Sir, – Your editorial (August 15th) blames the demise of town centres on a number of factors, including online retail, out-of-town shopping and remote working. But you are missing the most significant factor – cars. Our dependence on and obsession with driving everywhere is the main reason why our towns are dying. Up until the 1960s, when car ownership became commonplace, most people lived close enough to their town centres to walk or cycle there, and they did so, daily, to carry out their business.Now that we all have cars, businesses and services can be plonked anywhere, and we will all drive to get to them.Of course, people were fitter then and capable of walking longer distances than we are now, because they didn’t own cars, and it was far safer to do so, again, because there were fewer cars.Cars have ruined us in so many ways – our health, our safety, our community, our natural environment and our towns. Even when we do venture into town, the experience is unpleasant because of main streets clogged with traffic and cars parked on every inch of available outdoor space. And yet the Government wants to allow more one-off housing in the countryside, instead of encouraging people to live in the centre of their towns, so they can work, shop, socialise and utilise services within walking distance of where they live and so bring our towns back to life. – Yours, etc,AISLING JUDGE,Ballinteer,Dublin 16.[ The Irish Times view on the future of towns: new vision is requiredOpens in new window ]