It became the very focal point of urban family life, with one classic study finding that most people said they were more willing to mortgage their homes and deplete their life savings than to give up their cars.
Today, the car has evolved from a mere means of enjoyment and personal freedom to an absolute necessity for work and play. More than 282 million cars now prowl our streets and byways, more than double the number present in the latter part of the 20th century. Millions more are added each year by foreign and domestic factories. More than 90% of all U.S. households have a car, with most owning more than one.
With this magnitude of national obsession, it is not surprising that there are few things more challenging than trying to separate Americans from their cars. This fact of life has confounded mass transit planners, frustrated national park managers, and definitely not escaped the notice of merchants and others who need to attract customers.
Parking lots are here to stay. The mention of closing one, converting it to another use, or even reducing the number of stalls is a clarion call to battle with merchants, faculty, workers, or others who use the lot. Still, is it necessary for so much of our community to be a barren sea of asphalt?
In the pages that follow, a case is made for sharing parking lots with trees. When this is done, parking lots become multifaceted for any business, institution, or community. Parking lots with trees can attract business, enhance the workplace, and uplift the quality of life in your community.
