How Car Dependency Makes Life Worse, More Dangerous, And Tears Society Apart (w/ Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon)

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This week, we dive into the transformative potential of a world less reliant on automobiles and ask the question: "why aren't we more honest about the harms caused by our car dependency?" We're joined by the amazing Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, co-hosts of "The War on Cars" podcast and co-authors of the new book, "Life After Cars," to explores the deep-seated cultural and economic ties to car dependency and the urgent need to change it. We look at how car culture became intertwined with the American dream and the historical and societal factors that have perpetuated this problem.

Sarah and Doug discuss the environmental and social costs of our car-centric infrastructure, including pollution, social disconnection, and the harms on children's development. We delve into the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to electric vehicles, acknowledging their benefits while cautioning against simply replacing one form of car dependency with another.

Finally, we look at very real examples of change like the bike bus movement in the United States and the transformative policies implemented by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to reduce car use. We talk about how these stories illustrate the power of grassroots activism and political courage to create more livable, car-free spaces. 

Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author who has covered cities and transportation for publications such as Grist, CityLab, and Streetsblog. Doug Gordon is a TV producer and writer who is also a neighborhood safe streets advocate, better known online as Brooklyn Spoke.

Read Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile By Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon and Aaron Naparstek

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