The cities of Vauban, Germany; Paris, France; and Bogota, Colombia all have something in common. They have all taken measures to use cars minimally for at least a small period of time. The results of car use are pollution and accidents among other large scale issues. The cities previously mentioned, however, have taken active roles in preventing these issues. It is no guess as to why the pollution is created; "...transportation is the second largest source of America's emissions..." states Elisabeth Rosenthal of the

New York Times . A seemingly simple, but effective, idea could prevent the pollution caused by cars - limiting car usage. Cars have been a major cause of stress with people who always rush to arrive at their destinations, and social interaction (in person) has significantly shot onto the negative end of the spectrum because of the invention of cars. By limiting car usage, the overly tense and smogged communities alike would benefit.

A frustrated, tense driver is not an uncommon occurrence. The term "road rage" was not spontaneously thought of. The purpose of cars is to transport someone or something from destination "A" to destination "B" in a short amount of time. This makes the very nature of cars one of urgency and with urgency comes stress. Stressed drivers have been the cause of many a car accident. All it takes is someone who is almost late for a meeting to speed too quickly for an accident to occur. Cutting down on car usage would exponentially decrease the number of car accidents, and it is likely to increase the overall happiness of a community that harbors less cars on their streets. "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way," states Heidrun Walter of Vauban, Germany. The community of Vauban has given up their cars. In fact, there are only two places to park there; the parking garage requires a $40,000 fee to reserve a space, and it is rare to find a private garage for a home. Vauban is an example of what is likely the beginning of more communities based on minimal car use. "All of our development since World War II has been centered on the car, and that will have to change," states David Goldberg, official of Transportation of America. "In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency is promoting 'car reduced' communities..." (Elisabeth Rosenthal) Communities are realizing the benefits of reduced usage.

An astounding statistic: "Passenger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse emissions in Europe... and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States." (Elisabeth Rosenthal) Pollution is the main concern for the generation of fossil fuel consumers. It is not unknown that cars cause pollution because of the diesel and gasoline that fuels the car. The pollution cars bring will not cease to multiply until cars are used less, and hybrid cars are not necessarily the answer because there has always been controversy on whether people will actually buy them with time. Cities who ban car usage see significant changes in the quality of their atmosphere and an example of this is Paris. Paris, the travel destination of both adventurers and lovers, experiences some of the worst pollution - even when compared to Beijing, China. "Congestion (car traffic) was down 60 percent in the capital of France, after five-days of intensifying smog... [The smog] rivaled Beijing, China, which is known as one of the most polluted cities in the world," stated Robert Duffer of the

Chicago Tribune . Paris benefited from the bans and reduced the amount of smog in the city. Paris took action on their car usage issue and it would be beneficial for other places to follow suit as pollution is an increasinly major environmental issue and health hazard.

Not only would pollution be shifting downward, but city projects would improve with the limited use of automobiles. Cars promote the improvement of highways and roads. This creates a situation in which the city funds the roads, but fails to focus on other important city structures such as sidewalks and local stores. Roads are constantly run down and massive amounts of tax money go into repairing them, but limiting car usage would prevent road damage and change the city's view on other structures. Bogota, Columbia has a "Day without Cars" to "...promote alternative transportation and reduce smog," states Andrew Selsky of

Seattle Times . With just one day reserved for not using cars, "...uneven, pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks;...; and new restaurants and upscale shopping districts have cropped up." (Andrew Selsky) Reducing car use enhances the experience of those who normally don't use cars because of improved bike paths, sidewalks, and is the foundation for a more lively city community.

Luckily, the United States seems to already be on the path to lowering numbers of cars used. "...Recent studies suggest that Americans are buying fewer cars, driving less and getting fewer licenses as each year goes by," states Elisabeth Rosenthal from

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The End of Car Culture

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. America is one of the biggest mascots of the car industry; they have always been on top of advertisement and 'showing off cars' with companies such as Ford and Mercedes. The decline of car usage is beneficial in America for the environment as emissions will be lowered, but the car companies would need to find a different tactic to generate or maintain money flow. The resulting effect is that not only would limiting car usage aid the environment, decrease stress levels, and promote structural integrity of a city, but it would be the dawn of a new cultural age based on a community that has a better transportation system to "...conserve resources, lower emissions, and improve safety," as proposed by Bill Ford of Ford Motor Company. Limiting car usage will usher in a healthier age for the younger generations.