A Car Free City?
Unfortunately, in the past thirty years our cities have been redesigned for the car. Forward thinking cities are now turning that around: our cities now need to be designed for people and human connection, for human and ecological health.
Wikipedia now has a page devoted to car free cities and places around the world. Countless studies have shown that removing cars increases human connection, health and improves local economies as well as reducing pollution. Removing cars does not reduce our ability to connect. Quite the opposite.
Here are some ideas from around the world:
- Melbourne is building "Park and Ride"
stations that keep cars out of the city. Cars are parked in Doncaster
and buses take people into the city on special lanes on the freeway.
- Amsterdam has 20,000 bikes around the city that people can rent and drop off at any station in town. A key feature of bicycle friendly cities in Europe are Bicycle Super Stations. North American cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle have established Bike Stations in an effort to increase the attractiveness of cycling
- About a third of all transit buses in North America now have bike racks to link the two transport systems.
- The City of Seoul removed a four lane freeway to return a river to it's natural state.
- Melbourne's public transport problems of late have come about because the growth in demand for public transport has far outstripped the planning process. People are taking over the city. It is more of a hindrance to bring a car into the city. This is good for people and good for business. In fact, the number of people using Swanson st has doubled since cars were taken out. Click here for a brilliant short film about the redesign of inner Melbourne for the human being.
Document Actions
- Send this|
- Print this|
- by Ian McBurney — last modified 14/08/2009 12:58 PM
