If we don’t live in suburbia, how can we live? Well, the Venetians do rather well, but there is no reason why newer cities cannot work too.

I have long been fascinated by how much money and effort we devote to projects like the development of a new car or a new aircraft or a new missile, yet how little attention we give to the best way to live on a day to day basis. In saying that, I’m not trying to denigrate the value of cars, or aircraft or missiles (you never know when you might need one) but merely to suggest that a certain adjustment in priorities might be in order.

“Balance is everything,” as the bishop said to the tightrope walking actress - under circumstances I am too discreet to comment on further.

I’m prompted to write about all this not only because James Howard Kunstler, author of ‘The Long Emergency,’ thinks that suburbia is doomed, but also because I have lived in a variety of locations where a car was not essential and can confirm that life without a car on a daily basis is entirely possible without the world coming to an end. And, no, I did not suffer. I’m not a masochist. I merely walked (from café to café), took a bus, tram subway or train and typically shared a car with friends when I had to make a longer trip.

The correct balance, at least in my experience, is where a car is not essential for one’s routine activities, like commuting, but where one has access to one for longer trips or something out of the ordinary. Cars are great when necessary, and better yet when there is a trunk to put the mother-in-law in.

Such a compromise, if widely adopted, would have a dramatic impact on both energy usage, and on the gridlock which is currently choking our cities, and our highways, to the great detriment of our health, our children’s health, our general quality of life and our finances.

But, whatever about my personal experiences, the really good news is that there are whole chunks of the world where a relatively balanced existence is being lived right now – so you can go and see for yourself without driving (just take a train through the cities of Europe) – and the even better news is that some extraordinary work is being done by some brilliant people to show that high density living of superior quality – whether in a village, town or city - is eminently possible without the routine use of an automobile; and yet you will still have access to green space, lakes, a reasonable selection of flora and fauna, together with the creatures that roam suburbia these days (my son encountered a bear when he was cycling to school a couple of years back; but what can I say – this is Virginia).

Some of the most remarkable ideas on new city design are contained within a memorable work by J. Crawford called ‘Carfree Cities.’ In it, he not only gives numerous examples of existing pedestrian orientated cities but he also includes detailed work on a new scaleable design for a city which is built around a metro route but where no location is any further than 35 minutes away. In addition, only 20% of the urban are is planned to be built on so green space is everywhere. And to top it all, the book is a work or art in itself.

It’s a remarkable production. Go see it - and order it - at www.carfree.com and feel inspired. There is hope for mankind as long as people like Mr. Crawford are around. And no, I have never met him.