List of carfree places
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of noteworthy carfree areas. To be included, areas should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- They are unusual for their country or region
- They make up a sizeable fraction of a city, town, or island
For example, Freiburg's carfree district is included because it is of significant size even for Germany; Leipzig's is not since it is merely average and is a small part of the city. However, Portland, Oregon's are included since carfree areas of any size are unusual in North America.
Color-coding is used as follows:
City name | Most or all of the city is essentially carfree. Kids can play in most streets. |
City name | Large area that is nearly carfree; pedestrians may still occasionally have to avoid cars. |
City name | Worthy of inclusion, but extent is limited or vehicles sometimes intrude appreciably. |
Contents |
[edit] Europe
[edit] Austria
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Vienna | Autofreie Mustersiedlung Floridsdorf housing project | 250 units | New carfree residential project, organized by Green party |
Vienna | "Sizable" carfree core near St. Stephens Cathedral | Old center | |
Feldkirch | Historic center | ||
Salzburg | A number of streets in the medieval center are carfree | Lovely old town with significant carfree shopping areas |
[edit] Belgium
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Louvain-la-Neuve | Most or all of the city | University town; surface is carfree; streets and parking are below pedestrian streets | |
Brugge (Bruges) |
Medieval town with large carfree center | ||
Ghent | 350,000 m² Entire city heart | Largest carfree area in Belgium; Public transport, taxis and permit holders may enter but not exceed 5 km/h |
[edit] Denmark
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Strøget, Copenhagen | Large downtown carfree shopping area | Old part of the city; heavily used, much tourist traffic. | |
Christiania community, Copenhagen | All of an old military reservation | 850 | Several streets with recycled and ad-hoc buildings; carfree |
[edit] Finland
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Suomenlinna | 0.8 km² island | 850 | Carfree fortress in Helsinki, service traffic allowed |
[edit] France
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Mont St. Michel | 4 km² island | about 60 | carfree fortress/abbey |
Île de Porquerolles, near Toulon | Entire island is car-lite and many areas carfree | 5000 (summers) | Resort |
Île de Sein (Enez Sun) | Entire island is carfree | ||
Lyon | Avenue de la Republique, Rue Victor Hugo, and side streets | Metro area is about 1.7 million; carfree area unknown | 17th-18th C mixed-use 6-story area |
Lyon | Part of Vieux Lyon | Medieval quarter | |
Port Grimaud | Resort | ||
Rue Mouffetard, Paris | 0.5 km | ||
The pedestrian mall next to St. Germain, Paris | is about 1.5 km long and runs from place Odeon to rue Monge | ||
Pompidou Center, Paris | Modern large-scale development | ||
Les Halles, Paris | Redeveloped market area | ||
Montorgueil area, Paris | |||
Dijon | Small carfree center | Old buildings on narrow streets | |
Strasbourg | Part of the old town | Medieval core | |
Colmar | Town Center | Large historic pedestrian area in center of town | |
Chambery | Significant carfree area | Medieval quarter | |
Montpellier | Many carfree streets | 11,000 in the medieval quarter | Center of medieval university town |
La Rochelle | Carfree area and anti-car policies | 80,000 (entire city) | |
Tours | Several blocks of the medieval old town are restricted to pedestrians only | Old medieval center | |
Bordeaux | 4 km of streets | Unknown; morning truck deliveries permitted; limited car access for residents | |
Sarlat | Old part of city | Reportedly carfree and pedrestrian friendly except for central main street |
[edit] Germany
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Freiburg im Breisgau | Large carfree center | City 200,000; Carfree areas perhaps 10,000 | Medieval university town; a very small amount of car traffic is permitted on some streets; trams provide access |
Freiburg im Breisgau | Vauban district | 5,000 | New carfree district converted from a military base; car parking at edge, trams provide access |
Freiburg im Breisgau | Rieselfeld district | 10,000 | Car parking distributed, trams provide access |
Erlangen | Former US-Army area/Hartmannstrasse | some 2.000 | Car parking concentrated in some multi storey car parks |
Erlangen | Bonhoefferweg-Siedlung | some 200 | Car parking outside the residential area |
Nürnberg | 9 km of carfree streets | ||
Munich | 7 km of carfree streets | id=108 information | |
