Image transcript:

Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) sitting at a lemonade stand, smiling, with a sign that reads, “Trains and micromobility are inevitably the future of urban transportation, whether society wants it or not. CHANGE MY MIND.”

  • supercriticalcheeseEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    What about groceries, various errands? it’s definitely not just going to the office is the only reason people get around with cars.

    • Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Basically in countries with more micromobility, they have smaller grocery stores. There will be one on every corner and you can just walk to it.

      I see you mentioned suburbs. Yeah. The thing keeping shops and homes far apart in that case is zoning laws. And also building code dictating single family housing. In a more dense suburb in amsterdam or chicago you might have some rowhouse apartments but the first floor will be for shops, and one of those shops willcbe your nearest grocery store.

    • uis@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Trains(or cargo trams if you want fancy) for delivery to store and your eleven for delivery from store to home. Or ebike. Or bus.

    • roo@lemmy.oneEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      It’s a discussion about the bulk of transport and commutes. Distributors don’t need to follow a centralised system.

      • supercriticalcheeseEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        You still need to drive to do all these things, that’s often a considerable distance though if you live in suburban areas since everything is far away.

        • SwingingTheLamp@midwest.socialEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          One argument that keeps coming up in favor of cars that the United States is big. Well, if it’s big, we have plenty of room to build things close to where people live. It’s only zoning laws that force things to be unnecessarily far away.

          • supercriticalcheeseEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            Yes that was my point, not that we need cargo trams.

            And it’s not just US that has this issue although there is taken to the extreme.

            Many suburban areas in Europe have the same issues but the advantage is that many of them were built around small villages that they have ballooned so there was something that could give local services for residents already.

            • SwingingTheLamp@midwest.socialEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              Good point! I usually hear sincere arguments that we have to drive because everything is so far apart, and so I took it the wrong way. My apologies.