Found 190 items.

	Title	Type	Added	Modified	Created
	The American Dream Coalition	Link	2004-04-10	2004-04-10
	From their site: "The American Dream Coalition will help its members effectively support the American dream of freedom, mobility, and affordable homeownership while it helps them oppose coercive land-use policies and wasteful transportation projects. The American dream of freedom, mobility, and affordable homeownership has produced enormous benefits for Americans: * Homeownership -- More than 80 percent of Americans say their ideal home is a single-family house with a yard. Homes are one of the best investments a young family can make. The most important source of funds for new businesses in the U.S. is mortgages on the businessowner's homes. * Mobility -- Automobiles give Americans access to better and higher paying jobs, lower-cost consumer goods, rapid-response emergency services, distant friends and relatives, and all sorts of recreation opportunities. * Freedom -- According to the Heritage Foundation's 2002 Index of Economic Freedom, nations that protect property rights and other forms of economic freedom have per capita incomes at least six times greater than nations will little or no economic freedom. Higher incomes mean higher environmental quality as well. Despite these benefits, this dream is being challenged by a new planning doctrine known as smart growth, which calls for dense urban development, restrictions on rural development, rail transit boondoggles, and barriers to auto driving. Despite its attractive name, smart growth is one of the greatest threats to American mobility, affordable housing, and freedom today. * Homeownership -- Smart growth's urban-growth boundaries and regulation of home construction make housing unaffordable to most families. Housing in San Jose, Portland, and other smart-growth cities is far less affordable than housing in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and other less-regulated cities. * Mobility -- Though traffic congestion costs Americans more than $60 billion a year, smart growth actually seeks to increase congestion in order to discourage people from driving. * Freedom -- Smart growth requires draconian restrictions on property owners and businesses. Limits on rural development, minimum-density zoning in urban areas, and strict rules for retailers and other businesses all impede economic freedom and increase costs to homebuyers and consumers." Their "DC conference":http://www.ti.org/amdream.html spawned a discussion list "PreservingTheAmericanDream":http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PreservingtheAmericanDream/ as well.
	Public purpose / Wendell Cox	Link	2004-04-10	2004-04-10
	<blockquote>"Urban rail is an effective strategy for controlling traffic congestion where residential population densities are very high and where there are extremely large and dense central business districts. Examples are Tokyo, New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong. The Public Purpose is not opposed to urban rail. The Public Purpose is opposed to waste and deception. ... One of the principal reasons that "smart growth" or "compact city" urban strategies cannot reach their objective of reducing traffic congestion (or reducing its growth) is that there is a strong positive relationship between higher population density and higher traffic volumes."*":http://www.publicpurpose.com/pp57-density.htm ... Cox noted that he considered it to be a "badge of honor to be on such a distinguished list," though indicated that Sprawlwatch had "rather exaggerated" the facts by characterizing him and others on the list as "pro-sprawl." He indicated that a more accurate characterization would have been "pro-American Dream." "</blockquote> Cox and his sites "publicpurpose.com":http://www.publicpurpose.com/ and "demographia.com":http://www.demographia.com/ are apologists for suburb-style, car-oriented development. This makes sense if your goal is "preservation of the american dream." Carfreeuniverse.org is for people who have grown up with *that* american dream, or otherwise experienced more of it than they would care to. I'm no fan of being a daily dependent of public transit. I almost want to say my ideal carfree city is "Fez":http://carfree.com/fes/fes-al-bali.html, but as I value freedom from others' use of amplified sound and others' abusive screaming at eachother, and noise from other motorized things, as well as access to wild nature, and I've not been to Fez, I cannot say for sure. But Fez does not have public transit. Also: in a wholly anarcho-capitalist system, there would be no taxpayer funding of anything, including roads. And government building and maintaining of roads is partly what got us into the mess of the American dream. Cox runs several discussion lists: * "Transport Policy":http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-group.htm -- Direct to "http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-policy/":http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-policy/ * "Urban Policy":http://www.demographia.com/db-group.htm -- direct to "http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urban-policy/":http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urban-policy/ You might also enjoy David Brooks' "Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia":http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/magazine/04EXURBAN.html?pagewanted=all&position= or try "google":http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Our+Sprawling%2C+Supersize+Utopia%22 "Our" is a presumption.
