The one aspect of urban life that has the most impact on city planning, traffic flow, exists in almost perfect opposition to all the other good things a city can have. (1/4)
Time and time again, studies find a clear inverse correlation between easy driving and every other measure of success. The more dense, diverse, walkable, and desirable a city is, the more it is likely to be congested. (2/4)
The less fuel it burns and the lower the obesity rate, the worse the traffic. Ditto that on educational attainment, patents per capita, and GDP. (Every 10% increase in traffic delay correlates to a 3.4% increase in per-capita GDP.) (3/4)
In the United States at least, greatness brings congestion. Why, then, is design controlled by congestion, and not by greatness? (4/4)
