Designing Urban Setups for Automobile-Free Cities: The Obstacles Encountered

A car-free city may sound like a straightforward ideal, but it's actually a complex goal with numerous hurdles. To delve deeper into this concept, we'll examine the primary challenges faced in creating car-free infrastructure, along with potential solutions to overcome these barriers.

Obstacle 1: Cityscapes Tailored for Cars

The most apparent hurdle is the fact that cities have been designed around automobiles, with an average of 70% of land allocated for cars. Urban spaces skewed towards cars require thoughtful transformation to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. The term "automobile city" encapsulates this vehicle-centric city design that arose over the past century.

This car-centric urban planning has largely been a result of patriarchal and capitalist mandates, focusing on the mobility patterns of certain groups, which are usually men and affluent individuals with the means to own and drive cars. Thanks to this bias, city infrastructure prioritizes speedy, linear transportation for commuters, leaving less consideration for groups like women and children who are more likely to walk, cycle, or use public transport. These imbalanced city plans have resulted in traffic congestion and air pollution. It is essential to redesign existing urban infrastructure to support a greener, more sustainable future of mobility.

Hurdle 2: Repurposing Existing Infrastructure

A vital challenge in making the shift to car-free infrastructure is repurposing the already-established urban infrastructure. As Melbourne-based urban designer Andrew Amos points out, retrofitting existing urban spaces can often be a difficult process. Changes need to be incremental to eventually bring about the desired transformation. However, with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, this approach may not be swift enough.

To speed up the process, urban planners should create new infrastructure that accommodates cars temporarily but includes a long-term plan for its eventual transition into alternative uses. For example, current regulations often require a certain capacity for car parking spaces when constructing new buildings or supermarkets. Planners must adhere to these rules for now but have a vision for how the parking space can evolve as cars become less significant in society.

Barrier 3: Debunking Misconceptions About Infrastructure

A persisting barrier to car-free infrastructure development is public misconceptions that such initiatives may have negative effects on local businesses or limit access for emergency services and essential deliveries. These worries can drum up intense public opposition and lead to abandoned projects.

However, many of these fears can usually be alleviated through trial infrastructure projects, such as pilot schemes. By showcasing car-free measures in practice, it's possible to garner public support and dispel concerns. Transparency, visual aids, and community-based planning play crucial roles in fostering understanding and acceptance among residents.

Barrier 4: Deciding Infrastructure Placement and Materials

Deciding where to situate pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in a city can be an intricate process. Oslo's downtown area offers a successful example of almost complete car-freedom, yet the city initially struggled somewhat to identify ideal locations for closing off roads or creating pedestrian-only zones.

As urban planner Ellen de Vibe elucidates, it's essential to strategically place street interventions to refresh city life. A mere pedestrian area along a blank facade won't breathe life into a city. Placement should prioritize buildings or public attractions that can benefit from benches, outdoor furniture, and people amenities.

De Vibe also stresses the importance of ensuring architectural quality in infrastructure projects to avoid public backlash. Alderperson of Amsterdam Sharon Dijksma underscores the integral role of safety in choosing streets for pedestrianization. City planners must weigh the implications of closing particular streets carefully, considering the impact on traffic flow and safety.

Barrier 5: Infrastructure for Autonomous Vehicles vs. People

The last challenge lies in determining whether our cities should be geared towards "greener" cars (autonomous vehicles) or car-free transportation entirely. The dawn of autonomous vehicles is unavoidable, but should we create more space for these self-driving cars or prioritize people-centric urban designs?

Though autonomous vehicles may be the solution to some transportation problems, they will still require space. Building additional infrastructure for these new vehicles will replicate the automobile city, with vehicles dominating our cities unless we focus on phasing out car use altogether and redesigning our cities around people. After all, 50 years ago, we believed combustion engines were the solution; now we understand the value of city space. Is it prudent to bet on the autonomous revolution at a time when we appreciate the worth of urban space?

Moving Forward

With an understanding of the challenges involved in creating a car-free city, it becomes more evident why constructing a car-free urban environment encounters numerous obstacles. Nevertheless, cities can take the first steps towards pedestrianization by addressing these challenges:

Redesigning Infrastructure: Work on converting existing car-centric infrastructure to accommodate pedestrian-friendly spaces, such as expanding sidewalks, creating bike lanes, and establishing public plazas.
Integrated Urban Planning: Prioritize people and sustainable transportation by incorporating walkability, biking, and public transit options into urban planning efforts.
Community Engagement: Involve residents in planning to ensure projects cater to local needs and preferences. Encourage community members to share their ideas and suggestions.
Responsible Technology Implementation: Introduce new mobility technologies (such as autonomous vehicles) in a manner that prioritizes safety, ensures cybersecurity, and fosters public trust.
Promoting and Incentivizing Alternative Transportation: Implement policies that encourage alternative transportation, such as promoting walkable cities, improving public transit options, and offering incentives for the use of shared mobility options.

By tackling these challenges and proactively focusing on car-free urban design, cities can harness the power of innovation to create healthier, greener, and more accessible environments for everyone.

Additional Enrichment Suggestions

Research avenues for repurposing underutilized commercial spaces into pedestrian-friendly areas: parking lots, vacant buildings, or large empty plots.
Investigate the role of "car-free days" or "car-free zones" in raising public awareness about the benefits of pedestrian-friendly cities and gathering community support for long-term initiatives.
Explore partnerships between municipalities, businesses, and non-profit organizations to fund the construction of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, utilize available grants, and leverage funding opportunities.
Examine the role of art and design in convincing the public of the value of car-free cities, using creative installations, murals, and performances to showcase the potential benefits and inspire change.
Assess the impact of car-free initiatives on public health, air quality, and overall city livability, to demonstrate the long-term benefits of investing in pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

The concept of a city-life centered around fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and travel can flourish in a car-free environment, as urban spaces focus on accommodating pedestrians and cyclists instead of cars.
A shift towards car-free infrastructure will require revamping existing infrastructure to support sustainable living, such as converting underutilized commercial spaces like parking lots and vacant buildings into pedestrian-friendly areas.
Public art and design can play a pivotal role in promoting pedestrian-friendly cities, by showcasing the potential benefits of such initiatives through creative installations, murals, and performances.
To allay concerns about local businesses or emergency services during car-free initiatives, community-driven planning processes should be employed, allowing residents to share their ideas and preferences for infrastructure developments.
While autonomous vehicles may offer a solution to some transportation problems in the future, a pedestrian-friendly city can lead to healthier, greener, and more accessible environments for people, thereby fostering a stronger connection between city residents and their surroundings.