The 'War on Cars' Is Worth Fighting - And Here's What Life Might Look Like When We Win - Streetsblog USA

"What if we banned every single car from the streets of your city tomorrow? That's not the central question that "War on Cars" podcast creators Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear and Aaron Naparstek are asking in their book, "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves From the Tyranny of the Automobile" (Thesis, 2025). But it is the answer: The book format gives the safe streets superstars space to push their exploration about the future of transportation to a new frontier."

"What would our world look like if cars weren't at its center? And how can we make sure everyone sees how it important it is that we do? "Life After Cars" does more than just synthesize the mountain of insights that Gordon, Goodyear, and Naparstek have gathered over the years since their podcast launched in 2018, plus their collective decades of writing about and fighting for better cities."

Envisioning cities without cars reveals possibilities for safer streets, restored public space, improved health, and greater equity. Mass motoring has fragmented communities, made streets deadlier, disrupted ecosystems, and normalized systemic injustices. Catalogs of harms include ruined childhoods, damaged natural habitats, and social isolation caused by car dominance. Historical context shows how car culture reshaped policy, infrastructure, and cultural expectations to prioritize speed and vehicle throughput. Practical visions include reclaiming road space for people, supporting active and public transportation, and adopting policies that center safety and access. Collective action and persuasive narratives are necessary to build broader support for transformative transportation change.

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