But (and I'm aware we're moving away from the specific application) it's too easy to blame the powers that be, we have to take a long hard look at ourselves.The human race is driven by selfishess. We want to drive everywhere because it saves afew minutes of our precious time. Yet we moan about traffic jams. Most humans want their little family unit, some want their big family unit, yet moan about the lack of infrastructure to support it.Overcrowding and overdevelopment is a result of us, the human race, not politicians or administrators. If we stopped breeding so recklessly, stopped relying so much on the private car and took greater pride and care in our environments, then we wouldn't be where we are.But it's so much easier to point the finger of blame elsewhere and carry on with our "I'm all right Jack" attitudes.For the 2nd time in 2 weeks I found myself on a 267 at rush hour yesterday going down Twickenham Road. Was it a slower journey than afew years back ? - undoubtedly. Was it that much slower ? - no. The stretch from Busch Corner to the South Street junction took say 5 minutes (and I think I'm being generous) than in the past. Now I'm not particularly pro the closure of Church Street, but in recent years my attitude about it has mellowed, and when I see so many cars at rush hour with only the driver in them, it only highlights to me just how selfish people are. Yep, of course some people need their cars all the time, but they're in the minority (I imagine at least 50% of the drivers on Twickenham Road could use other forms of transport if they were so minded), and the only way we're going to force people out of their cars and onto alternatives is by making travel by car as uncomfortable as possible. I'm not anti-car, but for the last 4 months I've been without a car. Yes, I do miss the convenience of it, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've genuinely needed a car during that time, and when I do, I've used Zipcar etc. And financially it makes no sense whatsoever for me to have a car.I may be a planning consultant but I'm a local resident and a human being too. I present schemes that accord with all development plan policies and therefore get planning permission, but I don't always think "wow, I wish I could live in this development" I scoff at what the government says, I laugh at the whole notion of sustainable development that supposedly underpins the planning system.But, that's a problem we, the human race, have created. For which I, you and all of us are to blame. So we're in no position to moralise.The day a government starts taxing the hell out of large families will be the first day any government is taking a positive step to reduce the problems we have created.
Adam Beamish ● 2864d