A new study from the Pew Research Center says that even though Americans are driving less, they still see a car as the most necessary item they own. Air conditioning and TV are a good 10% less necessary.
"Americans are driving less because of the recession but a survey by the Pew Research Center show they still rank a car as the number one necessity of modern life. Driving less and eliminating "unnecessary" car trips has been one of the leading ways people say they save money, according to the poll. Asked to say whether an item is a necessity or a luxury 88% say a car is a necessity compared to:
- 66% for a clothes dryer,
- 54% home airconditioning
- 52% TV
- 50% home computer
- 49% cell phone
- less for other items"
FULL STORY: Americans rate cars necessities above all else, but have been cutting car use - Pew research
Study: How EVs Perpetuate the Harms of Car Culture
While they emit less pollution, electric cars don’t solve many urgent issues like sprawl and fine particulate pollution.
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.
How Car Dependency Impacts People With Disabilities
People who are physically unable to drive can benefit from effective public transit systems and accessible, mixed-use neighborhoods.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service