"I recall one long summer afternoon when, as children, my siblings and I set out to explore beyond the boundaries of our suburban yard. We wanted to be somewhere exciting, where we might encounter new and strange people, and maybe even buy something - and we wanted to get there all on our own. Since my older brother was the babysitter, we secured permission easily and trekked the mile of (almost) complete sidewalk, exiting our residential district and entering the closest commercial real estate."
"Suffice it to say, ogling the Kroger's rotisserie chicken spinners was not worth the journey - nor the confused, critical glances we received from drivers on the busy thoroughfare along the way. I came to believe, through experiences like this one, that cities are not supposed to be walkable. As I waited for the chronically unreliable local bus, I also came to believe that cities are not supposed to be accessible by transit. These things made me believe - like so many Americans believe - that cars are a necessary mode of transportation."
"When I moved to New York City for college, of course, everything changed. I found thrilling places that were easily reached on foot, and I encountered a system of public transit that works as a legitimate option for transportation. After 18 years of avoiding public transit in favor of the car, it has been a perspective shift to spend the last six relying on it nearly every single day. But which makes us more free: the car-dominated city or the transit-rich metropolis? Should we prefer the open road behind the wheel, or the lively street via train and foot? And more importantly: is this a false dichotomy?"
Childhood in a sprawling Memphis neighborhood normalized car reliance and framed walking and transit as impractical. A neighborhood outing produced discomfort and social scrutiny that reinforced belief in cars as necessary. Chronic waits for unreliable buses cemented the sense that cities were not meant to be walkable or transit-accessible. Relocating to New York City revealed easily reached destinations on foot and a dependable public-transit system, prompting daily reliance on transit after decades of car use. The narrative contrasts freedom on the open road with freedom through transit and walkability and questions whether that framing is a false dichotomy.
Read at Streetsblog
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