[Applause] How did you get here. Raise your hand. How many of you drove here.Right. Most of you. Think about how you got in that car.You took down the road and you searched for a free parking spot. This is a process that you experience every day. Every day, everywhere you go.Now, I want you to think of the environment you pass through while driving. Generally, you don't notice it as much, right. Well, one thing you'll notice throughout all these trips if you look is the ugly scenery.Wide, beat up roads with ...

Urban Planning & Design - The core issue in urban design is walkability, which has been a focus of city planning for thousands of years, but is often neglected in North America due to a disconnect between planners and residents' needs [6][7][8] - Car dependency negatively impacts safety and comfort, contributing to a lack of independent mobility for children and a young driving age, despite the fact that vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death for young people in the US [13][14] - The rise of suburbs in the 1950s, driven by the baby boom and post-World War II desires for space and safety, has led to car-dependent communities with significant flaws [11][12] - Mixed-use developments, like Chinatown, which integrate residential and commercial spaces, are common in Europe and Asia but rare in North America, offering a unique character and identity to a city [23] - The concept of induced demand suggests that building more roads actually increases traffic, as people shift to driving due to perceived convenience [32][33] Historical Context & Visionary Ideas - Walt Disney's original concept for Epcot was intended to revolutionize city design by prioritizing pedestrians and creating a central commercial district with underground transportation [18][20] - Victor Gruin, the inventor of shopping malls, originally envisioned them as community-building spaces similar to European shop-lined streets, but his vision was altered to focus on consumerism [25][26][27] Solutions & Future Vision - The industry should focus on creating cities that are safe, useful, comfortable, and interesting, as highlighted in the book "Walkable City" [10] - The industry should consider implementing one or two-way roads with integrated bike lanes, ample crosswalks, and transit lanes connecting the city center to surrounding residential areas [35] - The industry should promote mixed-use streets with locally-owned businesses to create unique character and reduce the need for driving [22][24] Transportation & Mobility - In the 1950s, over 50% of students walked to school, compared to less than 13% today, highlighting the decline in pedestrian-friendly infrastructure [15]