Prepare thyself for September 27 with this bit of inspiration from Natural Capitalism by Hawken & Lovins:
“In 1996-97, historical sleuthing disclosed that standard American street widths were generally enormous because of some 1950s civil-defense planners’ notion that heavy equipment would need the space to be able to clear up rubble after a nuclear attack…”
(“Returning to sensible widths, as developers and jurisdictions are starting to do, (thank you!) enables the streets to be tree-shaded, encourages safer driving, pedestrian use, and real front porches… therefore reducing crime.”)