Will Low-Carbon Societies Rely on Electric Carts?
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 8.2 million deaths a year are directly linked to airborne pollution. Unfortunately, indicators suggest that the death toll is still on the rise. Vehicle emissions are a major reason that many cities have a higher than average air pollution level. In the United States, our modern lifestyle depends heavily on the use of private vehicles as we go about our daily routines.
As our industrial society began to develop, neighborhoods popped up in the suburban areas surrounding our major cities. The place people lived moved further and further away from commercial areas, which created a need for more and more high-speed thoroughfares (where street legal golf carts are prohibited) to accommodate daily commutes. Over the past two decades, ideas for developing low-speed electric communities for the establishment of sustainable low-carbon transportation systems has gone from the drawing board to implementation.
Three communities have endured the doubters and gone about the business of building a better place to live in a reduced-carbon environment. These include:
Peachtree City (Georgia)
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, some 35,000 people reside in Peachtree City. The developers included more than ninety miles of multi-use paths that spider across the town to serve the 9,000 households that own a golf cart. Many businesses have added golf-cart only parking spaces and local high-school students are encouraged to drive golf carts to school.
The Villages (Florida)
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, more than 51,000 people reside in The Villages. As one of the nation's fasting growing communities, the population has reached 157,000 in 2016. This master-planned retirement community offers all the amenities of city. With life evolving around more than 50 neighborhood centers, most of the residents rely on street legal golf carts for transportation. In fact, tunnels have been built at intersections where major roadways could not legally be crossed.
Celebration (Florida)
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,500 residents call Celebration home. As a census-designated place, the driving force behind this master-planned community was Disney CEO, Michael Eisner. Eisner took a special interest in creating a low-speed community that was worthy of the Disney brand and paid tribute to Walt Disney's vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Celebration welcomes and accommodates many forms of low-speed, low-carbon emission transportation.
