Does your regular commute look like this?
Modern roads are designed with one primary focus: cars. As societies develop, the demand for faster, less physically demanding modes of transportation has skyrocketed. But in our pursuit of convenience, we have unconsciously shaped our cities around personal vehicles rather than people. This raises an important question—who are we truly making space for? Man or machine?
This phenomenon is part of what researchers call motonormativity, a term introduced by researcher Ian Walker and colleagues,—the unconscious societal bias that normalizes car dominance, making it seem like the only logical transportation choice. Because of this ingrained perspective, we prioritize cars over other forms of mobility, making it harder to imagine alternatives like public transport or cycling as viable and desirable options.
Consider this: two bicycles can fit in the space of one car, and two cars take up the space of a single bus—yet the bus carries significantly more people. Our urban planning choices reflect a preference for vehicles over efficient, space-saving alternatives. We have allowed cars to dominate our streets, leaving pedestrians and cyclists with whatever limited space remains. Safety, once prioritized for people, is now centered around the protection of vehicles. Crosswalks and bike lanes are often an afterthought, and the presence of wide roads encourages higher speeds, putting vulnerable road users at risk.
Beyond functionality, cars have long been associated with social status, but this focus has come at the cost of community-oriented spaces. Instead of prioritizing personal vehicles, we should look at ways to reclaim our streets for people. In previous generations, cities were designed with families and children in mind. Parks, playgrounds, and safe walking paths were fundamental aspects of urban planning. Today, these spaces are rapidly disappearing, replaced by parking lots and highways that cater to vehicles instead of people.
If we truly care about the future, we must take action to reclaim our streets. Measures such as expanding pedestrian zones, investing in efficient and affordable public transit, implementing car-free days, and enhancing cycling infrastructure can help shift the focus back to people rather than machines. The answer lies in shifting our perspective. Instead of normalizing traffic congestion and car dependency, we must challenge motonormativity and advocate for smarter, more sustainable urban planning. Public transport, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly spaces should be prioritized.
The question remains: Are we shaping our world for humans or for machines? The choice is ours to make.
