A few things I have been reading lately seemed relevant:
Barely Maps
Back in September, I mentioned that Down & Outbound became a Kickstarter supporter for a book project by Peter Gorman entitled Barely Maps. The project is a personal account of the cyclist and graphic designer's 11,000 mile bike trip across the United States and southern Canada. The end result is the gorgeously printed Barely Maps: 100 Minimalist Maps (2019). It's similar to an artbook with dozens of illustrations including a set of Intersections, where Gorman outlines the quirky, weird intersections of select U.S. cities. You can read a complete review of the book on my companion thebookshopper.org blog or visit Gorman's website at barelymaps.com.
Democracy and Public Services (Transportation)
Astra Taylor's book, Democracy May Not Exist, But We'll Miss It When It's Gone (2019) is a multidisciplinary and historical look at the where democracy stands as we the first quarter of the new century. Although you could say things are looking a little bleak for democracy, Taylor reminds us that "democracy begins where you live" including protecting the environment. She writes:
"Ultimately, more than 350 cities announced plans to break with national policy and honor the international accord. No longer advising people to go back to the land, environmentalists increasingly recognize the role cities must play if they hope to achieve sustainability Several earths would be required for everyone to live in a suburban home with a two-car garage, which means dense cities - compact, efficiently designed, and public service rich -- will be crucial to livable low-carbon future. "(Taylor is citing the work of Daniel Adana Cohen.)
And Ending on a Lighter Note
A couple of weeks ago around midnight on a Saturday night, my eye caught a "vehicle" scooting down my street in Decatur (GA). I live on a busy street with lots of traffic and even at that late hour automobiles pass by regularly. The vehicle had no lights or reflectors, but a large, older man was wearing white sweatpants (or pajamas?), a jacket and stocking cap was tootling along one of the lanes. I feared the worse for the scooter rider or an unsuspecting motorist and called the non-emergency police number. The next morning the scooter was abandoned a block away and it turned out it was a motorized shopping cart from a Walmart store which is about 3/4 of a mile from where I live. You cannot underestimate how people like their scooters.
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