Stuttgart | 6.9 km of carfree streets | ||
Lindau | Historic center | ||
Rothenburg ob der Tauber | 13,000 | ||
Wittenberg (Gartenstadt Piesteritz) | 1,200 | Development ca. 1915; newly carfree (1994--1999) | |
Nürnberg - Langwasser | 3,180 | New development (1978-1987) | |
Hamburg (Stadthaus Schlump) | Small | 45 dwelling units | Carfree mixed-use conversion of an old hospital |
Hamburg (Saarlandstraße) | 210 dwellings | New development (2000) | |
Bremen (Grünenstraße) | 800 m² | 23 dwellings | New development |
Tübingen (French Quarter) | Some parts of redevelopment carfree | ||
Tübingen (converted military base) | 6000 residents, 2000 jobs | ||
Munich - Kolumbusplatz (Haidhausen) | 40 dwellings | New development (near downtown) | |
Munich (Messestadt Riem) | 41 dwellings | Carfree part of a larger new development | |
Münster (Geist) Gartensiedlung Weissenburg | 184 dwellings | New development (2001) | |
Hahnenklee-Bockswiese (Harz) | Most of town | 2,500 | Town in the Harz mountain area |
[edit] German islands and resorts
(Residents are allowed cars on some islands)
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Helgoland | Entire island | 1650 | North Sea Island |
Baltrum | Entire island | 510 | North Sea Island |
Spiekeroog | Entire island | 730 | North Sea Island |
Wangerooge | Entire island | 1180 | North Sea Island |
Juist | Entire island | 1790 | North Sea Island |
Hiddensee | Entire island | 1200 | Baltic Sea Island |
Rerik (Wustrow peninsula) | 69 houses | Largely undeveloped area on a Baltic Sea Peninsula; will probably become less carfree as it develops | |
Niederrathen | Entire village | 500 | Village in Saxony |
Moritzdorf (Sellin) | Entire village | Village on the island of Rügen | |
Lechbruck am See | Entire village | Village in Bavaria | |
Hayingen | Entire village | 105 houses | Village in Swabia |
Hallig Hooge, Hallig Gröde and Hallig Nordstrandischmoor | North sea islands | total of 100 Inhabitants |
[edit] Greece
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Hydra Island | Entire island (50 km²) | 3,000 | No motorized vehicles on the entire island |
Lindos/Rhodes | Entire Town | Motorized traffic impossible due to narrow streets | |
Mount Athos | Entire Peninsula | 1,400 | Motorized traffic of non residents is prohibited. Local traffic is extremely limited with only some vehicles used by the monastic community for essential communication, and transportation needs |
Spetses Island | Town only | 4,000 (entire island) | Carfree, possibly with some violations |
Downtown Athens | Historic centre | ca. 750,000 (whole municipality) | While designated carfree, the ban is apparently widely ignored |
The city of Rhodes | Medieval centre | ca. 50,000 (entire city) | Motor traffic within the medieval city and mainly near the Knights Hospitaller Grand Master's palace is limited. Limitations are most often ignored, especially by youngsters on scooters. |
[edit] Italy
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Venice | Entire city except near the train station | Estimated at 70,000 | Medieval city, today highly focused on tourism; transport on foot or by water |
Siena | Entire city | Perhaps 30,000 | Not entirely carfree but most streets have very little traffic |
Cinque Terre (5 towns on the Gulf of Genoa) |
Most or all of each town | Probably a few thousand each | Some towns are carfree, others highly car-moderated |
Florence | Several streets near Piazza San Lorenzo | Market area of the old city | |
Rome | Several streets west of the Vatican | ||
Parma | Small area in the city center, probably 6 to 10 streets | Unknown, probably a few thousand | Probably some delivery trucks permitted during limited hours |
Naples | Small carfree area at center | Shopping area in downtown | |
Milan | Small area near cathedral | Wide streets completely filled with pedestrians after work | |
Ferrara | The medieval center has carfree streets and is over all "car-lite" | Heavy bike use | |
Perugia | While the town suffers heavily from cars and traffic, some areas are so narrow that they are carfree | Medieval hill town | |
Assisi | Much of the town is highly car-moderated | Visitors must park at the foot of the hill; some residents' cars are allowed in town | |
Spoleto | Some parts of the upper old city are carfree | Pre-medieval hill town |
[edit] The Netherlands
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Giethoorn | Entire town | about 2500 | Transport by canal boat |
Amsterdam GWL project | 600 unit carfree residential area | About 1500 | Modern architecture on the site of a disused waterworks; some car parking at the edge |
