Many countries and places are starting to reduce their usage of cars. In multiple places they are to considered "car-free" or they have ensued partial car bans, even going as far as setting a specific day to "Car-free Day". The issues in most of these places is the reduction of the smog that is thought to be produced by diesel vehicals. The fights against polution are really starting to take effect in a multitude of places, such as, Vauban, Germany. Paris, France and Bagota, Colombia. And their efforts against polution is really starting to take ahold and become popular.

In Vauban, Germany- The people of this high class community have completely given up their vehicals. In Vauban, street parking and other car related items are forbidden in the "experimental new district". The main thoroughfare however, is one of the few places on the edge of the city where car ownership is allowed. But, there are only ever two places to park. A large set of garages at the very edge of the development. Where said car owner would be required to but a space and a home for 40,000$. Just for a parking lot.

Resulting factors from this Car-Free suburban, people seem to be happier without their vehicals. Vauban's residents seem to rather enjoy "the swish of bicycle tires, the chatter and laugter of the wandering children, drown out the occasional distant motor." Vauban is to be considered a main component of a movement called "smart planning". When finished in 2006 57 percent of it's residents sold their vehicals to move into the residence.

Germany's efforts in the past two decades have never been as successful as Vauban has been. With its 5,500 residents withing a rectangualr square mile, it is considered to be on of the most advanced experiments in low-car/carless suburban life. Germany has been attempting to make suburbs more compact and more accessible to public transport. Whether it be bikes, walking, skates or some form of physical transport. Near by these carless suburbs, they place stores along a main street near the suburb and not in some mall miles away on a interstate/highway.

Even though Germany is trying to create a utopia of carless suburbs there are still places that still thrive on the dream of large New York-ian style suburbs, private garages and spread out homes. These were the deam towns of the 1950's. Granted some of these ideas are still highly appealing to most places, places are staring to look more and more Vauban-like.

In Paris, France- Paris enforced a partial driving ban on it's residents to help clear out the choking smog, which is rival to that of Beijing, China. Paris officials ordered motorists with even-numbered license plates to keep their cars at home or they will be fined 22 euros or 31$ in American currency. The same ensued for those with odd-numbered plates the next day.

Due to this ban and fine on automobiles, almost 4,000 people had their cars impounded due to their reactions to getting a fine. Granted in the same token street congestion was down nearly 60% in France's capital. France, and Paris officials blammed diesel vehicals for their abundance of smog, although there is a tax that favors diesal gas instead of regular gasoline. So in turn to this gas tax, diesal made up 67% of all vehicals in France.

Unfortunately due to the high percentage of diesal vehicals the Paris has more smog that any other European capital. Although this ban did have a few consiquences, delivery companies complained of lost revenue. While people with plug-in cars, hybrids, and cares carrying three or more passangers. People found that public transit was completely free of charge during the experimental period of this car ban. The smog thankfully cleared just enough that the ruling French party to rescind the car ban for odd-numbered plates a few days later.

In Bagota Colombia- Colombian officials set to spread a program across to ohther countries. Millions of Colombians hiked, skated, biked, and or took buses to work durring car-free day. For a period of three years Colombia has dedicated one day to car-free day, all violators would be fined 25$. In a city of 7 million. The goal is to reduce and promote alternative tranportations to and from work, school, home, and to reduce smog levels umungst the city.

Despite the heavy rains and grey skies, the turnout was more than expeced. And for the first time, two other Colombian cities joined into the event, spreading it further than ever. Officials from other countries came to Bagota to see the car-free event and were exstatic. Claming that the people of Colombia were generating a revolutionary change, and it's crossing borders.

This day has been a work in progress ever since the mid 1990's. Bagota has seen the construction of 118 miles of bicycle paths. The most any Latin American city has ever seen in years past. An abundance of parks and sports centers have popped up, sidewalks that were small, worn and pitted have been completely replaced with smooth broad sidewalks and paths. Even new upscale dining and shopping districts have popped up due to this car-free day.

Goals set by President Obama are seemingly being unveiled as time passes due to studies suggesting that Americans are buying fewer cars, and all together driving less and less as time passes by. With the United States being one of the worlds largest car capitals, it seems that love for cars is dwindleing with efforts to keep down polution and smog levels.

The most accurate assumption today as to why the US's love and total buying of cars has dwindled so drastically is due to the recession that we had experienced. Cash-stapped Americans couldnt afford to buy new vehicals and that seems to be a persistant happening as the years pass. Unfortunately major car companies are starting to suffer due to this fall of people indulging in a car purchase.

Companies such as Ford and Mercedes are already starting to "rebrand" themselves as mobility companies and reorganising their product with wider varieties. Not only has car buying dropped, so has the rate of people between the ages of 16-39 getting a license. Most people are turning to car-pooling, walking or public transportation to get to their jobs, or other places, so in turn, getting a license is in not in the forefront of their mind.

Many countries are getting on the bandwaggon of fighting against polution, ensueing laws against driving all together, creating temporaty or partial bans. And they see a difference in their smog, polution levels. These people/countries are taking the innitiative to take care of the major underlying problems to much bigger problems such as global warming and problems of that nature. There are changes happening, and these changes are benefiting everyone.