WINNERS

Jonathan W
Portland, OR

Living in downtown NW Portland without my own car has honestly been a game changer. Thanks to public transport and hopping into a Zipcar when I need one, I can get to all my appointments, hit up concerts, and hang out with friends and family without the hassle of owning a car. It’s been pretty liberating, not gonna lie.

Being someone who’s neurodivergent, the whole less-cars-equals-less-noise thing is a big deal for me. Less traffic means I can actually enjoy walking around downtown without feeling overwhelmed by the constant buzz and honks. It’s way more chill and, honestly, just nicer for everyone.

Now, imagine if we could swap out all those parking garages and endless rows of parked cars for something a bit cooler. Like, more parks, open spaces where people can hang out, and places that are just meant for walking and biking. It would make our neighborhoods way more about us and less about storing cars. It’d be awesome to see spaces where people actually want to be, not just because they have to park their cars there.

I’m all for the idea that we use cars when we really need them, but let’s not design our whole lives around them.Wouldn’t it be great if businesses were more about being easy to walk to rather than having a giant parking lot? ZipCar’s got the right idea with sharing cars—it’s like having access without all the clutter.

So, this Earth Month, I’m dreaming about a city that’s more about us—people. Less about our cars. A place where getting around is easy, but also where the journey’s just as fun as the destination. Let’s make it happen!