	Sprawlwatch: Research on Pro-Sprawl Players and Messages	Link	2004-04-11	2004-04-11
	"Opposition to smart growth efforts comes from a small number of vocal critics affiliated with private "property rights" organizations, free market think tanks and home builder and development interests. In brief, "property rights" advocates claim that controls on growth trample individual property rights, free enterprise advocates say smart growth efforts tamper with free market mechanisms, and building and real estate development interests claim it is consumer preferences that determine sprawl-type development patterns, not builders." Sprawlwatch has a "newsletter":http://www.sprawlwatch.org/newsletter.html
	Dev Carey	Link	2004-04-16	2004-04-16
	I found out about Dev Carey from the staff bios page at "nbtsc.org":http://nbtsc.org/staff_bios.htm. There it is written, "He can do many things, but one thing he can't do is separate himself from the morality of any given situation. Especially the environmental morality of any given situation...." ...A common characteristic of the pathologically carfree. And sure enough, he was. It is even more rare to find a conscientiously carfree couple with children- Dev was/is not- for that look to Allison & Schmuel of "The Farm":../thefarm. "Google on Dev Carey":http://www.google.com/search?q=%22dev+carey%22. He reminds me of "Frank Cook":../hoboschool#frank.
	Allison and Schmuel & daughter	Discussion Item	2004-04-16	2004-04-16
	Allison and Schmuel & daughter
	Superbia: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods	Link	2004-04-16	2004-04-16
	A beautiful article on transitioning suburbia to a nicer place. And there is a "book too":http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0865714908?v=glance.
	Heather Lev - Carfree music	Document	2004-04-16	2008-03-05	2004-04-16
	Lyrics and links to Heather Lev's carfree songs. Reprinted by permission (Carbusters Magazine #19 March-May 2004).
	Critical Mass bicycle ride	Link	2004-04-17	2004-04-17
	Michael Bluejay has this one covered: "criticalmass.info":http://criticalmassrides.info/, though I'm linking to another site below. I've been on CM rides in Seattle, DC, NYC, Austin, and possibly elsewhere. Different cities at different times had different flavored rides. Some were crazy and militant (laying down in intersections), others were peaceable, law-abiding (stopping at all lights), and themed (e.g., Monica Lewinsky affair ride in DC). I never was a CM devotee, but went at least once in each new city I lived in, in general. Now, after riding across most of the US and some of Mexico, I've just about had it with *ever* bicycling on the same road as cars... I'd rather never be around cars. And I get impatient with the bicycle--it is after all another machine, and has many of the problems of cars, but in miniature. These days I walk or run. One place I loved to ride was northern Virginia, on a circular route that took me on carfree bike paths and the wonderfully peaceful & beautiful carfree C&O canal, and over the Potomac near the inspiring Great Falls, and on very car-lite suburban roads.
	Looking for Lords of the Chainring	Discussion Item	2004-04-17	2004-04-17
	Looking for Lords of the Chainring
	me, my life + infrastructure carfree / driving blog	Link	2004-04-18	2004-04-18
	An impressive blog I found when looking at which sites "link to this one":http://www.gigablast.com/search?link=carfreeuniverse.org (not many) using the gigablast search engine. Heidi led me to a new "carfree song (sortof)":../lordMrFord which I spent hours fiddling with... She reminds me that there are some people who seem to be able to manage / produce / assimilate vast amounts of text with frequency.
	Lord, Mr. Ford, what have you done?	Document	2004-04-18	2008-03-05	2004-04-18
	I love it. Written by Dick Feller, the easiest recording to find online is by Jerry Reed. Yet there are translations of the song in several languages... be the first to tell me about a translation and recording (a link or means of finding the file) that I don't know about.
	The critical mass rap	Document	2004-04-18	2004-04-18	2004-04-18
	The critical mass rap. Courtesy of massbike and Stephen LaMarca.
	me, my life + infrastructure carfree / driving blog	Discussion Item	2004-04-19	2004-04-19
	me, my life + infrastructure carfree / driving blog
	Needs rights to music	Discussion Item	2004-04-24	2004-04-24
	Needs rights to music
	Eat the state	Link	2004-05-05	2004-10-30
	Volume 8 no. 16.5 that I just received by email hit the state out of the park... They rock. Subscribe to their email/paper mail "here":http://eatthestate.org/stock/subscribe.htm. I have to wonder if watching the total collapse of the US empire & foreign policy because it is run by idiots is going to be as painless as reading Eatthestate... I doubt it. Or maybe the idiots are not the problem, it is the system? It does seem the US's days are numbered. If you're in the market for more such stuff perhaps try "zmag":http://zmag.org/. "This":http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/arnold/writings/ca2.html is some of what I should be reading for class, and seems related in a way. Fascinating was the combination of "Rufin's Globalia":http://nytimes.com/2004/05/04/books/04RUFI.html?pagewanted=all&position= and "Kristof's Pro-bush Iran":http://nytimes.com/2004/05/05/opinion/05KRIS.html. And moveon rightfully monopolizing on "torture":http://www.moveon.org/torture/. And what are we not paying attention to while distracted by all this? Also reading about US city pension fund woes. Yet San Luis Obispo, CA is run well at least, it seems. I'm reminded of Ludlum's old thriller novel _Parsifal Mosaic_ in which the secretary of state goes insane and takes all of world security with him... I don't recommend the book. Oh! And combine all that with "Report Warns of Infiltration by Al Qaeda in U.S. Prisons":http://nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05CHAP.html Reminding me of Grisham's _the Brethren_ and "Disney Forbidding Distribution of (Michael Moore's) Film That Criticizes Bush":http://nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05DISN.html. But eatthestate Volume 8 no. 16.5 is the essence of all of that.
