There’s a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting results in ten per cent fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes unhappiness.
Sign in with 
OpenID
There’s a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting results in ten per cent fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes unhappiness.
A local (Dallas, TX) prof (Dean Terry) has done a documentary, called Subdivided, along the lines of Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone". Subdivided refers to the same statistic and addresses urban sprawl.
It's been in a couple film festivals here (AFI Dallas and USA Film), as well as featured on the local NPR affiliate (KERA).
I don't know if it'll see wider distribution, but apparently DVDs will be directly sold:
http://subdivided.net/
Video trailers here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3850653967 724791722&q=subdivided
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4153004994 667014692&q=subdivided
Meanwhile, my commute is the longest it has been in about 10 years. This is blunted by the fact that I can take the train for most of it, allowing me to read or otherwise be productive.
Of course, meeting and socializing on the train is nearly as unlikely as in rush hour traffic.
Remember your amusement at the idea of hopping in the car and driving 200 miles to Austin? Driving 30 miles every day makes it seem normal.
Car culture is terrible, but here I am, in my suburban house, having occasionally at the neighbors and frequently wondering why doing something obviously better is so difficult.
I've just bought Putnam's book.
Jeremy Dunck - 20th April 2007 18:42 - #
That would suggest that my 240 minutes of commuting every day would make me thoroughly miserable.
... oh wait.
4 hours of commuting? 16% of one's life? I can only hope it's a mode of transportation where you can read or fiddle around on a laptop so that your time isn't entirely wasted.
Charlie - 22nd April 2007 00:05 - #
I wrote a lengthy comment on this that was eaten or I forgot to submit.
Short version:
Robert Putnam has a book called Bowling Alone. It's on Amazon.
Dean Terry has a documentary called Subdivided. It's been screened at AFI and USA Film, as well as on a local NPR (KERA). I dunno when it'll see wider distribution.
More: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=subdivided
http://subdivided.net
Both cover this ground and are worth consideration.
Jeremy Dunck - 22nd April 2007 05:56 - #