Pg. 41: free-market capitalism proponents refer to Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” as bible for economic ethos that says humans will do most productive work only in selfishness but this is wrong. Humans also have nature to act in interests of one’s community.
3 frameworks where agency works best: social conscience, morality, law
Developed theories about social contract and failings of society
People’s moral judgements formed out of sympathy, not selfishness, explained in his book “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”
Not just self-interested activity but justice as well. He thought selfishness and self-interest as not the same
Maximum economic freedom within the bounds of social norms and laws. Emphasized Impact on others
Pg. 43: idea of social capital has been around since the 1920s
Dr. Claris Moobela wrote that high social capital increases productivity, prosperity, and makes government agencies more responsive
Pg. 70: jaywalking became illegal, wider road lanes, campaigns against “automobilists”
Cities fought back. Weren’t focused on getting pedestrians off the road, but on driver behavior, vehicle access speed
Streetcars were everywhere!
The main attraction that car companies emphasized was speed, but on congested roadway, speed doesn’t matter
Early 1900s, streets had no crosswalks or traffic lights because there wasn’t a need. Non-drivers had equal rights of way to road
At first, traffic control was done out of public safety
It’s in society’s interest to allow the greatest number of people the greatest amount of mobility
Governments had to get everyone else off the road in order for cars to speed on it
Descriptions of rural visitors to cities were called “jays”
First, these new laws were made out of safety, then efficiency and order (because they pushed the idea that the other solution is not ordered progress, that was the framing)
Pg. 75: we walk in a grid thanks to car-centrism. Jaywalking keeps up in trapezoid to seek fastest route against asphalt
“Our lives are squared off by sidewalks and intersections”
Car companies has to tell a different story of the past and the inevitable progress to come
The car-centric vision was fully in view in 1939 at General Motor’s “Futurama” display
Sketches/photos of “Futurama” remind Malchik of the movie “Dark City”
A buffer against the messy relations between people
Robert Moses was in charge of transportation infrastructure from the 1930s to 1960s
Moses is the one who tried to make Futurama happen
Created the Cross-Bronx Expressway. Made it harder for residents to access jobs and amenities in Harlem and the Bronx
All of our solutions for city planning focuses on traffic management of private vehicles
Pg. 85: texting while walking causes people to lurch and stumble and we lose the ability to walk upright one study shows
We don’t describe vehicles as dangerous weapons anymore, instead we say that pedestrians are too distracted
Pg. 87: studies show that pedestrians shop more
Wandering, meandering is a creative act and good for economy
Efficiency and progress were the selling points, they won the battle because of speed! Americans love speed and efficiency and it’s also in the work ethos
Highways were built so people wouldn’t be hurt
Enclosed in own mobile worlds, protected from weather and pollution
Years ago, species of humans existed at same time, a tangle of starts and stops, various species living, this was actual progress
Instead of increasing freedom of movement, limited to where and how we construct roads, we are gridded off, haven’t built stronger communities and we have boxed ourselves in
How will pedestrian safety be programmed into the AC system? Will AVs destroy communities even more?
No, freedom when we can’t get to where we need to go because of norms, infrastructure, racism
Pg. 99-100: arguments for why, in my opinion, infrastructure and not culture is the problem causing breakdown of communities
Pg. 100: inactivity is not due to increasing laziness but access
Pg. 110: higher volume of car traffic, higher concentration of particulates
Toxins affect health of our brains!
Pollution nanoparticles found in brain study, pg. 112 (Why I got rid of my car!)
Pg. 118: every ten minutes of commuting reduces social capital by 10%, Robert Putnam
Pg. 115: the “Hollywood sidewalks” combine gutter, sidewalk, and curb
Does SLC have these sidewalks? How many trees?
Trees were seen as a danger to drivers so a lot were removed
How does SLC’s design push walkers out?
Highway building reflects boundaries, walking is the opposite of these clearly defined boundaries