This City Aims to Be “Car Free” in 20 Years

Today is an exciting time to be alive. Technology has made communication must faster around the world, thus a transfer of resources to more sustainable alternatives is more and more common today. Nobody would have thought that 30 or 50 years ago that cars would go out of style in favor of more eco-friendly sustainable, alternative modes of transport.

Yet this is going to become a reality in the German City of Hamburg. The city plans to divert most of its cars and traffic away from the main thoroughfares in 20 years. This will create a big green network, local authorities are going to connect pedestrian and cycle lanes which will effectively smooth out traffic in the inner city.

The city is also planning to create new green areas that will connect the parks, gardens and cemeteries with one another with the ultimate goal of allowing the pedestrians and cyclist to be able to go anywhere in the city by foot.

When the plan is complete over 17,000 acres of the city will be green spaces, which is around 40% of the city’s area.

An official talked about the project saying that the plan will “reduce the need to take the car for weekend outings outside of the city.” While vehicles are not going to be banned from the main thoroughfares, the council expects that residents and tourists to be able “to explore the city exclusively on bike and foot.”

The city will also benefit from the green spaces by lowering its inner temperature and preventing urban flooding. This is important as the average temperature in Hamburg has risen by about 9 degrees Celsius in just 50 years.

The new addition of green areas will allow residents to “hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics and restaurants, experience calm, and watch nature and wildlife right in the city.”

Many cities around the world are adopting a more green design and methods of living to pave the way for a better life. Hamburg is just one of the pioneers in this field and it will probably influence a change in the current state of affairs.

When cities provide space for growing food, areas filled with nature and sustainable modes of transport, a paradigm shift will occur in modern life.