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You’re stuck in traffic again, late for work, watching brake lights stretch to the horizon. According to the most recent data in the U.S. (2024), here are some of the ways traffic jams are lowering the quality of life: Americans lost an average of an entire work week sitting in traffic. Commuter costs have surged 16% over the past five years to reach $269 billion annually. Congestion time for commuters has gone up 10% since 2019 and its 19% for trucks delivering all the products we buy. Stress increases of 80%, and aggressiveness increases of 52%. Long stretches in traffic lead to back pain, leg pain, and headaches. Theres no one solution to dealing with crowds of people all trying to move in the same direction at the same time, but there is one opportunity staring us all in the face that hardly any commuter seems to noticepublic transit. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/speakeasy-desktop.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/speakeasy-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Urbanism Speakeasy\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. To learn more, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/urbanismspeakeasy.com\/\u0022\u003Eurbanismspeakeasy.com.\u003C\/a\u003E","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"http:\/\/urbanismspeakeasy.com\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91453933,"imageMobileId":91453932,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} The power of public transit If you’re like most drivers, public transit is for other people. But here’s the thing: investing in better buses and trains could make your commute faster and less stressful, without you ever setting foot on one. Maybe transit is for other people to ride, but it can help improve your car trips. A surprisingly small drop in cars on the roadjust 5-10%can dramatically ease congestion, and public transit is one of the most effective ways to get that drop. Congestion doesnt increase linearly as the number of vehicles goes up. Streets handle car traffic just fine, until you cross a certain capacity threshold when everything quickly collapses. A transportation planning model developed in the 1960s quantifies this phenomenon. On a typical urban road running at 90% capacity: Baseline: About 10% delay over free-flow conditions 5% fewer cars (85% capacity): Delay drops by roughly 18% 10% fewer cars (81% capacity): Delay plummets by 35% Weve all experienced the exponential improvements in travel time from modest reductions in vehicle volume. If transit gives some commuters a viable alternative, your commute could save minutes each day without building a single new lane. Transit helps people who dont use transit A transportation system that offers reliable and convenient public transit isn’t forcing you out of your car. Theres only so much space on the roads, and one bus can hold 40 or 50 people, replacing that many cars. One train can replace hundreds of cars. Transit already saves Americans 865 million hours in traffic delays annually. In dense urban areas, the potential is even greater. Case study: New York New York City’s decongestion zone offers a real-world example. By charging people who choose to drive into Manhattan’s core, the city reduced traffic volumes and delivered major wins: pollution fell, streets flowed better, and spillover congestion to outer areas decreased. And the people who drive themselves benefit from less crowded roads. You might be thinking I will never use public transit, so why should I fund something I won’t use?” Whether or not you use public transit, think of it as an investment that delivers: Better travel times because fewer people are driving at the same time. Fewer crashes because fewer people are driving at the same time. Less stress on you because fewer people are driving at the same time. Transportation systems work better when people have real choices. You might always opt for driving yourself, and thats fine. But when others have practical alternatives like buses, trains, and subways, your drive is improved. Remember, if just 5-10% of people arent driving themselves, your experience on the roads can be dramatically improved. The best thing for drivers might be investing in something they’ll never personally use, and it might be the fastest way to improve quality of life. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/speakeasy-desktop.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/speakeasy-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Urbanism Speakeasy\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. 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E-Commerce
