We are not talking about the demise of the US car industry or the vacancies in the depopulated American Rust Belt. Just plain old cars in a small town like Aspen.
Ever been to Zermatt, Switzerland? No cars allowed in the whole town. There are some electric carts and horse carriages. It is absolutely relaxing walking about town with no polluting cars to disturb the tranquility.
Fast forward to Aspen, Colorado. Every morning cars are backed up for a mile and more at the entrance to town. It is not uncommon to take 30 minutes for that dreaded last mile into town. Once there parking is the next nightmare.
Guess what the most relaxing and most used part of Aspen is? The pedestrian mall. Shops line the brick walkways with a little stream meandering through cottonwood and Aspen trees that offer shade from the summer sun. Water fountains with a playful display of the dancing waters keep kids engaged and parents sit in cafés watching their offsprings getting soaked.
It is so blatantly obvious that car free areas thrive and yet it seems that man enslaves him selves to serving the servant of mobility. Wherever piece and quite rules, real estate prospers and people enjoy themselves. A combination that is hard to beat.
Aspen is just an example of a town that is starting to miss the writing on the wall to actively reels in the automatism that comes with making cars the centerpiece of existence.
With alternative transportation systems like trams or even cable carts we can retake our towns and make them ours again.
Toby Munk relocated to Colorado to pursue a career in
Basalt Real Estate. Explore more information on
Basalt MLS search and
Snomwass Real Estate listings.
Occupation: Real Estate Agent
After a 10 year career in derivatives trading Toby Munk relocated to Colorado to pursue a career in Aspen Real Estate. He became top producer of the Aspen Sotheby's office in his first full year in real estate.
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