It is becoming increasingly evident that one part of life many older people took for granted may be going away soon. The invention of the car was revolutionary, but in modern times it seems that many wish to build communities that do not revolve around them. The reason for doing this vary somewhat across the different movements, but one main reason is that recuding car useage will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and pollution. In fact, many places where this movement has gained traction are citites where pollution was a major issue, such as Paris and Bogota. Another factor is that many people simply are not as interested in cars as they were a few years ago, and have licenses only as a backup. The various movements are spreading all over the world, slowly but surely.

"In a program that's set to spread to other countries, millions of Colombians hiked, biked, skated or took buses to work during a car-free day yesterday, leaving the streets of this capital city eeirly devoid of traffic jams," said Andrew Selsky of the Seattle times. Bogota, Colombia is notable for being one of the earlier players in this movement, and has shown that it can be effective. Not even rain convinced people that cars would be a better option. "These people are generating a revolutionary change, and this is crossing borders," said Enrique Riera. Not only have other Colombian cities joined in the movement, but is has inspired similar actions in other countries. It would only be a matter of time before some people would take it to the next level.

"Residents of this upscale community are suburban pioneers, going where few soccer moms or commuting executives have ever gone before: they have given up their cars," said Elisabeth Rosenthal of the New York Times. While not outright banned, cars are looked down upon in this square mile rectangle, where it is much easier to simply walk or bike. The only places to park are a $40,000 parking garage and inside one's house. "...Some new suburbs may well look more Vauban-like, not only in developed countries but also in the developing world..." said Rosenthal. This approach is gainging ground, as not only does the model inherently reduce carbon emissions, but also is a sharp contrast to 1950s-style suburbs that previously dominated the land. Another probable reason, however, might be due to shifting interests. You might soon be seeing less cars in general.

"...America's love affair with its vehicles seems to be cooling," said Rosenthal. America may be the home of the classic muscle car, but many people today would rather have something less flashy and more utilitarian. 2005 was the year where the most people were driving in recent times, and ever since then it has been dropping. "I think that it means something fundamental it going on," said Prof. Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan. Many people are simply losing interest in driving cars, while some people simply cannot afford them due to socioeconomic factors. Also, the advent of the Internet and social netowrking has made many people "feel more conncected" without the need to drive around in oder to meet someone in real life. If this trend continues, which it is predicted to do, then situations like what recently occured in Paris would be more readily accepted.

"After days of near-record pollution, Paris enforced a partial ban to clear the air of the global city," said Robert Differ of the Chicago Tribune. It seems almost surreal for a major city to outright ban driving, but that is exactly what Paris did. Cars are occasionally banned based on their license plate, so as to still let some traffic flow while reducing smog, which had become a major problem for the city. "...[The smog] rivaled Beijing, China, which is known as one of the most polluted cities in the world," said Differ. Of all the European capitals, Paris is by far the most polluted, mostly due to a combination of warm weather and the abundance of diesel fuel. The simple act of banning driving has been a major help in reducing smog, with the skies clearing up enough for it to be considered safe for odd-numbered cars to return to the streets. It still might take some time for other cities to go to measures as extreme as Paris did, but it very well might happen eventually.

The world has seen many communities test the idea of modern carless commuting for us, and we should be taking notes. While copying Paris seems like a risky way to start, communities like Vauban are excellent baby steps, and major citites like Bogota participating in these activities only once a year can get people used to the idea elsewhere. Decreasing carbon emissions is an important goal for urban areas, and for a while it seemed like cars were a neccesary evil. Now, however, it has been shown that life can go on without them. Perhaps further experiments will occur in the future that will introduce the idea to more people, letting others consider various options. Now is the perfect time to prepare for the future.