02-06-2007, 05:57 AM
Because the future first involves humans re-embracing the idea of walking to the store, instead of driving to the store. Most answers to the problem of urban sprawl is to reduce the need for driving by re-intoducing local businesses and amenities into pre-existing neighborhoods, and making communities more walkable by recognizing that the furthest a person will walk to get to a particular destination is 500 feet before they will choose to drive their instead. Part of this solution means re-construction of footpaths and sidewalks. The future also involves making better use of refuse as raw material, and the reconstitution of tires as pavement for a walking surface is both beautiful in an ironic and sustainable way.