Germany’s Car-free City

Residents of Vauban, Germany, lead lives that are pretty similar to suburbanites everywhere. They go to work, drop their kids off at their friends’ houses, and do the weekly grocery shopping. There is, however, one major difference—they do all this without motor vehicles, since Vauban is a car-free community. Car ownership is not prohibited, just slightly inconvenient since driveways, street parking, and garages are not allowed. This means that the majority of the city’s residents get around via the tram, bicycles, and their own two feet. While the idea of a suburb without cars may seem like an oxymoron to most Americans, plans for a similar development are already under consideration in Hayward, California’s Quarry Village. We can’t wait to see more American cities say auf wiedersehen to automobiles!