"The $3,000-to-$5,000 car is just gone."

[ray245]

Maybe Americans as a whole should reconsider their views towards living in the more rural regions and the suburbs?

At this stage, I really find that sustaining suburban culture is a luxury that no nation can really afford.

Don't be a douche Ray. That very fact is slowly sinking into a lot of Americans; however, you can't expect it to change with a snap and a pop.

I never said the mentality would be easily changed. My main concern is can the change occur fast enough.

[Knife]

Quick enough for?

[ray245]

Quick enough for?

For one, (edit=removed stupid point) decreasing the carbon emissions they produce?

[Ryan Thunder]

Quick enough for?

Not experiencing a catastrophic food shortage due to a lack of pesticides causing an increased frequency of failed crops.

[RedImperator]

Maybe Americans as a whole should reconsider their views towards living in the more rural regions and the suburbs?

At this stage, I really find that sustaining suburban culture is a luxury that no nation can really afford.

Don't be a douche Ray. That very fact is slowly sinking into a lot of Americans; however, you can't expect it to change with a snap and a pop.

Do you see any evidence that's actually changing? Right now, in most American municipalities, you can't even legally build a walkable, transit-friendly development--building codes mandate huge lot sizes, giant setbacks, and suburban parking/square footage ratios. I haven't seen any evidence at all that Americans are waking up to the idea suburbia is unsustainable; they just seem to be waiting for the recession to end so they can go back to building and buying McMansions and WalMarts.

[Knife]

Do you see any evidence that's actually changing? Right now, in most American municipalities, you can't even legally build a walkable, transit-friendly development--building codes mandate huge lot sizes, giant setbacks, and suburban parking/square footage ratios. I haven't seen any evidence at all that Americans are waking up to the idea suburbia is unsustainable; they just seem to be waiting for the recession to end so they can go back to building and buying McMansions and WalMarts.

Nationally? No, though you can make a connect the dots argument with gas prices and fuel efficient cars (what the thread started out as) the American people are finally starting to see the benefits of, even though if gas dropped to a buck a gallon tomorrow I'm sure truck sales would skyrocket. Wanting to change and needing to change and change don't necessarily walk hand in hand all the time.

That said, locally, I see all sorts of indications that at some level the message is being listened to. Massive amounts of urban housing construction have been going on in the population centers around here, as are renting properties. Granted, it's not some grandiose idealistic measure, rather businessmen seeing all the maxed out rental area's due to McMansion foreclosures but like I said, needing to change and wanting to change and change itself don't always go the same path.

The type of change Ray wants to happen over night will take far longer and be a mix between people no longer able to afford their preferred way of life, people finding a way to profit in giving them another, and straight out collapse around the rest that force them to change. Lots of people already realize the situation, yet large scale construction on other places to live have just begun (locally) so it is not like half of suburbia can uproot and move next Sunday. Doesn't mean they don't realize it. As for myself, the wife and I have already decided to forgo suburbia, but instead of moving out next week in a huff, we decided to get our ducks in order and make a planned move in a couple years into a more urban area of our choosing.