Kalverstraat/Nieuwendijk, Amsterdam | Long main shopping street with many narrow side streets | Unknown; primarily commercial | Shopping district; delivery vehicles allowed in AM |
Delft | Most of the old center | Medieval center | |
Islands of Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog | Entire islands | About 1000 residents on each plus lots of tourists in season | Only residents are allowed to bring cars onto the islands |
Groningen | Most of the old city center | Estimated at 30,000 in the carfree area (the city is about 10 times larger) | Medieval center is nearly carfree; mixed use area with university |
[edit] Portugal
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Óbidos | Entire area of walled town | Probably a few thousand | Medieval walled hill town (now tourist area); only residents permitted to drive into the town, although cars are a nuisance |
Baixa, Lisbon | One long shopping street, with a few side streets | 18th C 5-story mixed use | |
Santarém | Most of the streets in the oldest part of town | 3 story, old, mixed use area | |
Faro | Some of the downtown area | 50,000 (whole city) | 6 to 8 old streets that form a small network in the center of town |
Tavira | Some of the old downtown | 25,000 (whole city) | Narrow, winding streets in the old part of town. |
Évora | Most of the old walled city | 8500 (in the walled city) | Some cars |
Coimbra | Many small streets | Old medieval quarter | |
Viseu | A number of narrow streets in the town center | Largely intact medieval city; on Fridays, the entire old center is carfree |
[edit] Spain
City | Area | Population | Character | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seville | Santa Cruz district has many narrow, carfree streets | Medieval/Renaissance quarter | ||
Madrid Puerta del Sol | 6 blocks square (limited car access) | Busy central area | ||
Segovia | Large parts of the old, walled city | Medieval area | ||
Santiago de Compostela | Large central pedestrian zone | |||
Ayamonte (in S.W. corner) | Downtown commercial district | Old medieval quarter with very narrow streets; river town on the flanks of a hill | ||
Barri Gòtic, Barcelona | A number of carfree streets, others car-light | Tens of thousands | Medieval center | |
Algeciras | Large network of carless shopping streets | Historic centre | ||
Girona | Rambla (promenade and shopping street) and network of narrow residential streets | Historic centre | ||
Granada | Albaicin neighborhood (limited car access on a few streets) | Historic Moorish quarter | ||
Laguardia (Biasteri) wikipedia-ES | entire old walled city | 1480 | completely carfree - photos | |
Valladolid | Central square and surrounding streets. | Historic centre, although most buildings are now modern. |
[edit] Sweden
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Gamla stan, Stockholm | Most of the old heart (ca. 1 km²) | 3000 | Oldest part of the city; medieval area; low traffic in central parts of the Old Town during part of the day, AM deliveries allowed and taxis allowed 24 h; there is no supervision and no control so in reality the medieval city is not essentially carfree. |
Hammarby sjöstad, Stockholm | New sea district | ||
Drottninggatan, Stockholm | One street and two squares | Major pedestrian street connecting the squares Sergels torg and Hötorget | |
Malmö | Large pedestrian precint | City center; further expansion planned | |
Växjö, Sweden | Entire city center | carfree district in fossil-fuel reduced city | |
Jakriborg, Sweden | Entire village | 800 - 2000 | Newbuilt suburb/village in old style, connected to Malmö and Lund via rail. Swedish wikipedia |
Southern Göteborg Archipelago | Archipelago including Vrångö, Brännö, Styrsö, and Vargö | 5,000 permanent, another 6,000 summer | Just off the coast of Sweden's second largest city |
[edit] Switzerland
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Zermatt | Entire town | 5687 | carfree Alpine resort with prototype "Utility Area" at the entrance; slow electric taxis and freight vehicles used, although these are sometimes driven at higher speeds |
Bettmeralp | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Braunwald | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Riederalp | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Rigi | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Saas-Fee | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Stoos | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Wengen | Entire town | Alpine resort | |
Zürich | Large parts of the old town | carfree medieval urban core | |
Lausanne | Large parts of the old town | The lower mediaeval part of the old town is carfree. Cars are allowed but uncommon in the upper ancient part. Taxis are allowed. | |