We have a complicated relationship with creativity. Intuitively, we understand its valuethe ability to produce new ideas and novel innovation. Instinctively, we know that it presents opportunities for marketplace advancements. When we think of some of the most revered organizations in modern times, like the Apples and Disneys of the world, we point to their creative contributions and their impact. However, although most companies revere organizations with a creative culture, there is a deep-seated misnomer that some companies are inherently creative and others just arent, as if creativity is a rare gene or a divine gift that is bestowed on some and coveted by others. But perhaps the mystical nature of creativity isnt that mysterious after all? What if a culture of creativity was more obtainable than you think? Something you can build, not just be born with? As unbelievable as that may seem, Alejandro Chavetta, the Executive Creative Director at Adobe, has made a career of doing that very thing; so, we invited him onto the From The Culture podcast to discuss what it means to facilitate a culture of creativity. What is creativity? To start, we need to lay some groundwork. If organizational culture is the operating system by which individuals co-labor, or collaborate, then fortifying a culture of creativity requires instituting an operating system that facilitates creativity. Simple enough, right? But what is creativity? There are a host of scholarly definitions but far too many are too abstract to apply or too esoteric to operationalize. Therefore, we must first establish a working understanding of what creativity actually is if we are to integrate it into our operating system. Dan Wieden, the renewed advertiser who cofounded the most celebrated advertising agency on the planet, Wieden+Kennedy, and came up with such legendary campaigns as Just Do It for Nike, once described creativity as subversion. That is to say that creativity is the act of bending, contorting, or refashioning what is into something that could be. This framing of creativity makes what has long been considered something reserved for the few something far more democratized for the manyfor all of us. We may not all be able to conceive of brilliant taglines like Dan Wieden, per se, but we can all certainly subvert. In fact, we all do it, every day, unknowingly. Subversion is merely the act of looking at something in a different way, usurping the orthodox frames by which we see a problem or situation. We all have the ability to subvert because we all bring new perspectives to the table in our organizations. We all see the world differently, and the heterogeneity of our diverse perspectives create a plethora of potential subversions that could lead to innovative solutions, new products, or new ways of work. The challenge isnt our ability to subvert, its that our organizations dont recognize this ability in its employees. Chavetta argues that the key to facilitating a culture of creativity is to realize that everyone in the organization can be creativebecause everyone can subvert. Not just the creative directors. Not just the marketing team. But everyone. The guy in finance, Chavetta illustrates as an example, might see something that the copywriter does not, or might bring a point of view that may have otherwise been missed by the creative team which subverts the pre-existing way by which everyone else saw the situation. This new framing might reveal blind spots or unearth unrealized opportunities for the organization that lead to new outcomesa boon to any organizations business, regardless of the industry. And if that be the case, then its the job of the organizations leadership to facilitate an environment that invites everyone to realize this super power that lies within us and inspire them to share it freely. Ideas come from anywhere In the advertising industry, where Ive spent the lions share of my career, there is a ubiquitous refrain: ideas can come from anywherefrom the CEO to the janitor. Although these words are repeated in the halls and pitch decks of just about every creative agency on the planet, rarely are they ever truly practiced. Instead, there is a walled-off garden where creativity dwells. In advertising, we call it the creative department. It might go by another name somewhere else. Whatever the nomenclature, the designation of creativity is relegated to a specific group of people which insinuates that creativity is only capable of and expected from a few. But what if we thought of creativity as something we all harness within us and creation as something achieved through craft? This small, but powerful, shift in thinking could not only welcome new perspectives that lead to new outcomes but also institutionalize an operating system inside the organization where everyone feels licensed to contributethus, facilitating a culture of creativity. Check our full conversation with Alejandro Chavetta as we discuss creative work and organizations on the latest episode of FROM THE CULTURE podcast. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/studio_16-9.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/studio_square_thumbnail.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"FROM THE CULTURE","dek":"FROM THE CULTURE is a podcast that explores the inner workings of organizational culture that enable companies to thrive, teams to win, and brands to succeed. If culture eats strategy for breakfast, then this is the most important conversation in business that you arent having.