	Noise Free America	Link	2004-05-19	2004-05-23
	Noise Free America is dedicated to fighting noise pollution, especially from boom cars, car alarms, leaf blowers, and motorcycles. Noise Free America has an extensive legislative agenda to reduce noise, as well as an Action Plan. Their "legislative agenda":http://noisefree.org/legislation.html is beautiful...
	Kalikalos- volunteer in Greece	Link	2004-05-19	2004-05-19
	They are an ecovillage-connected organization... Just wanted to make a note of them in case I feel like having a place to go and stay (and work) in a warm place in Europe.
	John Calvert	Link	2004-05-19	2004-05-19
	John Calvert: The Gizmo Guy Driving Electric When John Calvert decided to go car-free in 1997, it wasn’t to save money or get more exercise. Always an environmentally conscious person, Calvert became aware “of the global consequences of choosing to burn gasoline and use oil” and realized that the everyday choices we make here in Santa Barbara have environmental and violent consequences elsewhere. So the Dos Pueblos High and University of Oregon graduate dropped out of the gasoline-based culture, choosing instead to rely on his bicycle. But that can get tiring—even for an in-shape 39-year-old—especially for late-night runs to the supermarket or jaunts up to his San Marcos Pass home. That’s when Calvert remembered a little electric-powered tricycle made in his college town of Eugene, Oregon. Called the Gizmo, the three-wheeled, cockpitted vehicle costs $8,500 and travels as far as 50 miles on electricity alone. Charged through a simple wall outlet, the funky motorcycle-class car attracts admirers wherever he goes, causing some voyeurs to go out of their way to ask where he purchased such a contraption (on the Web at "www.nevco.com":http://www.nevco.com). Calvert’s environmental efforts don’t stop with leading by example. He also administers an e-mail list that serves more than 100 earth-conscious South Coasters. “It’s a virtual community where people can provide information about meetings and events, where people can plug in and get active,” said Calvert. He also works for Oasis Design, a design company for “green” wastewater management, and organizes the Santa Barbara chapter of EarthFirst—a radical environmental group that addresses the root cause of global problems, like the gasoline corporations that Calvert battles in small ways every day. John is also the webmaster for "hopedance":http://hopedance.org. "Google":http://www.google.com/search?q=john+calvert+santa+barbara The excerpt above can be found at the bottom of the page found at the link below. I suppose this raises the question of when is an electric vehicle not a car, or not likely to cause many of the same problems as the car... But at this point I'm getting eager to commend anyone not driving an suv or a large pickup truck.
	Traffic life	Link	2004-05-19	2004-12-26
	This site has an excellent "resources":http://www.trafficlife.com/resources.html page. Found by searching for "carfree cities" on "amazon.com":http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dblended%26field-keywords%3Dcarfree%252520cities. From the site: <blockquote> This is the companion website for the anthology _Traffic Life: Passionate Tales and Exit Strategies_. Edited by Stephan Wehner, this book contains short stories, poems, cartoons and lots of other art, all about the problems of traffic and cars plus alternatives. You can see for yourself: almost all of its contents are on-line. The book itself, of course, is more permanent and easier to read! You can order your copy now. Highlights: o A new Sherlock Holmes episode is uncovered o Postscript by Harlan Ellison to his classic *Along the Scenic Route* o Set in 2053 and written in the 1960's: "The Pedestrian":http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=ray+bradbury+the+pedestrian by Ray Bradbury o Scores for a Jazz piece by Jeff Younger o The Declaration of the Right to Walk and Roll o A masterpiece drawing of a memorial for a killed cyclist by Keith McKellar o Sixteen full colour pages show pottery work, paintings, photos and cartoons o Songs for the road o And it all begins with a conversation with God. And then there is lots, lots, lots more, including Andy Singer, Attila the Stockbroker, Peter Gelman, some Honku's and Ken Avidor!!! From the back cover: <blockquote> The theme of this anthology is the nuisance of cars and the problems of traffic. The facts of the matter and alternatives have been discussed in such books as _Carfree Cities_ by J.H. Crawford, _Divorce Your Car!_ by Katie Alvord, and _Asphalt Nation_ by Jane Holtz Kay. _Traffic Life_ contains short stories, poems, songs, cartoons, drawings, paintings and photos - and so broadcasts the theory through art. The judgment on people-killing, nature-ravaging, community-destroying, atmosphere-polluting, noisy, uncomfortable and expensive automobiles has been passed (never mind that they gobble up a non-renewable and valuable resource and contribute one-third of the greenhouse gases that warm the globe). Bicycles, busses and trains are much more reasonable to get around in cities and elsewhere. Still, large industries are devoted to producing, insuring, financing, selling and repairing more and more of these superfluous pesky metal boxes. "How am I going to get to work?", "Cycling is too dangerous!", "Busses are so slow!" These are some familiar reactions and not completely without merit. After all, it is generally accepted policy that all destinations be reachable by car, but other means are much less supported. _Traffic Life_ addresses all this by offering engaging works that go straight to the heart. </blockquote> Enjoy! </blockquote> You'll also value the "carbusters book order page":https://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?storeID=8WP&&#books.
