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Build Back Better Cities Campaign
What is Carfree?
A primer on the carfree model and its relevance today
Part 1
Cars cars cars...
As the name makes clear, the concept of carfree is a reaction to the automobile-oriented development of urban transportation in the 20th century. Before we jump into the wonderful world of carfree cities, please bear with us for a quick overview of the bad news first.
An almost endless list of problems has arisen due to car culture. Cars kill over 3,000 people every day in crashes, and many others sustain serious and often lifelong debilitating injuries. Cars and the oil industry heavily pollute the air, causing severe respiratory disorders and other diseases contributing to the 11,500 daily deaths from outdoor air pollution. Transport emissions are among the biggest contributors to the climate crisis.
Time lost while stuck in traffic costs societies billions of dollars in lost productivity. Cars devour huge amounts of city space, robbing children of places to play and thereby seriously limiting cognitive development.
Young people and families end up with few safe places to gather outdoors. Quick, healthy, and safe travel by walking, cycling, and public transit become difficult or impossible due to the space dominated by moving and parked cars. For more evidence and statistics on the impacts of car culture – check out our Fun Facts.
Billions of people suffer from the problems caused by cars in cities all over the world. People’s lives are dramatically disrupted, whether it is through effects on health and wellbeing, loss of loved ones, filthy air and lack of exercise, or absence of connection to nature and open spaces, long hours spent in commuting to and from work, and the amount of money and energy spent to sustain this unfeasible mode of urban travel.
Part 2
There is a better way
Instead of getting hopelessly depressed, let’s shift our attention to the alternative: the glorious world of carfree cities.
A carfree city is first and foremost a city for people – a city without cars, trucks, or motorbikes. Instead of a car-dominated city, it is a city of wide pathways and green open spaces, where people easily get around by walking, cycling, and using public transport.
Larger electric vehicles are used solely for emergency services or special needs, and freight is organized by light rail and various other forms of innovative last-mile delivery.
Cities have existed for thousands of years, but cars have only been around for a hundred years. How did cities function back then? For most of their existence, cities were defined by short distances – which means that everyone could get to where they needed to be by simply walking there. Carfree cities are built on this important advantage.
When the threat of swiftly moving machines is eliminated from the urban landscape, children are free to play and roam the streets without fear.
A carfree city is a city with clean air. It is a city of people commuting by foot, bicycle, and public transit, arriving quickly and safely to work or school, with an overall enriched physical and mental health owing to their physical activity. Liberated from the blare of motorized traffic and honking horns, a carfree city is characterized by sounds of merriment, the ding-aling of bicycle bells, the occasional jingle of a tram, and the chirping of birds.
A carfree city is a green city with lots of public space, parks, and inviting destinations. A city where community spaces are abundant and neighbors meet spontaneously for informal conversations or organize a street party, kindling new friendships and connections.
Part 3
Transformation
While not every city will be able to transform into a carfree city immediately, CCA believes that it is fully feasible and necessary, especially to mitigate the growing risks from climate change. A quick and effective adoption of the carfree model on a global scale is imperative and can only be achieved by changing existing urban planning schemes along the principles of this model. There is no time to lose.
An excellent place to start would be to restrict or eliminate the movement of automobiles and other motorized transport in city centres. Neighborhoods should have ample carfree streets and squares for people to enjoy and call their own. A greater focus should be given to upgrading the quality of public transportation and the design of cityscapes, to enable easy movement of non-motorized travel. The end goal should be to create a city that is a reflection of its people and the best habits of healthy living.
CCA hopes to inspire its followers and the greater public to action and to help cities around the world become better places, ensuring every resident a dignified and a far higher quality of life than many currently experience. CCA invites you to explore the pages of this website to draw inspiration on how to achieve this vision. You are warmly invited to join the worldwide movement to achieve carfree cities, which holds the promise to make the world a better place for everyone. Come and be a part of this exciting adventure!
Why we love carfree cities
reduced carbon emissions
safe travel
no traffic congestion
reduced national fiscal burden
reduced individual expenses
ease of walking & cycling
promotes healthy living
efficient public transport
less air pollution
reduced municipal fiscal burden
lower greenhouse gas emissions
reduces heat island effect
greater accessibility
vastly improved public space
greener cities
greater opportunity for creative public places
boosts the local economy
reduces reliance on non-renewable resources
greater equity
J.H. Crawford has created a thorough and comprehensive plan for carfree cities in his books Carfree Cities and Carfree Design Manual as well as his website www.carfree.com.
If you would also like to explore all of the topics concerning carfree cities in further detail, please visit the Carfree Cities Manifesto.
