This map shows the average commuting time from home to work in Europe.

(Author: Maps.interlude, Link to image information and dfferent resolutions )

It might be surprising that, in spite of wildly different traffic systems and large differences in the use share of cars, these times are so similar.

An explanation is given in the wikipedia article on Marchetti’s Constant. Basically, the time spent commuting is mostly an anthropological constant, and is largely independent of means of transport and culture.

In other words, if we use faster means of transport, we almost automatically commute larger distances - regardless whether this improves our quality of life or not.

This relationship should probably be central in modern traffic planning, but it is often not considered. (There is an interesting article in German by the traffic scientist Rudolf Pfleiderer, titled “Das Phänomen Verkehr”, which describes in more detail the relationships between traffic, speed, and distance - perhaps somebody knows a good English article?)

        • Kissaki@feddit.orgEnglish
          1·
          1 day ago

          I can picture someone standing in front of their chair, waiting for the cat to get up and leave.

          • Pommes_für_dein_Balg@feddit.orgEnglish
            1·
            1 day ago

            Well, first of all the cat is purring on my lap during breakfast so I can’t even get up from my chair.
            Then when I start walking, she gets in front of me and blocks my path if I dare choose any direction that doesn’t lead to the cupboard with her treats.
            And then she yells at me to sit down in the armchair so she can have her after-treats nap on my lap while I scritch her behind the ears.

            Sometimes I can’t get to my work desk for hours.

          • Brave Little Hitachi Wand@feddit.ukEnglish
            2·
            1 day ago

            I could have probably gotten a bigger place if I was willing to get a car, but we have enough space and all of us can walk to work or the train pretty easily. Keeps us from getting too fat.

            • HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.orgOPEnglish
              2·
              1 day ago

              Keeps us from getting too fat.

              Great insight. Few people are probably aware of that, but cars actually make ill. Most illnesses in our modern world are circulatory diseases and overweight caused by lack of any mild exercise, and cars cause to no small part that lack of exercise, because their comfort of avoiding any modest physical effort is kinda addictive. Not using a car is, after not smoking, one of the best things that you can do to keep you healthy and allow your loved ones to enjoy your presence more time to be around.

              • Brave Little Hitachi Wand@feddit.ukEnglish
                1·
                1 day ago

                It’s still an uphill battle. When we went car-free, we lost about 4 kilo by accident, but over the years it’s coming back. I try to feed us salads. Life’s too short to do everything perfectly, you know?