The Bottom-Up Revolution Diane Alisa: How To Restore the American Village
May 2, 2025
Diane Alisa, author and founder of End Car Dependency, advocates for family-friendly urban design. She reveals how car-dependent living impacts families and discusses the importance of creating integrated communities, or 'villages.' Diane shares her journey from performing arts to urban advocacy, highlighting the need for supportive, walkable environments for mothers and children. She critiques suburban isolation and proposes solutions for more connected living spaces, emphasizing how thoughtful design can enhance community ties and empower family life.
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Car Trips Hurt Babies and Parents
- Diane felt physically painful making her baby ride in a car seat, highlighting a suburban design flaw for families.
- Her baby's social needs exposed how car-dependent environments isolate parents and children, sparking her urban advocacy.
Values Shape City Design
- Values like convenience and privacy drive car-centric city design, ignoring how those environments hinder families.
- Bridging people's true desires with urban design can help reimagine cities that actually fit community needs.
Link Design to Desires
- Help people articulate desires like safe places for kids to play and meeting neighbors.
- Use these real desires to show how walkability and density can fulfill that community vision.
