Sir, – Michael McDowell’s article misses the point about cars in our towns and cities (“Car use is not simply the prerogative of the odious and hysterical middle classes”, Opinion & Analysis, March 29th).
Merely electrifying rather than reducing cars in urban area would probably do little for overall carbon emissions, due to the embodied carbon emissions associated not only with replacing the existing car fleet but of the need to construct and maintain infrastructure to support car use.
Cars are immense space and infrastructure guzzlers requiring 30 times more space than a cyclist at urban speeds, according to the Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
Due to biodiversity and soil fertility loss, EU taxonomy regulations are now directing construction finance away from arable land and toward predeveloped brownfield or soil-sealed sites, much of which are dedicated to car infrastructure.
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Cutting current planning requirements for car parking per dwelling will also allow increases in housing density, potentially doubling the number of homes per hectare without exceeding two to three storeys in height and help cut costs of construction.
Reduced non-essential car use helps builders’ vehicles get to sites on time to start building.
Towns and cities across Europe with public transport no better than ours, are kicking cars out, because it simply makes life better for their citizens by freeing up space, cutting costs and creating healthy low-carbon communities.
Reducing cars in our towns and cities will play a role not only in solving the climate crisis but also help with the housing crisis. – Yours, etc,
PAT BARRY,
Chief Executive Officer,
Irish Green Building Council,
Dublin 1.
Sir, – As a small child I enjoyed running about playing “cars”, with a saucepan lid in my hands as a steering wheel. I must away now to check out a certain drawer in the kitchen. – Yours, etc,
TOM GILSENAN,
Beaumont,
Dublin 9.