List of carfree places
carfree areas . To be included, areas should meet at least one of the following criteria:
They are unusual for their country or region
They make up a sizable fraction of a city, town, or island
For example, Freiburg 's carfree district is included because it is of significant size even for Germany; Leipzig 's is not since it is merely average and is a small part of the city. However, Portland, Oregon 's are included since carfree areas of any size are unusual in North America .
The data is organized by region and country, using the following schema:
Place (sorted continent and country)
Size of carfree district in whatever measure is convenient - percentage, blocks, hectares, housing units, etc.
Population of the carfree district
Description of the character of the area: mixed use, resort, medieval, etc.
Color-coding is used as follows:
Venice Most or all of the city is essentially carfree. Kids can play in most streets.
Siena Large area that is nearly carfree; pedestrians may still occasionally have to avoid cars.
Parma Worthy of inclusion, but extent is limited or vehicles sometimes intrude appreciably.
Europe
Austria
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Vienna Autofreie Mustersiedlung Floridsdorf housing project 250 units New carfree residential project, organized by Green party
Vienna "Sizable" carfree core near St. Stephens Cathedral ? Old center
Feldkirch Historic center ? ?
Salzburg A number of streets in the medieval center are carfree ? Lovely old town with significant carfree shopping areas
Belgium
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Louvain-la-Neuve Most or all of the city ? University town; surface is carfree; streets and parking are below pedestrian streets
BruggeBruges ) ? ? Medieval town with large carfree center
Ghent 35 hectares, entire city heart ? Largest carfree area in Belgium; Public transport, taxis and permit holders may enter but not exceed 5 km/h
Denmark
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Strøget , Copenhagen Large downtown carfree shopping area ? Old part of the city; heavily used, much tourist traffic.
Christiania community , Copenhagen All of an old military reservation Probably a few hundred Several streets with recycled and ad-hoc buildings; carfree
France
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Mont St. Michel 1-hectare island about 60 Carfree fortress/abbey
Ile de Porquerolles , near Toulon Entire island is car-lite and many areas carfree 5000 (summers) Resort
Lyon Avenue de la Republique, Rue Victor Hugo, and side streets Metro area is about 1.7 million; carfree area unknown 17th-18th C mixed-use 6-story area
Lyon Part of Vieux Lyon ? Medieval quarter
Port Grimaud ? ? Resort
Rue Mouffetard , Paris 0.5 km ? ?
The pedestrian mall next to St. Germain, Paris is about 1.5 km long and runs from place Odeon to rue Monge ? ?
Pompidou Center , Paris ? ? Modern large-scale development
Les Halles , Paris ? ? Redeveloped market area
Montorgueil area, Paris ? ? ?
Dijon Small carfree center ? Old buildings on narrow streets
Strasbourg Part of the old town ? Medieval core
Chambery Significant carfree area ? Medieval quarter
Montpellier Many carfree streets 11,000 in the medieval quarter Center of medieval university town
La Rochelle Carfree area and anti-car policies 80,000 (entire city) ?
Tours Several blocks of the medieval old town are restricted to pedestrians only ? Old medieval center
Bordeaux 4 km of streets ? Unknown; morning truck deliveries permitted; limited car access for residents
Germany
German Islands and Resorts
(Residents are allowed cars on some islands)
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Helgoland Entire island 1650 North Sea Island
Baltrum Entire island 510 North Sea Island
Spiekeroog Entire island 730 North Sea Island
Wangerooge Entire island 1180 North Sea Island
Juist Entire island 1790 North Sea Island
Hiddensee Entire island 1200 Baltic Sea Island
Rerik (Wustrow peninsula) ? 69 houses Largely undeveloped area on a Baltic Sea Peninsula; will probably become less carfree as it develops
Niederrathen Entire village 500 Village in Saxony
Moritzdorf (Sellin) Entire village ? Village on the island of Rügen
Lechbruck am See Entire village ? Village in Bavaria
Hayingen Entire village 105 houses Village in Swabia
Hallig Hooge and Hallig Gröde Entire villages ? Villages in Schleswig-Holstein which are islands at high tide
Greece
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Downtown Athens 400 km² (entire city) 3,000,000 (entire city) While designated carfree, the ban is apparently widely ignored
Hydra Island Entire island (50 km²) 3000 No motorized vehicles on the entire island
Spetses Island Town only 4000 (entire island) Carfree, possibly with some violations
Italy
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Venice Entire city except near the train station Estimated at 70,000 Medieval city, today highly focused on tourism; transport on foot or by water
Siena Entire city Perhaps 30,000 Not entirely carfree but most streets have very little traffic
Cinque Terre Most or all of each town Probably a few thousand each Some towns are carfree, others highly car-moderated
Florence Several streets near Piazza San Lorenzo ? Market area of the old city
Rome Several streets west of the Vatican ? ?
Parma Small area in the city center, probably 6-10 streets Unknown, probably a few thousand Probably some delivery trucks permitted during limited hours
Orta San Giulio ? ? ?
