Land Rover’s latest ads would have us believe that gas guzzlers contribute to urban culture. They do exactly the opposite
What is the best way of wrecking a city? Pour cars into it. Heavy traffic, 50 years of research shows, breaks up communities, disrupts social life and crushes local cultures. Noise drowns out conversation and drives people indoors. Pollution makes streets inhospitable. Cars take up the space that might have been used for children to play, adults to meet, and local projects to grow.
The fashion for SUVs is one of the two main reasons for rising road deaths among pedestrians
Related: Sadiq Khan announces car-free day in London to tackle air pollution