Geneva | 10 streets | 10,000 | carfree areas in the heart |
Basel | Parts of the medieval town are carfree | The city is heavily dependent on an excellent tram system and most of the center city is highly car moderated if not carfree | |
St. Gallen | Old center | carfree | |
Neuchâtel | Old center | carfree | |
Appenzell | Old center | carfree | |
Gstaad | Village center | carfree | |
Gruyere | ? | Reportedly significant carfree area | |
Rapperswil | Medieval center | carfree center | |
Brig | Perhaps 10 blocks in downtown | Old part of the city, mixed use | |
Winterthur | Historic center | ||
Lugano | Most of the old quarter | ||
Mürren | Entire town | Alpine resort; some utility traffic | |
Bern - Halen | 79 apartments | Terraced neighborhood; built 1961; parking at edge | |
ID=592 Boll-Sinneringen - Wohnanlage Schloßpark | 73 apartments | Built 1996; parking at edge |
[edit] UK and Channel Islands
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Island of Sark (Channel Islands) | Whole island | 560 | Entirely carfree (only motorized vehicles are tractors) |
Island of Herm (Channel Islands) | Whole island | 60 | Cars and bicycles are both banned |
Cambridge | City centre and university campus | Several thousand | University town with heavy tourism; cars banned most of the day from centre |
Oxford | Areas in city centre | Medieval university town. Cornmarket Street, Radliffe Square surrounding the Radcliffe Camera and University Church, and Brasenose Lane are pedestrian only; Queen Street is bus only; many surrounding streets have restricted vehicular access | |
Salisbury | City centre and cathedral close | 115,800 | Large section of town centre is carfree, including the Cathedral Close |
Edinburgh | Slateford Green carfree development | ||
York | Several vibrant alley ways in the centre, including The Shambles | 183,100 | Streets too narrow for cars |
Leeds, Yorkshire | Large part of the city centre | 715,200 | Pedestrian precinct |
Lincoln | Several cobbled streets around the Cathedral | 86,000 | carfree area near the centre |
Isles of Scilly | Group of islands off Land's End | Combined population of 2000 | Island of Tresco is carfree |
[edit] Other Europe
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Prague, Czech Republic | Large carfree area starting at Old Town Square and extending across the river | Medieval quarter | |
Tábor, Czech Republic | "Modest network of carfree streets" | Old town | |
Kraków, Poland | Large carfree area around the Old Town Square encircled by a park known as Planty | 5,345 (Old Town in 1998), 780,000 (whole city - 2004) | Old town |
Dubrovnik, Croatia | The old walled city | Nearly carfree | |
Rovinj, Croatia | The old town is reported to be largely or entirely carfree | Undoubtedly medieval | |
Arbat Street, Moscow | Small district | Old area just outside the historic center. | |
Vilnius, Lithuania | Large carfree area reported | One of the largest surviving medieval quarters in Europe | |
Riga, Latvia | Old town | The walled old town is nearly carfree, requiring enough permits and entrance fees for motor vehicles that cars are seldom seen | |
Tallinn, Estonia | "Modest network of carfree streets" | Old town | |
Buyukada Island, Istanbul, Turkey | One of the nine Marmara Sea islands, resort area | 1500( ) | Almost enitrely carfree |
Kotor, Montenegro | The old town is carfree. | 23,481 | The old Mediterranean port of Kotor, surrounded by an impressive city wall, is very well preserved and protected by UNESCO. |
Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria | Downtown | This small university town of 60,000 contains a quite substantial pedestrian area, with one long walking street and several smaller ones, in addition to two large and one extremely large carfree squares. | |
Pazardzhik, Bulgaria | Downtown | A medium sized Bulgarian city (roughly 80,000 inhabitants) contains a proportionately large pedestrian network, where in one instance five different pedestrian streets intersect. |
[edit] North America
[edit] Canada
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Whistler, British Columbia | 9,000~25,000 | Has a small carfree center | |
Calgary, Alberta | 7 & 8th Avenue Malls | Non-Residential | 7th Ave. is a transit mall; 8th Ave. is a pedestrian mall for several blocks that offers some retailers selling coffee, food, drinks and tourist merchandise. |
Montreal, Quebec | 30 kilometers of underground passages | Non-residential | carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers; rollerbladers and cyclists not permitted. The passages link some 60 large commercial, administrative, and apartment buildings in downtown. |
