Designing a Life After Cars: Reclaiming our Cities from the Automobile

When the very first cars rolled off production lines, they were a technological marvel, predicted to make life easier and better for everyone; yet a hundred years later, that dream is running on empty. Instead of unbounded freedom, the never-ending proliferation of automobiles has delivered a host of costs, among them the demolition of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to make way for car infrastructure; an epidemic of violent death; countless hours lost in traffic; isolation from our fellow human beings; and worsening environmental impacts. That’s why we need "Life After Cars" (https://www.lifeaftercars.com/). 

Through historical records, revealing interviews, and unflinching statistics, Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon - urban activists and hosts of the popular podcast The War on Cars - unpack in their recent bestselling book the scale of damage that cars cause, the forces that have created our current crisis and are invested in perpetuating it, and the way that the fight for better transportation is deeply linked to the fight for a more equitable and just society.

Please join the HKS Mobility Policy Group and GSD Mobility for a candid moderated discussion and Q&A with authors Sarah and Doug for unique insights into how students of both policy and design can advance a more sustainable transportation ecosystem for all. This event is open to the entire Harvard community; advanced registration required.