Austin/Oslo: The Price of Sprawl

Austin and Oslo are two cities on very different paths in the 21st century. One has embraced urban density and well-designed mass transit. The other is a sprawling car culture that is straining under the weight of its rapid growth. This video essay explores the human impact of the built environment in these two fascinating cities, with particular attention to the ways that car culture is undermining what was once great about Austin.

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Randy Lewis is the founder and editor of The End of Austin project and Chair of the Department of American Studies at UT-Austin. This video is designed for the students in his first-year seminar “Why Cities Matter” as well as anyone curious about life in Austin. It is one of a several video projects in the works to explore life under the violet crown in the age of Tesla.