"P.A.T.H." Toronto, Ontario | Kilometers of underground passages | Non-residential | carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers |
Toronto Islands | Several carfree islands just off downtown | 700 | Urban park and ecological community |
Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario | Wide array of pedestrian-only walkways | Historic industrial district; art galleries, shops, cafes, residences, various festivals. | |
Outer Harbour East Headland (Leslie Street Spit), Toronto | 5 km-long man-made peninsula | 0 | Wilderness area |
Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario | 6 blocks | Non-residential | Shopping street 1 block south of Canadian Parliament Building |
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec | Ski resort built as a carfree European-style village | ||
Quebec City, Quebec | A few streets in the oldest part of the town | 300,000 (entire city) | Historic part of town has 3 or 4 carfree streets |
Dodge Cove, Digby Island, British Columbia | A delightful island village near Prince Rupert | 100 | Artisan and Commuter Community |
George Street, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador | An historic street dotted with pubs |
[edit] Mexico
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Guadalajara, Jalisco | Zona Peatonal, Downtown | 3,000,000 | 15 streets dedicated to pedestrians. Surrounded by civic, touristic and commercial areas |
[edit] Costa Rica
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Parismina, Limon | Entire Village | 600 | Small coastal village has no paved roads and one tractor for trash collection. |
[edit] USA
Madison, San Francisco, and Las Vegas were all reported to have single carfree streets, which is not sufficient to merit inclusion under the current standard.
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Burlington, Vermont | Church Street Marketplace | 38,889 Burlington proper (2000 Census) | Pedestrianized main downtown shopping street, 4 carfree blocks. Bicycles must be walked. |
Mackinac Island, Lake Huron, Michigan | Entire island | 600 permanent residents | Resort island; horse-and-buggy transport |
Fire Island, New York | Most of the island is accessible only by passenger ferries, or by foot or bicycle from the parking lot at the western end (which is reachable by a cars-only bridge); wagons used for transport. Residents can get car access permits for non-summer months. | ||
Roosevelt Island, East River, New York City | Most or all of island | 9,500 | Some car access does exist, with large parking garages; very few local services |
Ithaca, New York | Ithaca Commons (pedestrian mall) | 30,000 (entire city of Ithaca) | Downtown carfree area of 1 street, 2 blocks long |
Main Street Mall (Buffalo), Buffalo, New York | Downtown light-rail mall | Theater district pedestrian/LRV mall | |
Russell Island in the St. Clair River, Michigan | carfree resort community accessible only by boat; only golf carts are allowed on the island | ||
Minneapolis, Minnesota skyway | 5 miles (8 km) of enclosed overhead passageways | 1,500 residences, 4,000 hotel rooms, 200 million square feet (19 km²) of office space, and 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m²) of retail space | Commercial/retail heart of the city |
Minneapolis, Minnesota Nicollet Mall | Central E/W downtown street; access to motor-vehicles limited to Metro Transit busses | Wide streetlevel sidewalks give access to popular retail and dining establishments as well as many of downtown Minneapolis's office towers | |
Catalina Island, California | Most of island | carfree except for gasoline-powered golf carts in the town of Avalon | |
'K' Street Mall, Sacramento, California | 12 blocks (1 mile) of 'K' Street, including an outdoor shopping mall and pedestrian freeway underpass to the old city historic district. | carfree shopping, entertainment, business and mixed-use residential district | |
Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California | 1/2 mile (800 m) of 3rd Street | carfree shopping district, with further expansion planned | |
Venice Canals, Venice, California | a square roughly 300 meters on a side | 30,000 (pop. of Venice) | A small portion of a large canal system created by Abbot Kinney to be the 'Venice of America' still exists. A majority of the canals were filled in 1929 to make way for the automobile. |
Columbia, California | Small carfree district at the center | ||
RiverPlace, Portland, Oregon | Pedestrian promenade about 1/2 mile (800 m) long (the only large carfree area); pedestrian alleys connect other buildings to the promenade; the site is 73 acres (300,000 m²) | 1,200 | Mixed-use development along the riverfront including apartments, retail, restaurants, a small market, and a waterfront pedestrian promenade |
