I have a strong belief in the strength of human ingenuity, so I’m convinced that we will eventually develop a totally green car.  One you can plug into your high efficiency home solar grid every night and charge, or a safe and practical hydrogen car, or etc.. etc.. Once we do this, will that mean people won’t want to live in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods anymore?  Will they want to go back to sprawling homes on huge lots separated from their neighbors, because as the developers (and libertarians for some reason) have been crowing for the past twenty or so years: this is what the market wants!  People won’t buy anything else, families don’t want walkable neighborhoods they want an acre of grass! (the fact that it’s the cheapest and easiest way to develop neighborhoods of course has nothing to do with it right?).  And if gas prices and pollution aren’t a concern anymore, people will want to drive for every single little thing so they don’t have to see their neighbors. Ever.

The answer to the titular question is without a doubt, no.  The fact is: I hate driving and I hate time sucking traffic jams and so do most other people (at least the traffic jam part).  Green cars won’t solve that problem. When I talk to my neighbors and ask them why they chose to move to our new urbanist neighborhood, most people say they liked the style of homes in here, they wanted to be able to drive less if they wanted to, and they wanted a real community where neighbors are friendly and social.  When I ask most people if they are concerned about their carbon footprint most are after some fashion, but it’s not the reason they bought here.   People like to walk, it’s enjoyable and great exercise and makes the neighborhood energetic and vital all the time.  I don’t think most people walk because it’s greener (although I’m sure some do, or they at least consider that a benefit), they walk because they like to, and new urbanist communities are very pleasant places to do it.