Article in the series:
"Change the World"
~ things we can do without ~

Communities without roads
~ Where do we want to go? ~

- Change the Way you Travel

Have a look at the Segway and imagine it - communities without
roads! If we used a Skycar for long distance travel, we could also
do without airports, and instead take off and land in our backyards.

- Change the Way you Work

Instead of working in an office, we could do most things from home.
In fact, you could work anywhere. With a phone like the Nokia 3650
you can make calls, browse the web and use email. It's also a camera
and MPEG-4 video player, so you'll be switched on! How long will it
take before you'll be able to do all your work with a watch like the
Abacus?

- Change the Way you Learn

Of course, the same goes for learning. Why go to University, when
you can follow courses online? Homeschooling has long proven to be
much more effective than school. For more on that, read Deschooling
Society and Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling.

- Change Health Care

Once the grip of the University over health care has been broken, we
can also have a closer look at how we deal with health issues. Just
have a look at the excellent DVD called Patch Adams. Isn't health
closely related to lifestyle, to what we eat, the way we eat, how we
move around, how we meet people? Read on!

- Change the Way you Live

Do you see a picture emerging here? In communities without roads,
urban design could be changed dramatically! Houses could be smaller,
as there's no need to put cars in garages. Without roads, houses
could also be built much closer together - that in itself could
reduce travel time. Simple pathways would be sufficient! Imagine it:
communities without roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, railway
tracks and railway stations! Such a new lifestyle could result in
huge savings on cars, roads, office buildings, carparks, garages,
petrol stations, etc. How much time and money could we save by
reducing our daily travel between home and work? And how many lives
would be saved if we had less car-accidents?

Of course, the Segway isn't the only replacement for cars, also
think about golf cars, scooters like the Mongoose Cosmic Electric
Scooter and other electric vehicles. If that's still too expensive,
get a trike such as the Razor Scream Machine or just walk to your
local restaurants or meeting places. Have a look at the iBOT which
is great for people who need wheelchairs. Also look at wheelchair
access within and to buildings. How about if everyone who needed it
used an iBOT? Living closer together could mean that people who
complement each other in one way or another could choose to live
closer together, see each other more frequently, etc.

Afraid that without roads, you won't have other infrastructure, such
as sewerage, running water and electricity? Here in Australia, we've
got a long tradition of waterless toilets, composting, rainwater
tanks and dirt-roads. Alternative lifestyles have, in their aim for
self-sufficiency, often rejected high-tech solutions. But why not
use satellites and interconnected WiFi LANs, instead of Cable-TV and
phone lines? Handheld devices such as the FlashTrax allow you to
watch TV, play CDs, videos and DVDs. The Palm Tungsten T3 Handheld
has Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 320x480 LCD screen and a
Secure Digital memory card expansion slot. Devices need ever less
power, while new technologies extend the usage-time of rechargeable
batteries. If we used more GPS-enabled devices, motion detectors and
surveillence cameras, we could increase safety and security in and
around the home, thus requiring less emergency services. Indoor and
outdoor lanterns, solar-powered by day, can light up the home and
garden in the evening. A combination of a rechargeable battery and a
wind-up clockwork is successfully used by FreePlay in products such
as radios, flashlights and mobile phone chargers. At MultiPowered
Products, many such items can be ordered online, as well as the
ColdMate, a small portable fridge that operates quietly and ozone-
friendly on a thermoelectric (peltier cooling) system.

- Change the Way you Eat and Shop

Currently, the most fertile land is taken for urban use, most of it
for roads and gardens (with grass as the dominant crop). With more
land available for hobby farming, growing fruit and vegetables could
be cheaper and the cost of food could come down dramatically. In a
new urban design, houses could be built around restaurants and
meeting places. People can more easily go out to eat in restaurants,
because there's no traffic and parking hassle, it's just a short
stroll or ride on the Segway instead. Many restaurants have embraced
wireless services, so take a notebook with you and you're really
connected for a business lunch! Eating out means less shopping,
since food makes up most of our shopping. It also saves a lot of
time - no more shopping, cooking, diswashing and cleaning, no
rubbish to get rid of. Most items we need can be ordered by mail-
order, so get a good mailbox and get a Post Office box at a post
office. By the way, why should we have to pay extra to get such a
box? After all, doesn't it save a lot on postal delivery cost? And
shouldn't we similarly get a discount when posting the mail at the
Post Office, rather than at a remote mailbox?

- You would Change the World

Wouldn't all this change the world? Wouldn't dictatorial government
have less control in communities without roads? Speed-cameras,
parking fees and fines, tax on cars and petrol, all too often they
have become revenues that government has become dependent on. Roads
are typically government-owned, police are most visible on roads,
people are controlled by traffic rules, car licence plates and
driver's licences. Further control is exercised through public
transport, taxi licencing, etc. If we wanted to make people free,
wouldn't it make sense to start looking at roads?

For URLs for the items mentioned above, go to:
http://www.optionality.net/libertaria/changetheworld.html