Date of Award
Spring 2022
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Historical & Political Studies; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Bruce Keller
Second Advisor
Christopher Cerski
Abstract
The U.S. urban environment since the end of World War II has been dominated by the automobile to the extent of affecting nearly every aspect of U.S. society. In this thesis I am determining the extent to which car centric urban planning has influenced the standard of living enjoyed by American communities. I focus specifically on the economic, environmental and social impacts the automobile has had on U.S. cities, with Philadelphia as a reference, in comparison to world wide trends to display discrepancy and problems created by car dependency. Using the Public Policy Method, I found data to define what the policy problem was with regard to economic, environmental and social factors, relevant agendas of those involved in setting public policy with regard to the issue, developing a policy alternative and recommending specific policy implementation. Through my research I have concluded that the over reliance on the automobile in U.S. society has resulted in a decline in economic stability, environmental quality and social degradation.
Recommended Citation
kirschner, wesley, "Car Dependency: An Overview on how U.S. Society has been Impacted" (2022). Capstone Showcase. 9.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2022/pgl/9
Car Dependency: An Overview on how U.S. Society has been Impacted
The U.S. urban environment since the end of World War II has been dominated by the automobile to the extent of affecting nearly every aspect of U.S. society. In this thesis I am determining the extent to which car centric urban planning has influenced the standard of living enjoyed by American communities. I focus specifically on the economic, environmental and social impacts the automobile has had on U.S. cities, with Philadelphia as a reference, in comparison to world wide trends to display discrepancy and problems created by car dependency. Using the Public Policy Method, I found data to define what the policy problem was with regard to economic, environmental and social factors, relevant agendas of those involved in setting public policy with regard to the issue, developing a policy alternative and recommending specific policy implementation. Through my research I have concluded that the over reliance on the automobile in U.S. society has resulted in a decline in economic stability, environmental quality and social degradation.