I am from Bellwood, PA, a small town outside of Altoona, which is about 40 minutes from State College. Altoona is not a major city in comparison to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, but in some ways you could consider my town a suburb of some sort. Automobiles are the major source of transportation, although there is a walking bridge to get from one side of town to another and some sidewalks. Unless you live in the main part of town, you must rely on a car to get to any store or restaurant. As for my family, we live in a more rural area of town and have to drive everywhere. I would estimate there to be about 2,000 people in my area, for it is a very small town. I did not mind growing up in a small town, for our school district was well-respected and we did not have to deal with many problems that living in a city would entail. However, I plan to move closer to a major city in the future.

A city from the module that is somewhat similar to my hometown is Rochester, NY, which is considered an automobile suburb. The picture shown in the module is almost identical to some areas of my hometown, with only a main road for driving and no sidewalks for pedestrians. All shopping centers, grocery stores, and offices are located away from the neighborhood, so having a car is a must. This city, along with my hometown, could become more sustainable by implementing bike routes or adding more sidewalks for pedestrians. With bike routes into the urban areas, people would be able to exercise and have less of an environmental impact. For example, if more people chose to bike into the city, less cars would be needed and less fuel emissions would be produced. It may also be beneficial to establish more residence areas closer to the business district to become more of a mixed-use area.

Another city from the module that sparked my interest was Bogota, Columbia. Its focus on sustainable development via its Ciclovias is something that many areas could easily adopt, such as my small hometown. Since Bellwood is so small it would not be very difficult to establish such an event every Sunday like Bogota, and ban cars from being on the roads. It would be feasible to bike from one side of town to the other and would promote exercise among residents. However, there would be a challenge of transition here, specifically that of our minds. My town is so used to relying on cars on a daily basis and even just one day without them may seem too far-fetched for some people. After promoting the positive outcomes of having such an event, people may be more influenced to accept this new idea of sustainable development.