Second...No expensive rail bed is required for bus service. Buses can serve local routes or longer-haul, express routes. They can have a number of stops in one neighbourhood, then go directly to a more remote destination.

These are just two of the steps available to begin the process of rendering our cities economically and environmentally sustainable. Once these are begun, there are a host of others to accelerate the change."