In my opinion, cars are a faster way to get around but they rely too much on non-renewable resources to run.  I understand that there are more hybrid cars being made but that doesn't change the fact that there are still plenty of people out there using diesel.  Even the hybrid cars somewhat rely on gasoline.  I think that the idea of Vauban, Germany was a great idea and a great experiment.  They made a small area that did not rely nearly as much on cars and they saw how the public reacted.  They realized that more and more people were giving up their cars to live in Vauban just because it was much more peaceful and much less polluted than normal communities.  I think that Vauban, Germany is going to have a big impact on society about how people think about their cars and it already has.

Paris, France has made a bold attempt to lower car usage in their area.  They have banned cars in general and charged a 22-euro fine ($31) to anyone caught driving.  It started out great, congestion was down 60 percent and the smog was dramatically decreasing but soon companies started to complain about not being able to deliver with trucks which is understandable.  To clear these complaints, Paris added some things to their law.  Exceptions were made for plug-in cars, hybrids, and cars carrying three or more passengers.  Public transit was also free of charge from Friday to Monday to make transportation easier.  By Monday, the smog was already cleared enough to rescind the ban on Tuesday.  Kind of goes to show how much cars take part in pollution.

Bogota, Columbia has been having a car-free day, "Day Without Cars", for three straight years and the people love it!  All of the rough sidewalks have been replaced with nice new smooth ones,  118 miles of bicycle paths have been constructed and parks and sports centers have appeared all over the city just for this day.  The Day Without Cars started as an improvement campaign meant to spread to other countries.  The effects of this day have dramatically cut traffic and new restaurants and upscale shopping districts have been built.  As expected, this day has lowered pollution exponentially and has made the residents of Bogota much happier as stated by businessman Carlos Arturo Plaza, "it's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution."  In my opinion, there needs to be a day like this where i live!

In conclusion,  cars have a fair amount of both pros and cons.  They are a faster way to get around and they have been a big part of society for quite a long time, but they also cause terrible pollution and emit greenhouse gases.  In this essay I have listed a few different ways people have conducted experiments in attempt to reduce the use of cars and seeing how people react.  They have turned out well but what I am really looking forward to seeing is a major city like New York taking a stand like this and finding out if people would ever get used to it.