From a mayor's perspective, your job really is to build a city where everybody can succeed. And by doing the right thing for climate, which is encouraging public transport, you're actually building a city that's not only good for the environment and has lower greenhouse gas emissions. So there are some cities, New York is a great example. Some cities, obviously in Europe, that have good public transit. It's really well used. The pandemic did have an impact, but I think they're starting to see ridership come back. In the US, those are kind of outlier cities. Even in places that are trying to get more public transit, though it is popular once it exists
Can you imagine if everything you needed in your everyday life was just a walk or bike ride away? That’s the goal of the 15-minute City, a new name for an old idea. Reducing the need for cars cuts emissions and gets autos off of the roads, which is a boon for safety, air quality and the climate. But, as is often the case, good ideas become a lot more difficult when you have to implement them in real places, with real people, who don’t always share the enthusiasm for the idea. What will it take to make compact, walkable cities a reality in the U.S., where the car is king?
Guests:
Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America
David Miller, Former Mayor of Toronto
Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland
Henry Grabar, Author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org
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