Life Without Cars

In an experimental district of Germany, home garages, driveways and street parking are forbidden.  Vauban, an upscale suburb, is practically car-free.  That’s right – a suburb, a concept that we’ve always associated with SUVs and soccer moms as this article also points out.  For needed trips to stores for bulk items, families use communal cars.  Somehow, Vauban got it right. 

Moreover, in one interview, a person claims that she is much happier and less tense without the car. For those of us living in LA, this could not be truer.  After all, getting flipped off, cut off the road, and stuck in traffic for 45 minutes for a 5 mile radius is not the most ideal situation.  So what if we learned a lesson or two from the Germans for once? Indeed, there is hope for suburbs that are free from gas guzzling Escalades.  Perhaps, we should try an experiment of our own, though there are major differences between our suburbs and Germany’s, which would render the results differently- our grids were meant to accommodate private car use, while Vauban’s do not.  Go here for more.