Trying to keep clean air, open roads, and fat wallets for its residents—specifically for those around its capital and largest city, Boston— the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has launched a campaign to to convert Bay Staters from summer road travelers to hip staycationers. 

“Visit the pin” highlights the many attractions within a short drive—or, better yet, a short walk, train, or bus ride—from the nation’s oldest city.  Complete with a local ad campaign and giant pushpins at various points of interest, the program encourages residents to have a fun, relaxing holiday without traveling too far.

While I do like this idea (just imagine the carbon impact of the thousands suffering through hours of stop-and-go driving out to the Cape) it’s unlikely to take hold outside of more compact cities like Boston, New York, or San Francisco. Sprawl alone makes the idea unfeasible in much of the midwest and many southwestern cities, while lack of non-automotive transportation infrastructure further complicates matters. 

Still, the likely prosperity brought to the Bay State this summer by spending less on gas and more at local institutions may inspire other cities to model future development after the compact sustainability exhibited in places like Boston.