If driving less makes prices fall -- will Americans respond by driving more?
"It seems we face a gasoline Catch-22. The only reliable way to cut fuel prices is to cut demand. And the only reliable way to cut demand is to drive less. But if driving less makes prices fall, we'll respond by driving more."
"It's not as if we live in a poor country where, to get anyplace, you have to drive for 16 hours on goat paths. The occasional bridge collapse notwithstanding, we have a magnificent road system that seduces people into driving...on a Sunday afternoon, just for the heck of it.
It takes a lot of price pain to take the pleasure out of driving in this country. (Truckers aside: I know they're hurting.)
Despite gasoline prices at record levels, fuel consumption has fallen less than 1 percent this year. The experts are predicting $4-a-gallon gas, possibly by the end of this month. And I'm predicting we will just motor on.
Everything encourages us to drive: urban planning (or lack thereof), busy lifestyles, even gas-station signs. It's tough to develop sticker shock when you're reminded every quarter-mile how much gas costs by the ubiquitous numbers that advertise it.
It's like a giant conditioning exercise."
FULL STORY: Gas pain? U.S. drivers will accept lots of it
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.
A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton
Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.
Decarbonizing Homes: The Case for Electrifying Residential Heating
A new MIT study finds that transitioning residential heating from natural gas to electric heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions and operational costs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research