As France’s Towns Wither, Fears of a Decline in ‘Frenchness’
&quot;City leaders had poured money into a high-concept modernistic new culture center at the town’s edge. And the shopping mall had been built. Large grocery chains, called hypermarkets, had also been constructed outside the city, with free parking. It is not that Albi no longer had commerce, or activity. But the essence of the ancient city was being lost.&quot;<p>When you own a car it costs a lot of money whether you drive it or not. When you own a car you want free and convenient parking. When you own a car you want wide roads free of obstacles (that is, people). When you own a car then retailers can offload distribution costs onto you, which means buying in bulk at giant stores with giant parking lots. Widespread car ownership is fundamentally incompatible with dense, walkable towns.