New Urbanism, sustainable architecture for a post-oil world?

[Eclipse Now]

In the global warming thread I had a bit of a rant about how New Urbanism may be the most efficient city design for solving a multitude of problems at once, most of all — the fact that the Export Land Model on oil depletion boldly announces importing nations may not be able to import half as much within 10 years.

 

Even right wing bloggers are starting to see the benefits of New Urbanism. One of my favourite Sci-Fi authors, Orson Scott-Card, writes a very right wing blog. But even he stated that Americans (and I'm agreeing on behalf of Australians) should adopt New Urbanism because...

 

1. Oil dependence funds our enemies.

2. We waste huge amounts of time driving.

3. Cars kill 40,000 Americans a year; drive less, save lives.

4. Car ownership is a crushing tax on the poor.

5. Our oil supply will run out someday.

6. Parking lots have paved our landscapes.

7. It's not like we need the air pollution.

8. The exercise of walking or biking makes us healthier.

 

Civilization Watch - April 8, 2007 - Walking Neighborhoods - The Ornery American

 

So what do people think? Simply REZONING our cities around New Urbanism and then letting "natural attrition" (normal rates of demolition of old homes) take over, 90% of our problem is solved in 50 years.

Folke Günther talks about re-ruralisation with Stephen Hinton | Global Public Media

 

Then the western world would be independent of oil, live in healthier, more attractive "trendier" cities (Venice? Rome? Seinfield?), save materials in an age of 'peak everything', and maybe even be happier?

 

Or is the political problem too acute? Are people just too short-term and addicted to business as usual?

 

For a summary of my thoughts on how we could do this to get off oil and solve global warming and MANY other problems, see here.

Eclipse Now: Rezone and Relocalize

[Flying Binghi]

Eclipse Now, have you read the book ? - Moving Nearer to Heaven, or the other name, The Illusions and Disillusions of Migrants to Scenic Rural Places by Patrick Jobes. It possibly presents an extreme of your argument.

[Eclipse Now]

Hey, who stole my space? I'm the most extreme greenie here! :)

 

Sounds interesting, but with my kids, home business, and internet activities and mass of reports to read as quickly as possible... I hardly get through my own greenie books.B)

[Flying Binghi]

I'm the most extreme greenie here

 

Sounds like your in for a surprise Eclipse Now.

 

home business, and internet activities and mass of reports to read

 

As a former card carrying member of the Wilderness society and a Permaculture believer, I've suffered my share of 'Illusions and Disillusions' ...still, my farm has no power, water, or phone line connections to this day - and the AGW claims are a crok of... though I'll save that for another thread :)

[Eclipse Now]

How much of your own food do you grow? Do you live on your farm? Do you think the vast majority of the world will want to live like that after peak oil?