I awake each day as a Modern suburban mother. I jump in my car and hit the road, multiple times a day.
I can easily say that I spend more time with my car than any other human being. Constantly zipping from A to B to C, crossing highways, beating rush-hour, sitting in traffic pick up lines drop off lines. We have become a car worshipping nation. The road I use to work on has over the past several years become filled with car dealerships replacing small businesses. It's distasteful, sterile, and void of any sense of neighborhood or community. The saddest part, is the same road is filled with apartments and condos, of which residence have quite the scenic walk outside their door.
My office now situated in West Concord Village has been a bit of a wake up call and enlightening one. Giving me a personal experience of everything that I studied and learned about in the world of sustainable design. Every time I give myself “windows of time” I explore different aspects of this little village and each day find new small businesses offering abundance of services to the community. Just being able to walk to the library, to the bank, to the coffee shop, to the health, food store, and to access nature, is a different way of existing in the world. It Makes me wonder if by chance, somehow someday we can return to this way of life where we’re not fixed to the automobile.
Just reflecting on all that has been removed with this dependence on cars as a way of existence. We don’t get to feel the ground on our feet, the air in our face , observing the changing of the leaves in the fall, or the opening of the blossoms in the spring. We engage lesss in conversation. Our towns have become filled with franchises and box stores. We don't see the value in the existence of small businesses, because the focal point is convenience and efficiency.
In contrast, I think back to the time I've spent in Europe, where the cities and villages are so old and maintain a way of life of the past. People walk or bike, eat and drink outside, and the cities are filled with gardens and walking paths that connect to nature.
Below is an image of Bilbao Spain, a place in Northern Spain I biked through and fell in love with. The charming path meandering along the river, quaint small businesses everywhere, and colorful tapestry are an experience. Yes it is a Mediterranean climate, but the design of the spaces favors the pedestrian and bike over the car. In turn more gathering spaces and places of conversation of friends and families are everywhere.
These cities were designed before cars became central to our existence. I found people to be both healthier and happier in these areas.
As an American living in the suburbs, we are conditioned by the design of our spaces. The design dictates our behaviors and psychology.
I started to catch myself jumping into my car after an appointment, and I recently stopped myself in my tracks and said, why do I need to get in my car and go somewhere. It is so ingrained in us, yet time slows, and we can become more present when walking from A to B. The process is an experience versus just the destination, the slowing of our pace, the time to reflect, the opportunity to observe and be in contact with our surroundings. Even the opportunity to discover the local economy and what it’s about. Perhaps in the creation and design of urban and suburban spaces, we can use the past as a cue to move forward..
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