What if cities: Ann Arbor

What if?....

TRANSPORTATION: cars We outlawed SUV’s in town?

We car pooled according to your location?

People were the priority over cars?

Main Street was closed to cars?

Ann Arbor banned gas-guzzling SUV’s?

CARS were outlawed?

Eliminate car and go back to travel by horseback… at least in the spring and summer?

TRANSPORTATION: parking No more parking structures in residential neighborhoods?

TRANSPORTATION: alternatives More weekend buses?

High speed rail?

High speed frikkin’ rail.

Washtenaw Avenue between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti was more of one place?

TRANSPORTATION: walking Main Street was a pedestrian mall 24/7?

More people lived walking distance?

EVERYONE could walk or bike to their jobs?

TRANSPORTATION: biking Cities made more bike paths so it would not be so dangerous biking to work?

Downtown buildings had bicycle paths on the 2nd floor?

There was a secure, dedicated bike route around in town?

People biked to work or to each other’s houses? Would there be more cook-outs? … the City had a goal of raising bicycle mode share to 10% in 10 years?

ENERGY Everybody in the universe spit into the core of the sun?

One used gym workout sessions for making electricity?

All canopies were solar panels?

Everyone in Ann Arbor put up a windmill far apart so it didn’t change wind currents?

All parking meters were charging stations?

Every roof had a solar panel?

Everyone had solar powered homes?

We all converted Michigan’s factories to make windmills?

We should use 100% green energy, produced by our own homes, and have it be totally affordable to install?

Argo dam were reactivated for hydroelectric power?

You could sell energy back to the utility company?

All people, including city employees called the city to report outside lights on during daylight hours? Easy energy savings and green!

EVERYONE uses renewable energy!!

A green energy technology was deadly to birds? Use bird friendly construction.

WATER RESOURCES All roofs were green!

Everyone in Ann Arbor had a rain barrel?

Everyone stopped drinking bottled water?

Sawdust toilets are the way to go!

Everybody would turn off the water when they aren’t using it?

Everyone stopped using their sprinkler systems?

There were no more birds?

RECYCLING EVERYONE recycled?

The city of Ann Arbor ran out of land fill and wanted to use playgrounds? Where would your children play?

We banned plastic bags?

Everyone did not litter ☺

FOOD People would really eat / farm sustainability?

There were no more lawn – all edible landscape?

Everyone was given a plot of land to live on and to grow their own organic food on?

Everyone had their own garden?

Everyone had a native landscape?

We shared food? We would all have enough to eat.

There was a large grocery downtown?

SOCIAL Neighbors shared tools, child care, meals and responsibility for the commons?

Neighbors smiled at each other every day ☺ W e

a l l

s l o

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d

d o w n ?

Everyone said “Hello” to each other?

Most Ann Arbor residents really cared about our environment? And actually did something about it?

We weren’t afraid of creativity?

There were any downtown family doctors?

Not only humans, but also everything else could live happily together?

We all smiled at each other ☺

We designed buildings that thought more about people?

There was music on our streets all year round?

Everyone helped everyone else build a moderate house on their plot of land for just the cost of materials, like the Amish community does?

People danced more Irish jigs?

Answer: Happiness

You had zero kids instead of your current #?

We woke up one day and all the MUSIC was gone?

Ann Arbor became the leader in sustainable design practice?

ECONOMY All wi-fi were FREE! Incentivize!

Many/most of Ann Arbor’s businesses were virtual + were green?

Zero big box stores?

We co‐locate communications equipment on existing towers! (No new towers!) Save money! Save the environment!

The cost of maintenance and disposal was priced into all products?