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...peers in New Urbanism want to stem suburban sprawl in favor of medium-density towns and neighborhoods where houses, offices, shopping and leisure activities would all be within a walkable space. The automobile - which is responsible for a significant portion of most Americans' individual carbon footprint - would become an option, not a lifeline. "This goes beyond simply having cars that will pollute less, like hybrids," says Duany, a voluble 58-year-old who grew up in Cuba before moving to the U.S. in 1960. "It means not having to drive." (Hear Duany talk about New Urbanism on this week...
...most Americans outside a handful of urban areas, not driving is not an option. But auto addiction takes a hidden toll. There's health: The average American walks as little as four minutes a day, in part because little is within walking distance. That sedentariness has contributed to the rise in obesity over recent decades. Next is the theft of time: More driving means more hours in the car, especially with traffic worsening. The population of extreme commuters - those who travel 90 minutes or more each way - has hit 3.5 million, double the number in 1990. But the worst effects...
...instance, cyberspace has provided an outlet for confession. Not only have things like blogs and online diaries become popular, there exist sites whose express purpose is confession. The website PostSecret.com became well known earlier in the decade for publishing postcards from people confessing deep secrets. Yet PostSecret provides the option for the public confession to be anonymous—in other words, confessions with neither feedback nor consequences—and a major goal of the site is to foster online attention to artwork. The postcards featured are visually interesting, and they are not all weighty in their confessions...
...sympathize with the pressures that have instigated this trend, we believe that it is ultimately harmful to the welfare of today’s youth. Americans have a well-deserved reputation for suing at the slightest provocation. Whether as consumers, employees, patients, or parents, the courts are often the option of first resort, instead of the last. Schools have not been immune to our litigious society—on the contrary, they have been a focal point. In Adrian, MI, a mother sued when her hemophiliac son was punched by classmates; in Warren, OH, parents sued when their developmentally delayed...
Fitzsimmons said the fact that Harvard doesn’t have early action could depress the yield, though he added that the effect could be the opposite if Harvard ends up being students’ least expensive option...