We use them everyday, they get us to our destinations, but what would life be without them? What benefits could arise from limiting the usage of cars? According to source 1, "In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars," source 2, "Paris bans driving due to smog," source 3, "Car-free day is spinning into a big hit in Bogota," and source 4, "The End of Car Culture," limiting the usage of cars has gained advantages towards traffic, pollution, and the overall community to better benefit the environment.

In source 1, "In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars," residents of the "upscale community" of Vauban, Germany, have become "suburban pioneers" and "have given up their cars." Although in many cities around the world it is unimaginable to give up your cars, it has become increasingly beneficial towards the environment and community. It is said to be "a huge impediment to current efforts to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from tailpipes," as cars are responsible for "12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States." Planners are now taking the concept to "suburbs" where "stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls along some distant highways," thus making the car-banning residential friendly, and environmentally helpful. Not only will the limiting usage of cars be beneficial towards the community, it will also be beneficial towards your mental health as said by Heidrun Walter who stated "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way."

In source 2, "Paris bans driving due to smog," residents of Paris are also seeing increasing advantages "after days of near-record pollution" when Paris "enforced a partial driving ban to clear the air of the global city." within "five-days of intensifying smog," "congestion was down 60 percent in the capital of France." If five-days can have a significant beneficial impact, imagine what a month can do, or a year, or even a decade towards the restoration of the environment.

Similar to the previous cities in the sources mentioned, Bogota also participates in a "car-free day" as stated in source 3, "Car-free day is spinning into a big hit in Bogota," where "millions of Colombians hiked, biked, skated or took buses to work," "leaving the streets of this capital city eerily devoid of traffic jams." In this "Day Without Cars" campaign, "the goal is to promote alternative transportation and reduce smog," and its goal is being reached. By banning the usage of cars "it's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution," said businessman Carlos Arturo Plaze. Along with many other advantages such as the "blooming" of "parks and sports centers" "throughout the city; uneven, pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks; rush-hour restrictions have dramatically cut traffic; and new restaurants and upscale shopping districts have cropped up," as stated in the article.

Last but not least, in source 4, "The End of Car Culture," "recent studies" have shown that "Americans are buying fewer cars, driving less and getting fewer licenses as each year goes by," and "if this pattern persists... it will have beneficial implications for carbon emissions and the environment." With a decreasing amount of citizens driving, Bill Ford, executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company, has "led out a buisness plan" that will "create cities in which pedestrian, bicycle, private cars, commercial and public transportation traffic are woven into a connected network to save time, conserve resources, lower emissions and improve safety." The decreased usage of cars will have an everlasting positive impact on the environment.

In conclusion, although living in a world free of cars is a world many of us can never dream of, it has shown to lead to significant advantages towards traffic, pollution, and the overall community, which can be seen in the cities; Vauban, Germany, Paris, France, Bogota, Columbia and the United States -- as stated in the sources "In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars," "Paris bans driving due to smog," "Car-free day is spinning into a big hit in Bogota," and "The End of Car Culture." Many of us should no longer dread the banning of cars, but anticipate it.