Seniors are on the cutting edge of a movement to make Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), otherwise known as golf carts, a viable form of everyday transportation.
They're already used widely in parks, college campuses, enclosed communities, and, of course, golf courses. Now small towns are jumping on board in a push to make NEVs and other low-speed electrics the "cars" of choice for those who don't need to travel far. They're also much cheaper than full-size EVs.
In an odd twist, seniors are the demographic most suited to pioneer this transportation innovation. "Dozens of communities have outlined schemes to integrate carts and similarly sized vehicles into their transportation networks," particularly places where older folks tend to live, and not limited to retirement communities.
Sun Belt suburbs, so long the domain of soccer-mom SUVs and vanity pickup trucks, are poised to embrace the humble electric golf cart. "Why drive a cart? Certainly, disposable income, warm weather, and relatively dense settlements are prerequisites. But drivers also say that NEVs allow for old-fashioned urban social interaction."
The golf cart's potential isn't limited to Arizona retirees: "In beach towns and other compact tourist enclaves, already accustomed to a mix of transportation modes, NEVs can do a car's job with ease." No highway commutes though: the NEV demands more compact planning.
FULL STORY: Why Towns Are Falling In Love With Golf Carts
The Villages and the Dangers of Holding Too Tightly to the Past
Some parts of The Villages, Florida, the nation's largest retirement community and one of its most popular master planned communities, bear a striking resemblance to the neotraditional development favored by famous early examples of New Urbanism.
Why Golf Carts Could Quietly Revolutionize Transportation
More communities are catching on to the benefits of golf carts as a safe, low-emissions mode of transport for neighborhood trips.
Golf Carts as Transportation
Designing roads for low-speed vehicles like golf carts can make getting around safer and easier for seniors.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service