7 ms·

Having traveled/lived a lot in Europe I have noticed that totally car-less city is something that actually is not necessary good, but 'limiting car travel' is.

Having traveled/lived a lot in Europe I have noticed that totally car-less city is something that actually is not necessary good, but 'limiting car travel' is. Car based transportation is still needed for: 1. Shipping of goods/deliveries, etc.... 2. Shipping of people (think elderly, sick, disabled, ambulances, taxis, etc..) Best way to do this with blocks/chunks of the cities being pedestrian only, and roads with loading/unloading areas that come close enough.... but no parking, or maybe parking centralized underground in one place, with one clear entry exit (so people don't circle around to find parking). Best solution I have seen is in Barcelona, where you have blocks cordoned off, and pedestrian only use, and still have streets that get close enough to these blocks... so you can do your deliveries as well.... Karlsruhe and Ulm in Germany do achieve this as well . (major areas are pedestrian only, allow cars to come close for loading/unloading, limited on-street parking, and parking in the center only allowed in some major underground place). Most people can reach the center, if they really have to, but it discourages daily use of the car as it would be too expensive to park.

clairity 7y ago
even though i'm currently living car-free, i'm with you on this. sure, i'd love to see cities invest more in human-centered design and planning, but include cars in that. they're useful! but i'm totally fine putting all the cars underground.
LilBytes 7y ago
I've been in Australia from 12 years, though an ex-pat from the UK. I visited Barcelona for the first time in a decade less than a month ago and coming from a country that's so very car centric (Australia), I found Barcelona to be an absolute delight for just walking around as a pedestrian. I agree with your sentiment wholly.
- camkego 7y ago
  Have you been to Cronulla near Sydney? While not car-free by any stretch, it does have wonderful car-free areas that used to be crowded with cars many years ago.
  - LilBytes 7y ago
    I've not seen much of Sydney besides the inner city for travel got worj, the Northern beaches are beautiful but not for many years. I'll be sure to check it out.
  - dzhiurgis 7y ago
    I’ve been to Cronulla recently and it’s nothing like Barca. We really liked Bundeena tho, which is where we took ferry to Cronulla tho.
aclsid 7y ago
Call me the evil polluter, but I'm sorry I still find cars one of the best inventions humankind has come up with, and it could be a horse and a carriage for all I care. But the freedom of having your own horse/car won't be replaced with stuff like this imho. If somebody comes up with electric cars that are small and standardized, small enough to carry you and your groceries, and not to be a victim of the elements (rain, heat, cold), then you can call me a believer.
- WhompingWindows 7y ago
  "Stuff like this" you mean walking/biking/public transport? It's already replaced cars in many places, including what's in the OP. I don't know if the personal automobile is one of the best inventions...it's built on the back of climate change and has led to less efficient infrastructure and less efficient society in the name of slight convenience. If carbon was priced properly based on its negative externalities, cars would be a LOT less attractive.
  - tremon 7y ago
    I think the personal automobile still is one of the best inventions. The failure is not the vehicle itself, but the fact that entire cities have been constructed to accomodate them, to the detriment of everything else (as discussed in this thread: pedestrians, cyclists, small shops, communities, health all suffer from car-centric city design).
- tjr225 7y ago
  Nobody is questioning the convenience of cars. However, if you have ever had a no commute life- whether it be full remote, or a walkable commute- I think you may just happen to flip your tune. It is a simple delight. If we could build a world around this I think we could be doing something really meaningful and beneficial for society as a whole. Think grocery stores, doctors, etc all within walking or public transport distance. Imagine if you only needed your car to go visit friends that were far away or to go visit some place that's hard to get to. I have experienced the full spectrum. I've had a super commute from Olympia to Seattle. I've biked to the train station and ridden with my buddies down to Kent. I've walked 8 minutes to the library where I was an intern. I currently work from home. Cars are a burden on society- one I accept because I occasionally like to take the dogs to the beach or go hiking, but believe me, life is better the less car you can involve in it. I also happen to enjoy having a cheap old truck as a hobbiest activity. Still, I only drive it on occasion and I love every minute of it. But it is amazing to not depend on it.
petre 7y ago
Yup. London was actually fine, although still too many vehicles parked outside the City. One can set delivery times in the morning at 5 or 6 to 7 or 8. Pedestrian areas also need access for the fire departement, since they cannot carry the water/foam in buckets.

clairity 7y ago

even though i'm currently living car-free, i'm with you on this. sure, i'd love to see cities invest more in human-centered design and planning, but include cars in that. they're useful! but i'm totally fine putting all the cars underground.

LilBytes 7y ago

I've been in Australia from 12 years, though an ex-pat from the UK. I visited Barcelona for the first time in a decade less than a month ago and coming from a country that's so very car centric (Australia), I found Barcelona to be an absolute delight for just walking around as a pedestrian. I agree with your sentiment wholly.

camkego 7y ago
Have you been to Cronulla near Sydney? While not car-free by any stretch, it does have wonderful car-free areas that used to be crowded with cars many years ago.
- LilBytes 7y ago
  I've not seen much of Sydney besides the inner city for travel got worj, the Northern beaches are beautiful but not for many years. I'll be sure to check it out.
- dzhiurgis 7y ago
  I’ve been to Cronulla recently and it’s nothing like Barca. We really liked Bundeena tho, which is where we took ferry to Cronulla tho.

aclsid 7y ago

Call me the evil polluter, but I'm sorry I still find cars one of the best inventions humankind has come up with, and it could be a horse and a carriage for all I care. But the freedom of having your own horse/car won't be replaced with stuff like this imho. If somebody comes up with electric cars that are small and standardized, small enough to carry you and your groceries, and not to be a victim of the elements (rain, heat, cold), then you can call me a believer.

WhompingWindows 7y ago
"Stuff like this" you mean walking/biking/public transport? It's already replaced cars in many places, including what's in the OP. I don't know if the personal automobile is one of the best inventions...it's built on the back of climate change and has led to less efficient infrastructure and less efficient society in the name of slight convenience. If carbon was priced properly based on its negative externalities, cars would be a LOT less attractive.
- tremon 7y ago
  I think the personal automobile still is one of the best inventions. The failure is not the vehicle itself, but the fact that entire cities have been constructed to accomodate them, to the detriment of everything else (as discussed in this thread: pedestrians, cyclists, small shops, communities, health all suffer from car-centric city design).
tjr225 7y ago
Nobody is questioning the convenience of cars. However, if you have ever had a no commute life- whether it be full remote, or a walkable commute- I think you may just happen to flip your tune. It is a simple delight. If we could build a world around this I think we could be doing something really meaningful and beneficial for society as a whole. Think grocery stores, doctors, etc all within walking or public transport distance. Imagine if you only needed your car to go visit friends that were far away or to go visit some place that's hard to get to. I have experienced the full spectrum. I've had a super commute from Olympia to Seattle. I've biked to the train station and ridden with my buddies down to Kent. I've walked 8 minutes to the library where I was an intern. I currently work from home. Cars are a burden on society- one I accept because I occasionally like to take the dogs to the beach or go hiking, but believe me, life is better the less car you can involve in it. I also happen to enjoy having a cheap old truck as a hobbiest activity. Still, I only drive it on occasion and I love every minute of it. But it is amazing to not depend on it.

petre 7y ago

Yup. London was actually fine, although still too many vehicles parked outside the City. One can set delivery times in the morning at 5 or 6 to 7 or 8. Pedestrian areas also need access for the fire departement, since they cannot carry the water/foam in buckets.