Brit Liggett at Inhabitat reports some interesting findings from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Namely, that people in communities with extensive public transportation networks live longer (for reasons of both health and safety) than people in automobile-dependent communities.

Hollywood Subway 1946 (via)

"Use of public transit simply means that you walk more which increases fitness levels and leads to healthier citizens. More importantly, increasing use of public transit may be the most effective traffic safety counter measure a community can employ," noted APTA president William Millar. Apparently communities with vast public transportation networks don’t just live longer because of the exercise — they’re also less likely to be the victim of a fatal auto accident. The traffic fatality rate in the Bronx, New York is four in 100,000 contrasted by the traffic fatality rate in auto ridden Miami, Kansas which is 40 in 100,000.

Not to get too Jesuit on you, but this is an interesting case for a kind of good design synergy: it's a case where one good design strategy (here, for a city) yields several seemingly unrelated benefits.

The Nano is a four-passenger city car built by Tata Motors, aimed primarily at the Indian market. It is the least expensive production car in the world, at about $2000 USD per.

On the one hand, Tata reportedly plans to manufacture the Nano at two plants in India (Pantnagar and Gujarat), no doubt boosting the local economies. Also, neatly,

...the Nano is constructed of components that can be built and shipped separately to be assembled in a variety of locations. In effect, the Nano is being sold in kits that are distributed, assembled, and serviced by local entrepreneurs.

This means that Tato will potentially create entrepreneurial opportunities across India. Finally, given its low price point, the Nano is expected to help fulfill many Indians' dream of a prosperous urban lifestyle.

On the other hand, although the Nano "exceeds current regulatory requirements," in India, it still comes with a dangerously minimal set of safety features. Indeed, a Nano with the standard compliment of features would "not even be considered for approval" as-is in Western markets.

More, the Nano was conceived and designed around introducing the automobile to a sector of the population who are currently using eco-friendly bicycles and motorcycles. Some environmentalists are concerned that its extraordinarily low price might lead to mass motorization in countries like India and therefore possibly aggravate pollution as well as increase the demand for oil.

The Nano provides an nice occasion to evaluate your own design ethical premises. Decide whether you are for or against the Nano. If you can take a position, think about why you take that position. That should tell you something about the kind of ethics you intuitively support, or which values you value the most.