Urbanism is the study of how residents of cities and towns interact with the built environment around them. The field deals in questions of urban life and city planning, seeking ways to develop human-friendly spaces conducive to community, higher quality of life, and sustainability. Above all, urbanism is for the people! So start getting acquainted with these urbanist ideals that you’ll drop the second you see a vintage pickup truck.
Walkability.
Walkability, or city planning that privileges pedestrians over vehicles, is a core ideal of urbanism. Prioritizing the ability of pedestrians and cyclists to have their needs met leads to towns with less pollution, fewer car accidents, and more person-to-person interaction. This obviously sounds great! Until you see a 1987 baby blue Ford pickup, at which point you’ll be ready to plow down as many pedestrians as necessary if they’re gonna stand in the way of you stargazing from the open bed in a remote field.
Public transit infrastructure.
Reliable, accessible, affordable public transit infrastructure is the lifeblood of a thriving city. The government subsidized American auto industry has built out highways forcing people into metal boxes of isolation. And that’s exactly the kind of thing you’ll stop giving a shit about when passing by a tan Chevy pickup with beige leather seats. Fuck the “train”, you’re a misunderstood lone wolf who needs to drive down the open road, wind whipping through your hair, leaving broken hearts and gas fumes in your wake. You’re a modern-day cowboy; you’re not riding the fucking subway.
Caring about others.
Community, altruism, and generally caring about other people are all virtues you’ll drop like a loose turd the second you so much as imagine yourself behind the wheel of a vintage pickup truck. Interesting how quick a cool-looking car can get you from communist to rugged individualist, but in your defense Thelma and Louise would not have been as good if they were on CitiBikes.
So consider these admirable ideals of new urbanism that are practical mindsets for healing our current society, then forget all about them! Who cares that you work in marketing and have nothing to put in the bed of a pickup truck and that old cars require constant upkeep and get terrible mileage. This is who you are!
