Why Should Buying Orange Juice Require a Car?

By Neil O. Campbell  |  Governance Ecosystem Designer and Founder, Living Ecosystem Design

Growing up in Harlem, New York, I learned something about how cities work long before I understood the language of urban planning. A few extra blocks to the grocery store could make all the difference, especially when carrying heavy bags home. Distance wasn't just something measured on a map. It was something we felt in our legs, our arms, and our everyday decisions.

Today, we have extraordinary technologies that allow us to travel farther and faster than ever before. Yet something as simple as buying a jug of orange juice can still require a car. But what happens when someone cannot afford the car, the gas, or the insurance?

Perhaps the next great advancement in how we develop our communities isn't about moving people farther and faster. Perhaps it's about rediscovering how to bring more of everyday life within human reach.

What if the places we already have hold more of the answers than we realize?