Major efforts should be made to make cities more livable…More city str — Andy Singer

"What can ordinary people with busy lives and not a lot of political access do to address this stuff? You can try to address it in your own life You can try to set up your life so you have to drive as little as possible In so doing, you vote with your feet and your wallet When more people bike, walk and use public transit, there is greater pressure on elected officials and government agencies to improve these modes of transportation It thus increases the profitability of public transit and makes cities more desirable places to live It also helps reduce your carbon footprint and reduces the amount of money going to automobile manufacturers, oil companies and highway agencies In a globally connected capitalist world, cities and countries are competing for highly skilled labor—programmers, engineers, scientists, etc To some degree, these people can live anywhere they want So San Francisco or my current city in Minnesota aren’t just competing with other US cities but are competing with cities in Europe for the best and brightest talent Polls and statistics show that more and more skilled people want to live in cities that are walkable, bikeable and have good public transit Also our population is aging and realizing that they don’t want to be trapped in automobile-oriented retirement communities in Florida or the southwest USA They also want improved walkability and transit Finally, there’s been an explosion of obesity in the USA with resulting increases in healthcare costs Many factors contribute to this but increased amounts of driving and a lack of daily exercise are major factors City, state and business leaders in the US are increasingly aware of all this It is part of Gil Peinalosa’s “8-80” message (the former parks commissioner of Bogotá, Colombia) and many other leaders"

"The Power Broker by Robert Caro is the most inspirational book Ive ever read on the subject of transportation and urban planning …but I lived in New York City and knew many of the places and people he was talking about. Im not sure if it would be as inspirational to others. The book won a Pulitzer Prize when it came out in the 1970s. Caro was a newspaper reporter who wanted to write a book about political power– how it was obtained and wielded and what role agencies played in government. In describing the life of Robert Moses, a highway builder, unelected state bureaucrat and creator of the modern “highway department,” Caro was able to describe (in a microcosm) the transportation and political history of America. Another great book is Ivan Illichs “Energy and Equity.”"

"I am an advocate for car-free cities, car-free city sections and car-free living."

"Cars are environmental enemy number one."

"Basically, in America both political parties support policies that are taking the entire planet to hell but the Democratic Party is the slow train to hell, whereas the Republicans are the fast train to hell. Because I’m in no hurry to go to hell, I tend to vote Democrat (or Green)."

"What are your main inspirations when drawing? The news, nature, other people, day-to-day events, music, sounds, art, everything is potentially inspirational. All you have to do is go outside, read a newspaper or watch contemporary television or movies. The cartoons write themselves!"