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Listen","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLvojPSJ6Iy0T4VojdtGsZ8Q4eAJ6mzr2h","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91470870,"imageMobileId":91470866,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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When word started circling that AMC Theaters was screening an AI-generated short film, the internet’s cinephiles took it personally. On Wednesday, some social media users reported that the short was playing in the pre-show before trailers at select AMC locations. A little digging revealed the source: Earlier this week, the short, titled Thanksgiving Day, was announced as the winner of the inaugural Frame Forward Animated AI Film Festival. The prize package included a nationwide theatrical release, which apparently entailed making its way to AMCs screens. Movie lovers across social media were immediately up in arms. Some called for boycotts. Some found it insulting that if pre-show screen time were being given to short films, AMC would feature AI-generated content rather than human-made movies. Almost all seemed to agree that the move was, as one disgruntled user put it, “hot garbage.” Don't go to AMC theatres.Boycott all slop. https://t.co/x4HrMttzGB— Ewan Morrison (@MrEwanMorrison) February 18, 2026 Imagine if they were screening traditionally made short films … https://t.co/cvCTtKlYMF— Scott Jeschke (@ScottJeschke) February 18, 2026 hey @AMCTheatres this is hot garbage https://t.co/aL1b05Xw46— Miss Gender (@girldrawsghosts) February 18, 2026 Less than 24 hours later, AMC issued a statement to set things straight. Showing Thanksgiving Day wasnt AMCs idea, but an initiative from Screenvision Media, a cinema advertising company that co-organized the Frame Forward festival. According to AMC, Screenvisions pre-show advertising packages run in fewer than 30 percent of AMCs U.S. locations. AMC was not involved in the creation of the content or the initiative and has informed Screenvision that AMC locations will not participate, the statement, which was given to the Hollywood Reporter, concluded. Social media users celebrated the news that AMC would no longer screen the short. Yes, its a victory in itself for anti-AI advocates. But perhaps more importantly, it suggests that brands take notice when consumers speak out against AI integration. According to film critic Jacob Harper, claims about AIs inevitably dont hold water. Stand firm against AI in film! Make them listen and they WILL listen! Never underestimate the power of your voice! Harper wrote in his post on X. Very proud of AMC for this! AI is inevitable. Adapt or be left behindNOPE. Stand firm against AI in film! Make them listen and they WILL listen! Never underestimate the power of your voice!Very proud of AMC for this! https://t.co/N8ExrXiKij— Jacob Harper (@JacobAtTheMovie) February 19, 2026 Good Keep being loud about how much you dislike AI. It works! https://t.co/7oLsZqwOjZ— Is this a 3D model? (@IsThisA3DModel) February 19, 2026 A wonderful example ofYou slop, you flop. https://t.co/WScuO9FEY6— Ewan Morrison (@MrEwanMorrison) February 20, 2026 KEEP COMPLAINING ABOUT AI!!! https://t.co/xBodh0vSEc— Drew (@HeyImReallyDrew) February 19, 2026 AMC wasnt the only theater showing the short, and its not the only theater to axe it. Social media users also reported seeing Thanksgiving Day ahead of films at Hollywoods iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, prompting similar outrage from moviegoers. PUT SOME LOONEY TUNES ON INSTEAD OR SOMETHING WTF https://t.co/qfsjuEqsN8— Zac (@ZacStrikesAgain) February 18, 2026 But a representative for the theater tells Fast Company that the short has been removed, following AMCs example. Though Thanksgiving Day may no longer be part of the AMC experience, organizers of the Frame First festival, including AI film company Modern Uprising Studios, arent giving up on the short. In a statement issued by the festival, president and studio head of MUS Joel Roodman said that the theatrical run was only the beginning of plans for the AI-generated film, which include adapting Thanksgiving Day for a new immersive theatrical venue coming to New York City. Shared theatrical experiences are an important cultural bond,” Roodman said. “The traditional theatrical chains are vital to our cohesion as a society, and are duly cautious [about AI]. However, the media landscape is changing and evolving rapidly.” “They may be prudent, but it is important to MUS immersive that new and exciting films, filmmakers, cinematic language, and spaces for these shared experiences continue to develop,” Roodman added. “We will bring new content, and important existing content, to our developing venue network of venues, starting in New York. We will not see the theatrical window wither on our watch.
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