In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote of “the fierce patrician custom of hard driving”. As aristocrats raced heedlessly through the streets of Paris in their carriages, everyone else had to jump out of the way or perish. Dickens hinted that this barbaric practice was among the many atrocities that helped catalyse the French Revolution. Today, as cars clear a path through our lives, we need a new revolt against hard driving. It is time to reclaim the streets for the people.
Carmageddon: it’s killing urban life. We must reclaim our cities before it’s too late | George Monbiot
Land Rover’s latest ads tell us that gas guzzlers contribute to urban culture. They do the opposite, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot