Urban activists have spent decades advocating for a re-evaluation of society’s relationship with automobiles, given their adverse effects on human health, the environment and our cities. But cars have become so ingrained in people’s way of living that many struggle to conceive how life might improve with fewer of them.

Contributor David Zipper reviews three new books that are now trying to rewire the public’s mind: Saving Ourselves from Big Car by David Obst exposes the companies profiting off car culture. Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship With Cars by Henrietta Moore and Arthur Kay takes a more philosophical approach. And in Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, authors Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon and Aaron Naparstek unpack the research behind how cars shape human lives and the environment. Today on CityLab: ‘Car Brain’ Is Making the US Unhealthy and Dangerous. EVs Won’t Fix It.

— Arvelisse Bonilla Ramos

More on CityLab

LA Mayor Seeks to Halt ‘Mansion Tax’ for Wildfire Victims
In a letter to the city council, Mayor Karen Bass pitched a one-time, three-year exemption for fire-affected homeowners.

Why Car YouTuber Matt Farah Is Fighting for Walkable Cities
The outspoken host of “The Smoking Tire” videos and podcasts has become an unlikely advocate for urban transportation policy reforms that limit car use. 

Japan Needs Foreign Workers. Its Far Right Is Turning Against Them
In the city of Toyota, immigrants help power the economy while facing political backlash.

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