What would it take to make car-free living possible across the United States? The question has critical implications for the climate: Transportation is the nation’s top source of emissions, and everyday vehicles are the largest contributor within this category.
Today, cars are an inescapable fact of life in most of the country. Almost 70% of U.S. workers drove alone to work in 2022, compared to 2.9% who biked or walked and 3.1% who took public transportation.
This reality doesn’t necessarily reflect Americans’ preferences, however. Many people in the U.S. want to live in walkable areas, but only a small fraction of the nation’s developed land fits this description…