	Autofreelife.info	Link	2004-05-19	2004-05-19
	A sort of blog/ portal site focusing a lot on part of southern California. From their site:<blockquote> Through words and images, this Web site examines the so-called "need" to own a car. We explore the possibilities, challenges and rewards of living auto-free and auto-light. In any given community, fully one-third of the population does not drive! In most cases, age, disability or finaces are the reasons, but for some the choice is voluntary, opting instead for life on a human scale and pace. These individuals report that driving less has rewarded them with reduced stress, improved health, more spare TIME and MONEY, and an overall better quality of life, which after all is determinded by how we live. </blockquote>
	RRM Designs / biketraildesign.com	Link	2004-05-19	2004-05-19
	A local company with interesting projects. One of their sites is "biketraildesign.com":http://www.biketraildesign.com/.
	Marylaine Block	Link	2004-05-20	2004-05-20
	Marylaine Block's "Carless and Carfree" column from September 1996. Note she raised a son carfree. I copied it here to format it a bit better: <blockquote> vol. 2, #10, September, 1996 CARLESS AND CAREFREE You could think of me as a unicorn--you know, one of those phantasmagoric creatures that maybe once existed, but certainly hasn't been sighted for centuries. One of those legendary animals our ancestors used to sit around the campfire telling tall tales about. At least I'm the next best thing--an American adult without a car. Those of you dwelling in large urban areas with excellent public transportation may not understand this as a freakish lifestyle choice, but it is, oh, indeed, it is. This choice was not a statement of anti-materialist ideology. It was made very simply because I had enough money to have any two of three things--I could have a house and a car, a child and a car, or a child and a house. Since I already had the child, it wasn't a difficult decision. It was, however, a thoroughly unAmerican decision. If it ever seems to you that I kind of stand off to the side of our culture, observing it rather than wholly participating in it, living without a car in America is part of the reason. Behavior that cars encourage or enforce, that other Americans take for granted, seem to me every bit as curious as the behavior of the Cargo Cult. </blockquote> *For the rest, follow the link below*
	CityStreets	Link	2004-05-20	2004-05-20
	A pedestrian advocacy group with a goal of making New York City the safest pedestrian city in the world. They have some cool free stickers you can request, and provoking public-awareness campaign ideas.
	cflit media campaign discussion list	Link	2004-05-20	2004-05-20
	It is pretty quiet right now and only has two members, but I wanted to add a link to it. Here's info from the list description: <blockquote> We discuss strategies for expressing the carfree vision in a compelling way to diverse audiences with a particular focus on the creative arts (as opposed to public policy and political activism, though the dividing line is not a clear one...). Discussion includes strategies for publishing/ producing and marketing mass media events and content. Initial focus is on thriller/page-turner type novels. We're also open to discussing plots and details for plays, screen plays, internet fad sites, popular song groups and so on... If the list ever takes off in all those areas, it may have to split into more lists. The main purpose of this list is to avoid swamping http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/carfree_network with posts about thriller novel plots... While I mention all types of media in this description, my particular interest is literature, so I've called the list "cflit." </blockquote> I should probably get this to be archived elsewhere besides yahoo... maybe someday
	Auto-free New York	Link	2004-05-20	2004-05-29
	George Haikalis, the chairman of afny is one of the most knowledgeable people in the carfree movement, and his group has some of the most educational and thought-provoking meetings I've been to. Ideally, we could get all the meetings filmed and available online so we could all learn... be sure to visit his "books":http://auto-free.org/bookrvws.html page.

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