In mostly every city all around the world, we can find cars. Its become a common thing now. But there are a few cities or countries that are going car-free. There are advantages to limiting car usage.

Passenger 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. In Vauban, Germany, residents are suburban pioneers, and they have given up their cars. They're allowed to own cars, but there's only one place to park: large garages at the end of the developement. Unfortunately, car-owners have to pay $40,000. So, 70 percent of Vauban's families do not own cars, and 57 percent sold a car to move there. This city is an example of a growing trend in Europe, the United States and elsewhere to seperate suburban life from auto use.

While there have been efforts in the past two decades to make cities denser, and better for walking, planners are now taking the concept to suburbs. In this new approach, stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls along some distant highway. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency is promoting "car reduced" communities. Many experts expect public transport serving suburbs to play a much larger role in a new 6-year federal transportation bill to be approved this year according to David Goldberg, an offcial of Transportation for America, a fast-growing coalition of hundreds of groups in the United States.

After days of near-record pollution, Paris enforcewd a partial driving ban to clear the air of the global city. Motorists with an even-numbered license plates were ordered to leave their cars at home or pay a fine. The same would apply to odd-numbered plates the next day. Almost 4,000 drivers were fined and 27 people had their cars impounded for their reaction to the fine. Congestion was down 60 percent in the capital of France. Cold nights and warm days caused the warmer layer of air to trap car emissions. Paris typically has more smog than other European capitals. Luckily, the smog cleared up enough that day so the ruling French party could rescind the ban for odd-numbered plates the next day.

President Obama's goal is to curb the United States' greenhouse gas emissions. Recent studies suggest that Americans are buying fewer cars, drving less and getting fewer licenses as each year goes by. This has left researchers to think: Has America passed peak drving? According to an analysdis by Doug Short of Advisor Perspectives, an investment research company, the number of miles driven in the United States peaked in 2005 and dropped steadily since then. Part of the explaination is that unemployed Americans weren't going to work anyway. If the pattern persists, it will have beneficial implications for carbon emissions and the environment, since transportation is the second largest source of America's emissions, jsut behind power plants.

With all these changes, people who stopped car commuting as a result of the recession may find less reason to resume the habit. The end of car culture may be on its way. It's not such a bad idea, after all. Bicycles and walking from place to place also promote health and fitness. Breathe happy, live healthy. That's the way to do it.