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Think about root causes

The horrific tragedy that happened up the road from here in Santa Monica has people asking the obvious questions about elderly drivers.

Not mentioned is that we in the US, and especially in Southern California, have structured our cities such that a person without a car is largley cut off from society. As the country ages, the problem will become more acute, manifesting itself not only in more automobile fatalities, but also more suicides, more health problems, and a malaise in an ageing population.

Pedestrian scalable cities, where housing, services, entertainment, and community centers are traversable by foot, bicycle, or even golf cart are needed so that people can age without losing their identities and independence. My parents are fortunate to live in such a place - Capitola, California. My father (who no longer drives) lives a fully engaged life on foot. My mother still drives (as the nearest Nordstrom's is quite a distance away), but drives 1 or 2 times a week. They are a very fortunate contrast to most folks their age in this country.

Modernity has favored the young - that we have a generation that redefined America as youth now facing retirement, the quality of ageing will become a big issue, and it will force us to look at the social effects of modernity as well as od institutions - like villages.

Adam Sullivan, 02:18 | 0 comments