What city centres would look like if they didn't have any cars
It’s kind of crazy that urban dwellers give up as much space as they do to cars
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.If you’ve ever lived in New York, London, or another major, bustling city, you know that one of the most valuable things in an urban area is space. Suddenly, things that are normal in the suburbs, like having a sofa, or washing your clothes in your own house, become luxuries and status symbols.
So it’s kind of crazy that urban dwellers give up as much space as they do to cars. Having a car in a city takes up a lot more of this rare, expensive space than you might realize.
The image below, which uses photographs from a poster by International Sustainable Solutions taken by OnRequest Images in downtown Seattle, demonstrates that idea. The images show what 200 people look like, first in 177 cars, then without cars, then on three buses, and finally on bikes.
This isn’t a new idea. Urbanists have tried to make this argument many times.
As the creator of the original gif points out, these images also help you visualize just how much traffic subway systems are moving underground. Imagine how many more traffic jams our cities would have without them.
Copyright: Washington Post
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments