Transit

Transit



"The observation goes something like this: seemingly simple changes to city streets or pathways can change entire ways of living. In the same way that removing a particular insect can spark a chain of events that ultimately transforms the "natural" world, the design of roads, trains, and city spaces can radically alter the social environment — the way people live."

McLaren, Carrie. "The sociology of transit." Web log post. Stay Free! Daliy. 16 Apr. 2007. Web. .

This article is referring to Portland, Oregon's city structure and the way it created a less vehicle centric City. To combat people from driving to work and encouraging mass transit, the mayor of Portland managed to decrease parking in the city/streets and raise the price of parking in lots and parking decks, creating an issue for commuters to either spend lots more money than usual to drive to work, or bike or take the train to work. Many people didn't want to take the train, but it seems to have went over well. The article cites that someone who detested the train for a long time, became a huge supporter of it and couldn't image life without it. The little things can help make a city change, although the people must want that as well. The cities that wish to make a change in their communities must do it full on, though Portland had a big revamp in the 90s, cities must make a change first and try to promote greener ways of living.