Time and Money
Sustainable neighborhoods hold the potential to profoundly enrich the way we live in so many ways, not least in regards to two key areas in which most Americans report increasing stress – time and money.
In survey after survey, Americans report extraordinary levels of ‘busyness’ in their lives. They worry about frantic schedules, mandatory overtime, rarely having time to eat together as a family, and getting kids to and from school, lessons and events. Nor are young people spared this pressure – the Girl Scouts recently introduced a ‘Stress Free’ merit badge to help offset the time pressures experienced by many young girls.
In addition to all this, Americans now spend an average of more than 100 hours per year commuting to and from work – more than the typical 80 hours we spend on paid vacation annually. And that doesn’t count the other 350 plus hours we spend in travel time to and from shopping, entertainment, etc. Overall, we spend, on average, close to nine hours a week driving other than on vacation, and spend roughly $45 on gasoline.
Nor is time the only severe pressure in contemporary life. Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, reported in mid 2007, ‘It is no secret that many customers are running out of money toward the end of the month.’ Hearings in the US Congress reveal the rising cost of housing, food, day care, energy, health insurance and health care, and higher education.
Sustainable neighborhoods can help us address all these issues. Through wiser land use, increased density and thoughtful design, they can provide more affordable homes and significantly lower utility costs. Because they are mixed use, meaning virtually everything we need is located within easy walking distance, they can vastly reduce transportation and commuting costs. By freeing us from all that traffic and commute time and expense, they can offer time to relax, recreate, socialize, play and learn.
(What would you do with another nine hours of free time and $45 more dollars in your pocket every week? Spend it with family and friends? Volunteer for causes you care about? Work out? Take art, music, dance or language lessons?)
With everything important within easy walking distance, we might even get by without a second car. (Or any car!) If the Internal Revenue cost guidelines of 48.5 cents per mile are accurate, and if the average car is driven 20,000 miles a year, eliminating one car could save nearly $10,000 a year. (What would another $10,000 in your pocket every year make possible?)
Our daily lives can be rich with ever changing rhythms; from the peace of nearby open space, trails and agricultural plots, to the vibrancy of streets full of life, and cafes rich with an air of celebration and camaraderie, meaningful conversations and exchanges of love and respect. All of this abundance is available to neighborhoods where every member is included and honored for their contributions, as they work together to discover and build a sustainable way of life.
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