Whenever I go out, I try to envision a better way to organize
human activities and connect places with the aim of improving the quality of social experience.
- Addressing the problems with transportation:
By reducing the time, stress and cost of getting around, one can spend more quality time doing what they want.
- Addressing the problems with transportation:
By reducing the time, stress and cost of getting around, one can spend more quality time doing what they want.
- Designing suitable common
spaces:
Interior and exterior spaces should be designed with positive values in mind; such as comfort, beauty, functionality and the integration of nature. Public spaces should enable patrons to engage in various activities of their choice, much like a nice park or lake-shore. Most importantly there should be areas where people can freely interact with each other, without the need to buy something.
This is an important point I want to make. I think ultimately to have any satisfaction in life, people have to move away from being consumers and start being creative. And also take an active part in what is being done by others, to engage others in new endeavors. We are really talking about a new kind of economy, of ideas, of exchanges of information and action. Happiness is found not in having but in doing.
I am not against materialism, or having things, but it can't be the only aim in life.
Interior and exterior spaces should be designed with positive values in mind; such as comfort, beauty, functionality and the integration of nature. Public spaces should enable patrons to engage in various activities of their choice, much like a nice park or lake-shore. Most importantly there should be areas where people can freely interact with each other, without the need to buy something.
This is an important point I want to make. I think ultimately to have any satisfaction in life, people have to move away from being consumers and start being creative. And also take an active part in what is being done by others, to engage others in new endeavors. We are really talking about a new kind of economy, of ideas, of exchanges of information and action. Happiness is found not in having but in doing.
I am not against materialism, or having things, but it can't be the only aim in life.
In my view, the proper aim for supplying material goods and
services like food, healthcare, utilities and commodities, is only to meet our
basic needs. Having an overabundance of those
things is not happiness. Such a strategy is unsuccessful
and only takes away those necessities from other people.
Today a large fraction of the fresh food produced is thrown away because it is not sold. Something needs to change. Another big waste I want to talk about comes from our outdated transportation system.
It cannot even be called a system because people still think of transportation from an individualistic point of view, and therein is the problem. Most want to drive their own personal car, which is selfish and wasteful. If every person on Earth has their own car - that is 8 billion cars and growing, I see a problem with that. Those who use public transit, do so out of necessity, not because it is more convenient or safer.
Today a large fraction of the fresh food produced is thrown away because it is not sold. Something needs to change. Another big waste I want to talk about comes from our outdated transportation system.
It cannot even be called a system because people still think of transportation from an individualistic point of view, and therein is the problem. Most want to drive their own personal car, which is selfish and wasteful. If every person on Earth has their own car - that is 8 billion cars and growing, I see a problem with that. Those who use public transit, do so out of necessity, not because it is more convenient or safer.
What if we made a public transit system that is not only
more convenient than driving, but also faster, safer, cheaper and
environmentally sustainable all at the same time? It sounds too fantastic to realise, but so
was space-flight at one time. If something can be imagined and is physically possible, it can also be achieved given enough incentive. The
Space Race during the cold war provided the stimulus to propel space and communication technology. There were many peaceful off
spins from the space-race, such as satellite communication and ever smaller
and faster computers. The same
kind of revolution needs to happen with transportation on Earth.
In the 70’s people were envisioning traveling in flying cars, telleportation etc. None of that has happened and for good reasons, flying is more energy-demanding than traveling on land, and telleportation of large objects may be impossible. Flying cars are a terrible idea if everyone had them. Think about what the world would look like. I like a clear sky without people flying over me. It won't look pretty, not to mention the mess of mid-air collisions.
In the 70’s people were envisioning traveling in flying cars, telleportation etc. None of that has happened and for good reasons, flying is more energy-demanding than traveling on land, and telleportation of large objects may be impossible. Flying cars are a terrible idea if everyone had them. Think about what the world would look like. I like a clear sky without people flying over me. It won't look pretty, not to mention the mess of mid-air collisions.
The next posts will be on how to make transportation better in a new way.
I have to say here that at the time of writing I had no idea someone had already proposed similar ideas.
I was not disappointed so much that people had though of it first, but that in all the time since no one has done much to promote and implement this brilliant solution to A – the transportation problems we face, B – the energy crisis, and C – pollution by cars.
I have to say here that at the time of writing I had no idea someone had already proposed similar ideas.
I was not disappointed so much that people had though of it first, but that in all the time since no one has done much to promote and implement this brilliant solution to A – the transportation problems we face, B – the energy crisis, and C – pollution by cars.
The important question to answer as a species is what we
really want and need. While there are many
answers, the most essential need is being connected.
To be Continued…
