My original question was “How do we disincentivize the purchase of pickup trucks/SUVs” but then I thought it would be better to approach the larger problem of car dependency and car ownership. One option is, of course, to create public transit infrastructure and improve it where it already exist. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that some will still choose to drive. What would be the best ways to discourage people from owning personal cars?
Not much you can do without them reacting the opposing way.
One solution is for example 15 minute cities. I’ve never felt like I wanted a car living in Montréal because it’s literally faster and more convenient to just walk there. I rarely even needed to use the metro. Genuinely healthier way of life.
And then the F350 owners all go that’s just the first step, they won’t allow you to go outside of your city, blah blah blah.
The thing is it’s been drilled into so many people’s heads that a car is essential that everything that deviates from driving your car wherever you go is seen as a direct attack on personal freedoms, your right to go wherever you want and all that.
People also seem to rely a lot on their cars as a status symbol. Look, I’m broke AF but I got a brand new giant boat of an SUV… to go work in an office on a computer everyday. So many trucks have perfect mint condition never used truck beds. But you gotta have a truck to show you’re a hard working manly man.
There’s nothing you can do to change those people. They’ll make a F950 and run it coal just to spite you. We’ll be stuck with the status quo as long as egocentric people exist. Because you can’t inconvenience them for the sake of others, they don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.
The problem with 15 minute cities is the last few thousand years of people giving an inch and the government taking every mile they can. People who took history class and have pattern recognition skills often see that pattern in things.
Do you really think that 15 minute cities wont be enshittified?
We’ve had 15 minute cities centuries before the USA became the USA.
Cars are responsible for destroying them in the first place, because why open a small shop when people can just drive 20 minutes to get to your mega warehouse sized store instead.
The only thing restricting in 15 minute cities is that some places contemplated making the roads toll roads for outsiders. Which isn’t all that different than every fucking highway having a lane permanently allocated to toll service and nearly every destination charging $12/h for parking and requires a credit card to even get to the parking lot.
The 15 minute cities are great for poorer people, and solves most transportation problems that keep them in poverty. No beater cars to get repaired every week. No expensive gas. No stupidly long bus rides. Much better for the environment. Here my windows get covered in soot from trucks and I’m not even on a main road, while in Montréal the air was mostly fresh because few are dumb enough to bring a diesel truck in the city.
The point of 15 minute cities isn’t to take your car away. It’s that you shouldn’t feel the need for a car in the first place, because you just don’t need one. The traffic and pollution problem solves itself.
@Kaboom @Max_P Do you really think that car-centric two hour cities in which a typical grocery shopping trip involves sitting in a traffic jam aren’t already enshittified?
Where I live currently I have to drive at least 15-20 minutes to get groceries or food or whatever. And they charge for the parking too. 100% already super enshittified. There’s no public transport here, it’s been gutted by republicans into uselessness. “A bus every 2 hours ought to be enough for those car-less peasants!” And one lane of the highway is permanently a toll road. It fucking sucks. Now I just do gigantic costco trips like everyone else just so I can be done with it for the next week or two.
The problem with 15 minute cities is the last few thousand years of people giving an inch and the government taking every mile they can. People who took history class and have pattern recognition skills often see that pattern in things.
Do you really think that 15 minute cities wont be enshittified?
People who know history are aware that “15 minute cities” were the norm before car-centric infrastructure appeared.