I was lucky enough to get a guided tour of the Issaquah Highlands the other day.

With the green-building standards, layout of the neighborhoods, access to parks and footpaths, the energy efficient zHomes on the way, plans for a central village-type retail area, affordable housing projects, and large corporate employers soon to be nearby, I think the setup of the highlands could become a blueprint for planned communities in the future.

The village green, and the strategically placed green spaces, are an example of the planners’ nod to older European villages which now so successfully provide for community interaction, the ability to walk instead of drive, and a safe and engaged public.

Standing up near the old entrance to Black Nugget Road we looked over the large new transit center. In my mind, effective public transportation systems are the key to the success of any modern village or city into the future.

As so my guide told me about the Microsoft buses which came through the highlands to pick up and drop off their employees, and about the importance of bus services that serve the community.

One thing he said that I found particularly interesting was that they had ensured the bus routes particularly served the Highlands’ low income housing areas.

It is a comment that I have heard before, and my immediate thought is always, “why is socially and environmentally responsible travel a low-income issue?”

My tour guide was not making any judgements of his own. As an intelligent and studied young man he was referring to what is a fact about public transit, that it is far more utilized by poor people than rich people.

The connection of public transport with poverty is an ingrained idea that is handicapping our vision of how cities could work.

I’ve got to say though, as someone who only just recently bought a car and has spent most of his time in Washington relying solely on public transport, it is not hard to see why many Americans feel this way.

The buses, in particular, are often dirty, crowded, not particularly regular, not particularly safe, and on the whole not pleasant experiences. No wonder people want to drive their cars.

Though this is something that seems obvious to many Americans, it is not an idea shared by most other developed nations, the biggest and most successful cities.

In London the Tube is relied upon by the rich and the poor, the business execs, students and buskers, as the only way to get around the busy metropolis.

In Sydney I used to ride the ferry to work, from Manly to downtown, cruising across Sydney Harbor with a mostly $100K plus crowd. A clean ride, with someone else driving, in the fast lane, just makes sense.

There are many examples, from New York to Singapore, that show us that public transportation is not about social distinction but about logic.

Maybe the money needs to come first – if we build it they will come – but the way many of us see public transportation now is going to have to change if American cities are going to function the way forward-thinking planners hope they can.

But this needs to start with the reality of the experience.

Not until a bus or train ride becomes a clean, convenient and pleasant experience will we be able to sell it to the people as the way of the future.