Originally Posted by
filtersweep
There are other ways of decentralizing the auto without even mentioning biks. Around here, it is impossible to live further than walking distance of a grocery store--- or post office. Most city centers are pedestrian only. There are all sorts of green buffer zones, and agriculturally zoned land that can't be developed for 100 years. These are packaged as quality of life issues, and have nothing to do with cycling, anti-vehicularism, or anything else. The fundamental cultural value from the 1950s remains to this day: a car is a LUXURY --not a necessity or a right.
I have seen this mentality exemplified in Finland... and it is quite amazing and frankly I think somewhat difficult for those that have not seen something like this to imagine. It is a very different paradigm. I don't know about Norway, but in Oulu Finland, people were given priority over cars and it is quite evident.