The article starts with a teenager in Portland, OR. If they had selected a teenager just south or north of the city, they would've had a very different perspect

The article starts with a teenager in Portland, OR. If they had selected a teenager just south or north of the city, they would've had a very different perspective. The value of having and maintaining a car is directly tied to whether you need it to perform the activities you enjoy. I enjoy taking my dog on hikes outside of NYC, so I pay the exorbitant cost of parking ($650 per month on the upper east side) to have a parking spot. If I didn't have a dog, I wouldn't have a car in the city. This is despite the fact that I personally love cars having owned a number of Japanese sports cars. The focus of the article on climate change activism and urban planning is somewhat political, but I think it gets it right in the end: "Several studies...have concluded that driving habits that are formed in youth seem to persist...even into their 40s." This is exactly it. I grew up in a relatively remote area of Southern California and became accustomed to driving-in for school, to see friends, to take my dog on hikes, etc. Those experienced have formed a positive association with "owning a car" despite the displeasure of driving around looking for parking.