Portland Center, Portland, Oregon | Two pedestrian streets run parallel through the development, which includes two parks (carfree streets total about 1 mile (1.6 km) length) | 1200 | Mixed-use development with apartments, retail, and offices |
Boston, Massachusetts | Downtown Crossing, several carfree streets | Heart of the commercial district in old downtown Boston | |
Cambridge, Massachusetts | Memorial Drive along the Charles River on Sundays, April through November | Route runs through Harvard University | |
Tangier Island, Virginia | Entire island | 800 | carfree fishing & tourism community |
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia | 5 blocks plus side streets (from 09:00 to 17:00) | 100 families of workers | Restored Colonial-era village |
Bald Head Island, North Carolina | Whole island | 150 families | Exclusive, golf-cart-based community |
Harbour Town, Hilton Head, South Carolina | Artificial harbor with promenade and shops | Few hundred | carfree resort community from the 1960s and 70s |
Shelter Cove Harbor, Hilton Head, South Carolina | Artificial harbor with promenade and shops, larger than Harbour Town | Several hundred | carfree resort community 1980s |
East Lake Commons, Metro Atlanta, Georgia | 67 dwellings planned | Probably 200 | Parking will be located on the perimeter of the village. Access within the village core will be by walking, carts, and bicycles |
Main Street Mall, Memphis, Tennessee | 3/4 of a mile (1200 m) | 5000 | carfree mixed-use district in the heart of the city |
Lincoln Road Mall, Miami, Florida | 7 blocks or 0.5 mile (800 m) | Shopping, socializing, dining al fresco in the heart of the Art Deco district | |
San Antonio, Texas | River Walk | carfree tourist area; lacks basic services | |
New Orleans, Louisiana | Several blocks between the French Quarter and the river | carfree mixed use area served by a streetcar line | |
Arcosanti, in Arizona | New town built by Paolo Soleri | 100 | carfree arcology |
Boulder, Colorado | Pedestrian mall | At the city center; there is some debate as to whether this really is a carfree area or not. The Pearl Street Mall is absolutely carfree, and extends through several blocks of the center of the city. | |
Fort Collins, Colorado | 7 acres (28,000 m²), 4 streets | City population 115,000 | Old Town, commercial district, no traffic except for maintenance crews; area includes 60 apartments for the elderly |
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado | 4 long streets | 25,000 students | carfree area of university campus, to be expanded |
Denver, Colorado | 16th Street Mall, about a mile (1.6 km) long | Transit mall with pedestrian-only extensions | |
Charlottesville, Virginia | Pedestrian mall | 120 shops, 30 restaurants, outdoor concert space in historic brick paved downtown area, free trolley to
University of Virginia campus |
|
Haig Point, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina | Private residential golf development on an island adjacent to Hilton Head Island, SC. Golf carts allowed. | Several hundred | carfree resort development of the 1980s, only accessible by ferry. Other areas of the island have limited cars. |
Riverside, California | Pedestrian mall | The Main Street Pedestrian Mall is absolutely carfree, and extends through several blocks of the center of the city. Notables include historic Mission Inn and the Riverside Photography Museum. | |
Iowa City, Iowa | Pedestrian mall | Several blocks of the Iowa City-Ped Mall, located near the University of Iowa campus in the Old Capital district, are completely carfree. | |
Chicago Lakefront, Illinois | Lakefront path (bike and pedestrian path) | 2,842,518 (entire city of Chicago) | 15+ mi. lakefront multi-use path with 6-7 street crossings. |
Madison, Wisconsin | State St | 200,000 (approx) | 6 block carfree retail street connecting the university and the capitol. Traditional street & sidewalk layout; the street is used by buses and bicycles; pedestrians on the sidewalks. |
[edit] South America
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Curitiba, Brazil | Only a limited carfree area in downtown | 2.7 million (2000 census) | Primarily interesting because of its unique bus system, running on dedicated streets and providing excellent, low-cost service |
Ilha do Mel, Paraná, Brazil | Small Island offshore of Paranaguá | The Island has two small fishing villages | The entire Island is carfree, and even cattle free. All goods and materials are carted around by big wheel barrows. Economy is traditionally fishing but Ecotourism is now a big part of economy. 95% of Island is now an ecological reserve. Villages are connected by 2 meter wide sandy walking paths |
