The Beginning Of A Car-Free World

Cars are an integral part of society today, from the hustling bustling cities to far out in the countryside, these machines can be found everywhere, but lately there has been a new trend spreading across the modern world: The limitations on cars.

The use of cars is steadily decreasing throughout the Americas and Western Europe. Germany home to the most advanced car-free suburban community VAUBAN. VAUBAN is the pinnacle of modern car-free suburban living, the new area lies just outside of Freiburg, providing a near complete self sufficient way of living, without relying on the use of cars. As the case with most suburban residences, getting to and from the urban cities is nessessary due to the need to restock food and get to work. In the case of this city it has significantly reduced the emitions from vehicles via public transport and the erection of several shops, just walking distance from the community.

Due to the smog caused by the rise of pollution by the emitions of vehicles, Paris made an attempt to ban cars from its streets, alternating between even numbered and odd numbered liscense plates. The ban sparked outrage among the citizens over the strictness of the ban, but the effects were worthwhile as the smog had cleared up enough for the ban to be lifted.

The limitations on carsare not just restricted to Europe, the Americas have also taken an intrest in reducing the pollution caused by cars. In 2002 BOGOTA, Colombia, for the third year in a row had a day completely devoid of cars. The participants, all of Bogota's 7 million citzens, used seperate means of transportation to cut the emitions released by cars, only permitting the use of buses and taxis as vehicular transportation.

In the U.S. the use of cars is on the decline, with the number of miles driven per person dropping 9% as of April 2013 to record lows scince January 1995. This decrease is caused in part by the recovering economy and the arrival of new methods of keeping in touch. The executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford, has proposed a plan to create a world where the personal ownership of a vehicle would be in his words "impractical and undesirable."

In this new age of awareness to the effects of pollution and the means to fight against them, these limitations may be the first steps on a long journey to the restoration of our planet.