China's unhealthy and unhappy car culture

• Source: The Global Times
• [09:13 May 15 2009]
• Comments

“If you came here and you’d never been here before, you’d think it was a completely different city,” she commented more than once.

And it was true. The skies were blue, free of smog – in part due to the factory closures and halts to construction, I realize, but the removal of half of Beijing’s automobile traffic was key to reducing pollution.

Even more striking was the impact fewer cars had on the overall “atmosphere” of the city. Gone were the constantly honking horns, the noise and exhaust. Cars no longer ruled the streets, people did. Pedestrians could cross the roads without worrying about dodging cars or waiting for breaks in the traffic – there was no traffic. I have never seen Beijingers so relaxed – well, not since 1979, that is.

Of course, this is not 1979, it’s 2009. Bicycles no longer have the appeal for people that cars do.

However, I think there are some compromises that can and should be made. Of China’s major cities, only Shanghai has adopted a license plate auction system – and this, apparently, will expire after the 2010 Expo. Other world cities use such fees, congestion pricing and expensive parking to reduce traffic – why not in China?

I applaud China’s expansion of mass transit systems and only wish that my own country would make a similar commitment. I’d like to think that safe, convenient and inexpensive subways will ultimately prove a more attractive option than expensive private cars that spend most of their time stuck on smoggy, congested freeways or Ring Roads.

More urban areas should be given over to pedestrians only. For example, Beijing’s Nanluoguxiang is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike for its collection of bars and unique shops. It’s part of a preserved hutong district and as such was not designed for automobile traffic. And yet, cars constantly clog the alley, caught in throngs of pedestrians, honking when they’re stuck in gridlock, which is more often than not. Why isn’t this lane a “pedestrian only” district? This would only enhance its appeal. There are many areas in China’s cities that would be suitable “walking zones’ – and where such areas don’t exist, they should be created. We humans were meant to move, to walk, and I believe that we are happiest when we live in places that acknowledge this fact.

Although private cars can provide a refuge of sorts for their owners, they also add immeasurably to the stress and alienation of urban life. Car culture is extremely seductive but ultimately it isn’t a healthy – or happy – culture in which to live.

The author is a writer who lived in China in 1979 and has since returned many times. Her website is papertigertail.blogspot.com