Car-free Cities. They Exist and Here What Happens in Them!
More and more cities in Europe are taking the initiative to drive less cars. Dominatly, in the Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Finland, the authorities have been trying to limit the movement of motor vehicles for years.
All this is done at the background of anxiety about the climate crisis. Removing cars from the central part of cities, or at least limiting them, is starting to become a priority topic.
Despite the benefits, removing cars from cities is not without controversy. Dependence on cars is deeply rooted in urban life. It is also central to the way we build cities, use the land and interact.
Not long ago, protests also flooded Oxford, England. In the historic English city, which is relatively small in scale, people went on to the streets with activists uniting municipal leaders. They believe that they have declared war on cars, and in doing so, they have also harmed local businesses.
In the UK, the introduction of "low-traffic neighbourhoods" has encountered strong resistance and is becoming an increasingly hot political issue, unlike in Oslo (Norway) and Helsinki (Finland), where people are much more positive about walking.
Across Europe, many initiatives are being implemented to reduce dependence on cars. These range from increasing the cost of owning a car to raising parking fees.
"Car-free cities" currently only mean cities with fewer cars than none at all. We will see if the trend will continue in the future, when the growing Gen Z will be more determined.
