England: Scott Pickett (Sustainability in London)

Sustainability in London

The United States, and North America in general, is built for cars. Historically, railways and trains were instrumental in the development of America, but over time, train stations and tracks were torn down to build roads and parking lots. As America is famous for its huge portions, so is it famous for its huge parking lots and highways. Cities outside of North America that I have had the pleasure of experiencing during the program, such as London and Paris, have designed dense labyrinths of buildings and pavement that allow for easy access by foot and bike. Additionally, these cities have implemented grand public transportation which allows for easy access to entire cities without needing to step into a car. America on the other hand has largely designed landscapes instead. Cities which are spread out, flat, and would cause death by exhaustion if one tried to get around by foot. Combined with the lack of public transport, which plagues many American cities, there is an utter reliance on cars in America. This presents sustainability issues on two fronts, first, the planning in favor of and the subsequent reliance on cars causes huge carbon emissions, and the American style of urban planning, the separation between different kinds of buildings (i.e. housing, stores, work places, etc.) lessens the ability to build both a local neighborhood community and build connections across communities. The community building that densely designed cities provide is proven within London; London’s neighborhoods often have markets or shops, which both provide for the community’s needs materially and emotionally, providing a social space for community members to converse. An example of this is Broadway Market, here every Saturday and Sunday, the street turns into a bustling market where people living in the area meet friends, buy their weekly groceries, or sit and hang out. This example is just one of many within London. In America, this sort of community bonding event is difficult to find. I believe that is due to a lack of access. When a city is largely car-based, it becomes difficult to get the majority of a community within one area, as not only do the community members have to be there, their cars do as well. This provides a logistical issue. There simply isn’t enough room for America to fit both cars and community. Dense, pedestrian, and public focused city planning, such as London’s, allows for both the sustainability of the environment and the sustainability of communities.

Scott Pickett

Major: History, English, and Psychology

Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin