The Case Against Cars in Cities
Removing personal automobiles from urban areas will not only help the climate but also make people happier. Beginning in the 1920s, the United States started gradually designing its cities around the car. Eventually, lively, walkable downtowns became mostly desolate as they were replaced by malls, shopping centers, and businesses only accessible by car. Where people lived changed as well. Instead of living in apartments above businesses or near the city, people moved into the suburbs which began to sprawl and become completely detached from any destinations. Since cars were needed for nearly every trip, businesses all had to have their own parking lots which further pushed locations apart and made urban centers less walkable (Melosi). All throughout the United States, these kinds of changes became commonplace, causing widespread car reliance, and wasting massive amounts of space.
This car-centric urban design has only gotten worse over the years. “Nationally, we’re stuck in a car-centric landscape, with developers, planners, and policymakers continuing to fuel more suburbanization, highway construction, and parking (Kane).” Conversely, there’s recently been an increasingly popular trend of European cities opting to become car-free or much more reliant on alternate forms of transportation. Basel, Switzerland, for example, has made bicycles its primary mode of transportation, while offering multiple alternatives for any non-cycleable trips. These methods include private or shared bikes and scooters, multiple levels of public transportation: busses, trains, trams, metros, etc., rideshare services and car-sharing services for longer trips, and, of course, walking (Getting around Basel). Most car-free cities offer the same alternative modes of transportation. The lack of cars creates an overall safer and quieter environment and without all the parking lots and wide streets the distances between businesses are much shorter.
Creating walkable cities has many benefits. The most obvious is that reducing cars reduces emissions. With our current climate crisis that should be of utmost concern, since car use in urban centers is one of the highest global sources of CO2 emissions (Ritchie). However, there are many less obvious benefits to car-free cities. Getting around these cities is generally much more enjoyable for pedestrians and cyclists. “In Oslo, most on-street parking has been replaced with street furniture like benches and mini parks, as well as bike lanes and bigger pavements. Though some businesses feared a loss of trade, the city centre in fact saw a 10 per cent rise in footfall after the reduction measures. (Limb)” Re-utilizing the space used up by cars creates more space for community, which has many social benefits. Walking by itself can boost happiness, and having people interact at a human scale rather than from their own private vehicles allows for a much greater sense of community. Walkable places are also much safer. By prioritizing walking or cycling, the remaining vehicles are required to drive much more slowly and the amount of “eyes on the street” decreases crime rates (Steuteville). Not only does getting rid of cars help the environment but it also creates a healthier, happier, and safer urban environment.
While the benefits of walkability are clear to see, that doesn’t mean that everyone can just get rid of their cars. Especially in many American cities it might be impossible to not own a car. However, there is still hope. Culdesac Tempe is building the first car-free neighborhood in the U.S., and in one of the least walkable cities nonetheless. They offer a grocery store, restaurant, coffee shop, park, and more within a five minute walk from any of the apartments, meaning that residents don’t need to enter the city as often (Kane). Unfortunately, these developments are only beginning to become a reality for a small amount of people in a small amount of places. In most places in the U.S., it’s hard to see a world without cars, but the trend is beginning to change towards a more walkable future, with projects like Culdesac Tempe being planned in new places throughout the nation.
People and, most importantly, urban planners, are becoming aware of the pitfalls of car-reliance. Walkable cities are more sustainable and safer, and the people there are happier and healthier. The only thing stopping the majority of people from not using cars is urban design and the availability of other methods. Cars themselves haven’t caused this problem, but rather car reliant urbanization. Thankfully the trend of the past half a century is shifting around the world, to a more sustainable, walkable, and human-scaled approach to urban design (Moss). “We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us.” -Winston Churchill
