What is the role of the car within urban areas in the United States? It such a basic question that the answer may seem obvious. But the accepted primacy of the car on our streets belies the congestion, pollution, and fatalities which extract an exorbitant cost on society. The National Safety Council estimates 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads in 2015; the largest increase in 50 years. 

For Chicago entrepreneur Josh London, it's not so obvious that the car should be the dominant form of transportation within an urban environment. From his perspective, cities are not working as well and he asks "why can't we have car-free streets?" It's a unconventional view yet one informed by his own personal health journey.

It's time to head home from work and I look out the window to see a rain storm moving into the area. Since I commute by bike, I have three choices: ride home - mostly likely in the rain, take the bus and put the bike on the front of the bus, or leave the bike at the office and take a train. I opt for the first and head out the door hoping to beat the worst of the storm.. 

This is is not the first time I've taken a chance with the rain, nor will it be the last. And through the years, I've tweaked my bike commuting setup to deal with the weather. So the hopeful part of me is thinking, it may not rain too hard so how wet can I get? 

Over the past several years, a significant trend has emerged with young adults choosing to live in urban areas over suburban locales. According to Nielsen, "62% of millennials indicate they prefer to live in the type of mixed-use communities found in urban centers, where they can be close to shops, restaurants and offices."  This preference for urban areas has not gone unnoticed by employers who are also moving or relocating to the urban core. Recently, in Chicago alone, Motorola, ConAgra, GE Healthcare, Archer Daniels Midland, Kraft-Heinz and now McDonald's have moved or announced a move to walkable neighborhoods and downtowns. 

​While there are many factors at work, what's remarkable is the role that biking and bike-friendly communities play in this shift. Smart Growth America just released a report called Amazing Place: Six Cities Using the New Recipes for Economic Development that examines these trends.