this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2026
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That’s a false dichotomy. I can choose a third option. Where we place car parking garages (multi-level above or underground) all around ring roads and ban cars from entering city centers. Then we put solar panels on top of most roofs, and in fields for grazing animals.
This obsession with car parks is exclusively American.
So you want to demolish all the car parks that already exist? All of them, tomorrow? Don't you think it will take some time before the builders can come and replace the last car park in your country with whatever it's going to be replaced with? During that time, would it not be better to put solar panels on it? (And then remove them before it gets demolished and put them somewhere else)
I am not American, I just think it's a stupid criticism of such a plan that we "shouldn't have cars and therefore shouldn't have car parks" because the fact is that we already do have them so we may as well use them as best we can.
In any case I don't agree on a total ban on cars entering city centres, at least not in the foreseeable future. The most bike-friendly cities I have lived in and visited have also had many cars. I suspect there is a place for personal cars, deprioritised compared to buses and bikes, in most cities for many years to come. During that time there will need to be car parks. Those car parks should have solar panels on, along with pretty much all other buildings.
Many cities have already banned cars in their centers. It’s not a “what if”. It’s been done and works. And it takes as long to build those garages as it’d take to build those solar parks. And not like they couldn’t be done at the same time. Like instead of building solar over the car parks, why not spend the time and resources building them over warehouses and apartments?
You're right that this is a very American thing. But we are a huge country responsible for huge amounts of climate damage. Our parking lots are enormous. 5% of our entire country is parking lot, owned by companies that can sure as hell afford contractors, especially if there's incentive.
Also, here, banning cars in city centers here often does NOT work. Even the city I live in tried it for decades - businesses constantly failed, there was no foot traffic despite being surrounded by residential communities and beautiful upkeeping of the town center. Once we opened it up to cars, suddenly it's a flourishing area of local businesses and community organization. We as a nation are too focused on cars, yes. But changing that right now is absolutely not happening. There's no alternative right now, and changing that has too much opposition to overcome. There has to be steps along the way. Covering massive bare parking lots in solar panels would absolutely be something we can get this country on board with.