Paquetá Island, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Entire island | About 7000 | carfree island in Guanabara Bay, an hour by water from downtown Rio |
Bogotá, Colombia | The Ciclovía, 110 kilometers of roads throughout the city | 6.5 million | The Ciclovía roads are closed to traffic Sundays and holidays for 7 hours, from 0700 to 1400, when more than 1.5 million people practice various sports, visit the recreational facilities, or go to cycle-mass. The city also plans to become largely carfree during rush hour by the year 2015. |
Buenos Aires, Argentina | Pedestrian circuit downtown | The circuit is composed by all Florida street, except for one block (total length of the street, about 1 kilometer), about 0.5 kilometers of the 3 km Lavalle Street, one block of Diagonal Norte, the entire two blocks Tres Sargentos Street and the entire Pasaje Carlos Discepolo (one block). | This is a vivrant area with many restaurants, theaters, stores, etc, a short walk from the obelisk. Florida is two or three kilometers long, LaValle somewhat shorter. People throng there, and business owners have recently (2002) been moving there from other parts of the city to take advantage of the crowds. These streets are entirely carfree, but crossing streets are not. Access by bus & metro available. |
Buenos Aires, Argentina | Pedestrian Area in Puerto Madero | The newest neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Puerto Madero, includes several pedestrian blocks, including most of Olga Cosentini Street, a short section of M. Saenz Street, the entire Manuela Gorriti Street (more than one kilometer) and most of Pierina Dealesi Street. | The area is a mixed uses district, the main uses are corporate headquarters, luxury condos, and restaurants. |
Santiago, Chile | Ahumada, Huerfanos & Estado Streets | Three interconnected streets downtown | Shopping/office streets around the city's main square, Plaza de Armas. |
[edit] Africa
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Lamu, Kenya | Entire Island | Several thousand but exact population unknown. | Lamu town is an old, Swahilli settlement where only foot, cycle and donkey traffic is allowed. |
[edit] Middle East
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Jerusalem, Israel | Old City | 35,000 | Most of the old walled city is a maze of interesting alleys and narrow streets accessible only to foot traffic. |
Jerusalem, Israel | Ben Yehuda Street | N/A | Part of this central thoroughfare was pedestrianized in the 1980s and has since become a major commercial center. |
Tel Aviv, Israel | Nachalat Binyamin | N/A | This is a pedestrianized street lined by shops and cafes, which hosts a weekly arts fair. |
[edit] Asia
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Discovery Bay, Hong Kong (People's Republic of China) | Modern residential development set on the northeastern coast of Lantau Island | 14,300 | Private cars are prohibited on the road network in Discovery Bay; however buses and delivery vehicles as well as vehicles owned by the developer are allowed. Residents travel internally via the bus network or a controlled number of private golf carts; and commute externally via the ferry or external bus service which connects with the mass transit systems in Hong Kong. |
Lamma Island, Hong Kong (People's Republic of China) | Third largest island in Hong Kong | 6,000 | No full size automobiles allowed, except for the area within the Hongkong Electricity power station. A few miniature emergency vehicles exist as do small utilitarian vehicles. Residents walk, via an extensive and well-maintained network of trails. Ferries take residents to and from the two largest settlements to the rest of Hong Kong. |
Dayan Old Town, Lijiang City, Yunnan, (People's Republic of China) | Tourist area of Lijiang City | ? | Cars are prohibited in this section of Lijiang; however, given the cobblestone paths, bridges and network of waterways, driving would be impossible anyway. Though tourism is the dominant economic activity, the residents here rely on foot, basket, and trike to keep the area functioning. Called the "Venice of the East" by some. |
[edit] Australia
City | Area | Population | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Rottnest Island, Western Australia | Tourist island | A few thousand Quokkas | No cars allowed on island, all transport is on foot or bicycles. |
Civic Square, Canberra ACT | Central shopping area | No private cars. An area frequented by tourists, students and shoppers. Plenty of bike parking exists. |