In the light of our PerfectCity Charter and the poll on environmental conditions and sustainability, we would like to go to detail on another factor or rather on the goal of the factor “green public transportation”: car free cities.

To realize car free cities there is a movement in which individuals and organisations (including urban planners, transport planners, cyclist and others) work together believing that cars are to far dominant in most modern cities. The movement’s goal is to create places where the use of cars is limited to a minimum or even eliminated. Thus, the recovered space like roads and parking space could be used for public and to rebuild compact urban environments where most destinations are within easy reach by public transport, walking, or cycling.

The big challenge is to remove cars and trucks from cities while at the same time improving mobility and reducing its total costs. But what is a solution for that?
According to the website carfree.com the urban automobile can only be supplanted if a better alternative is available. But how should this be realized? A city’s public transportation is typically a disagreeable and slow substitute for the car. It needs to become a pleasant experience and should attain the average speed of a car in light city traffic. This can be achieved using proven technology, but densely-populated neighbourhoods are a prerequisite for rapid mobility and economical public transport. Fortunately, dense cities can also offer a superior quality of life.
To build car free cities a new design is necessary. As a start the design of cities is driven by three principal needs: high quality of life, efficient use of resources and fast transport of people and goods. To fulfil these needs in a car free city the following design standards have to be considered:

• Rapid transport: to provide fast access to all parts of the city. Even in a city of more than one million inhabitants it should be possible to get anywhere in considerably less than an hour. Berlin is an example that shows that this is possible.
• Nearby stations: Both in consideration of time and of the limited mobility of small children, the elderly, and the infirm, nearby transport halts are required. The design standard is a five-minute walk.
• Nearby green space: Also green space should be available within a five-minute walk of virtually every front door.
• Four-story buildings: Buildings should generally be limited to a height of four stories because higher buildings appear to be harmful to the people who must live in them.
• Economical freight transport: City economies depend on fast, economical freight transport. A city which intends to keep trucks off its streets must make workable provisions for freight transport.

Venice is example that car free cities can be built. As the largest existing example, Venice is loved by almost everyone and is an oasis of peace despite being one of the densest urban areas on earth. Many other cities try to be car free at least by having car free areas, days or other attempts to reduce the car traffic. For example ther is a congestion charge in London. This is a fee for some motorists travelling within those parts of London designated as the Congestion Charge Zone. The main objectives of this charge are to reduce congestion, and to raise funds for investment in London’s transport system.

Do you know other example for cities trying to be car free or reduce the car traffic? What do you think about car free cities? Is this generally possible?

Picture © Dom Dada

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