Car-Free

People walking at Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free

According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.

March 18, 2025 - Seattle Bike Blog

Aerial view of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum stadium in Los Angeles, California.

LA’s ‘Car-Free’ Olympic Dream Is in Danger

Can the city fund its ambitious plans to build over $3 billion of public transit and sustainable transportation projects before the 2028 Olympic Games?

October 28, 2024 - Governing

Week Without Walking banner.

‘Week Without Driving’ Challenge: Are You Up For It?

The Week Without Driving challenge, scheduled Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 this year, encourages motorists, particularly policy makers and planning practitioners, to experience the challenges facing nondrivers in automobile-dependent communities.

September 18, 2024 - Week Without Driving

A bustling tree-lined pedestrian bolevard down the middle of a city street, filled with walkers and bikers, protected from lanes of traffic on both sides and surrounded by high-rises.

Study: AI Can Help Build Support for Car-Free, Car-Lite Infrastructure

Study participants were more likely to support sustainable transportation projects when shown AI images of what the completed real-life infrastructure would look like, suggesting generative AI could be a useful tool for planners.

May 16, 2024 - PetaPixel

Line of five cyclists bike away from camera in wide protected bike lane on the right side of a street, with low-rise residential buildings in the background.

Book Review: Shifting Focus from Car-Free to Car-Lite Cities

Instead of aiming to make cities better for bikes, a new book argues we should be making cities better with bikes using a car-lite, not a car-free approach.

May 14, 2024 - Stephanie Rouse

People ride bikes past outdoor restaurant patio with misters in Culdesac car-free development, Tempe, Arizona.

Car-Free Arizona Suburb Gains Residents

The project, dubbed Culdesac, offers EV rentals, free light rail passes, and other perks instead of private parking.

March 6, 2024 - Fast Company

Rendering of electric scooters, electric cars, light rail train, and apartments in background.

Arizona’s ‘Car-Free’ Community Takes Shape

Culdesac Tempe has been welcoming residents since last year.

February 14, 2024 - The Cool Down

View of narrow alley on Philadelphia's Quince Street with fall leaves.

Video: A ‘European-Style’ Street in Philadelphia

With its narrow lanes and mature trees, Philadelphia’s Quince Street illustrates what’s possible.

December 28, 2023 - Next City

Close-up of decorative water fountain on La Rambla pedestrian street in Barcelona, Spain with blurred pedestrians in background.

Rick Steves on Walkability Lessons From Europe

Many of Europe’s pedestrian-friendly, transit-rich cities weren’t always that way.

October 22, 2023 - Strong Towns

Diverse people of all ages walking and biking at Minneapolis Open Streets event with temporary festival booths along the sides of the street

Future of Minneapolis Open Streets in Question

The city denied a request for funding and ended its contract with the organizing nonprofit, placing future events in jeopardy.

August 25, 2023 - Axios

Pedestrians walk down car-free Mont-Royal Avenue next to green outdoor dining kiosks in Montreal, Canada

Car-Free Montreal Street Hailed as Success

A summer pedestrianization project is widely popular with residents and local businesses.

July 13, 2023 - The Globe and Mail

Aerial view of Tempe, Arizona with mountains in background

Arizona ‘Car-Free’ Neighborhood Nears Opening

Culdesac Tempe bans personal cars in exchange for access to scooters, bike facilities, and free transit. Is that enough to reduce car ownership in auto-centric Arizona?

June 20, 2023 - Yahoo News

"I [heart] Philadelphia" sign in front of fountain with city hall building in background

Philadelphia’s City Center Rates Highly for Transit, Walkability

While not all parts of the city are equally accessible, its central district boasts one of the nation’s densest transit networks and high ridership rates.

June 15, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Mother and child on bicycles riding on green dedicated bike lane

Essay: How Poor Pedestrian Planning Harms Families

A lack of safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure can drive young families away from places that don’t accommodate car-free residents.

May 22, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Metrorail

Car-Oriented Cities See Rise in Car-Free Developments

No longer tied to minimum parking requirements, housing developers are starting to shift to more walkable, transit-oriented projects.

March 15, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Crosswalk with pedestrians in front of four-story red brick buildings in New Haven, Connecticut

There is Nothing Illiberal About Walkability

Despite recent claims to the contrary, the concept of the 15-minute city promotes freedom of mobility and universal access to a city’s resources and amenities.

March 2, 2023 - The Washington Post

Crosswalk with cyclist and pedestrians in Santa Monica, California

Californians Could Get a Tax Credit for Not Owning Cars

The bill’s sponsors say it’s only fair to extend tax relief to Californians who don’t own cars as the state aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease driving.

June 8, 2022 - Streetsblog California

Empty Road

What Is Car-Centric Planning?

'Car-centric planning' refers to urban planning that privileges the private automobile as a primary transportation mode, often to the exclusion of people who walk, bike, or use public transit.

February 17, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Utah

'15-Minute City' To Be Built in Utah

A community that focuses on reducing the need for car ownership and providing effective multimodal transportation and diverse land uses will be built from scratch on the site of the decommissioned Utah State Prison.

January 19, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Dokken is a western part of the Port of Bergen (Norway). At Dokken is the large, white Port Warehouse, in which a small brown/black building (in the center of this image) is the WWII German anti-aircraft artillery bunker (RK-ID 212746).

Norwegian City Plans for Zero-Emissions Neighborhood

As it winds down port operations in the area, Bergen plans to transform its Dokken district from a busy shipping hub to a car-free, 'regenerative' zone.

October 8, 2021 - Fast Company

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.