Can you imagine not using a car when you go anywhere, not even up the road to the grocery store?  Some people can't imagine living without cars, whereas some people already have made the transition, or are beginning to make the transition.  Limiting car usage can cause people to be happier, have less stress, and can cause less pollution in the atmosphere for a healthier environment.

Limiting car usage has been found to eliminate some of the stress people are having everyday.  Cars are another liability that put stress on people everyday.  What are you going to do if you get into a car accident, your car breaks down, or there is an overwhelming amount amount of traffic that causes you to be late to a big meeting.  Without cars, people dont have that burden on their shoulders to carry around.  In Vauban, Germany "70% of Vauban's families do not own cars, and 57% sold a car to move here.  "When I had a car I was always tense.  I'm much happier this way." Said Heidrun Walter, a media trainer and mother of two."

(Source 1 P3).

Vauban is the beginning of what could be a worldwide transition that could help save the world.

Saving the world may sound ridiculous when it comes to limiting the use of cars, but it's not.  Cars are one of the leading causes in pollution and greenhouse gasses and have a large effect on the atmosphere.  Cars influence the effect of global warming.  In Paris, the smog reached a near record high and the city had to limit the use of cars for a period of time until the smog levels decreased.  "Last week Paris had 147 micrograms of particulate matter (PM) per cubic meter compared with 114 in Brussls, and 79.7 in London, Reuters found"

(source 2 P17).

Without the cars, the smog levels decreased and caused a healthier environment for the time being.  With limited use of cars, the air that we breathe everyday will be healthier, and the environment will begin to recover decreasing the levels of global warming, which could eventually severely hurt the planet if it continues.

The need for owning a car has gone down in recent years, according to a study at the University of Michigan.  In large cities, people are living without cars just as easily as people that do have cars becuase of public transportation, and just walking places.  In both the USA and Colombia, people have shown that the need for cars is miniscule when you have other forms of transportation.  In Colombia, the city of Bogota had its third consecutive "car free day" which happens once a year.  The people of Bogota surprisingly enjoy it.  "Millions of Colombians hiked, biked, skated, or took buses to work"

(source 3 P20).

This is an opportunity to do many things for the people that live there which include taking away stress, causing happiness, and even getting a little exercise in that they might not get everyday.  All in all, limiting the use of cars has proven to be effective everywhere it was tested.

Without cars, people may say the world would be a different place, and they're right when they say that.  Who's to say it wouldnt be a better place?  All over the world, cities are limiting the use of cars and the effect has been surprisingly positive.  People are saying they feel less stressed, they feel happier, and the enivornment is happier too with less pollution.  Who knew something so little, could have this large of an effect on people everywhere?