Naples Small carfree area at center ? Shopping area in downtown
Milan Small area near cathedral ? Wide streets completely filled with pedestrians after work
Ferrara The medieval center has carfree streets and is over all "car-lite" ? Heavy bike use
Perugia While the town suffers heavily from cars and traffic, some areas are so narrow that they are carfree ? Medieval hill town
Assisi Much of the town is highly car-moderated ? Visitors must park at the foot of the hill; some residents' cars are allowed in town
The Netherlands
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Giethoorn Entire town about 2500 Transport by canal boat
Amsterdam GWL project 600 unit carfree residential area About 1500 Modern architecture on the site of a disused waterworks; some car parking at the edge
Kalverstraat /Nieuwendijk , Amsterdam Long main shopping street with many narrow side streets Unknown; primarily commercial Shopping district; delivery vehicles allowed in AM
Delft Most of the old center ? Medieval center
Island of Schiermonnikoog Entire island About 1000 residents plus lots of tourists in season Only residents are allowed to bring cars onto the island
Groningen Most of the old city center Estimated at 30,000 in the carfree area (the city is about 10 times larger) Medieval center is nearly carfree; mixed use area with university
Portugal
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Obidos Entire area of walled town Probably a few thousand Medieval walled hill town (now tourist area); only residents permitted to drive into the town, although cars are a nuisance
Baixo , Lisbon One long shopping street, with a few side streets ? 18th C 5-story mixed use
Santarem Most of the streets in the oldest part of town ? 3-story, old, mixed use area
Faro Some of the downtown area 50,000 (whole city) 6-8 old streets that form a small network in the center of town
Tavira Some of the old downtown 25,000 (whole city) Narrow, winding streets in the old part of town.
Évora Most of the old walled city 8500 (in the walled city) Some cars
Coimbra Many small streets ? Old medieval quarter
Viseu A number of narrow streets in the town center ? Largely intact medieval city; on Fridays, the entire old center is carfree
Spain
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Seville Santa Cruz district has many narrow, carfree streets ? ?
Madrid downtown area (Puerta del Sol) 6 blocks square ? Busy central area
Segovia Large parts of the old, walled city ? Medieval area
Santiago de Compostela Large central pedestrian zone ? ?
Ayamonte (in S.W. corner) Downtown commercial district ? Old medieval quarter with very narrow streets; river town on the flanks of a hill
La Rambla , Barcelona one-mile (1.6 km) long pedestrianized boulevard ? Wide, shaded walkway filled with pedestrians day and night
Barri Gotic , Barcelona A number of carfree streets, others car-light Tens of thousands Medieval center
Algeciras Large network of carless shopping streets ? ?
Girona Rambla (promenade and shopping street) and network of narrow residential streets ? ?
Sweden
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Gamla stan , Stockholm Most of the old heart (ca. 1 km²) 3000 inh. Oldest part of the city; medieval area; low traffic in central parts of the Old Town during part of the day, AM deliveries allowed and taxis allowed 24 h; there is no supervision and no control so in reality the medieval city is not essentially carfree.
Drottninggatan , Stockholm One street and two squares ? Major pedestrian street connecting the squares Sergels torg and Hötorget
Malmö Large pedestrian precint ? Center-city area; further expansion planned
Växjö, Sweden Entire city center ? Carfree district in fossil-fuel reduced city
Switzerland
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Zermatt Entire town Probably 20,000 or so Carfree Alpine resort with prototype "Utility Area" at the entrance; slow electric taxis and freight vehicles used, although these are sometimes driven at higher speeds
Bettmeralp Entire town ? Alpine resort
Barunwald Entire town ? Alpine resort
Riederalp Entire town ? Alpine resort
Rigi Entire town ? Alpine resort
Saas-Fee Entire town ? Alpine resort
Stoos Entire town ? Alpine resort
Wengen Entire town ? Alpine resort
Zürich Large parts of the old town ? Carfree medieval urban core
Geneva 10 streets 10,000 Carfree areas in the heart
Basel Parts of the medieval town are carfree ? The city is heavily dependent on an excellent tram system and most of the center city is highly car-moderated if not carfree
St. Gallen Old center ? Carfree
Neuchâtel Old center ? Carfree
Appenzell Old center ? Carfree
Gstaad Village center ? Carfree
Rapperswil Medieval center ? Carfree center
Brig Perhaps 10 blocks in downtown ? Old part of the city, mixed use
Winterthur Historic center ? ?
Lugano Most of the old quarter ? ?
Mürren Entire town ? Alpine resort; some utility traffic
Bern - Halen 79 apartments ? Terraced neighborhood; built 1961; parking at edge
Boll-Sinneringen - Wohnanlage Schloßpark 73 apartments ? Built 1996; parking at edge?
UK, Channel Islands
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Island of Sark (Channel Islands ) Whole island 560 Entirely carfree (only motorised vehicles are tractors)
Carnaby Street , Soho , London Carnaby Street and environs ? Carfree shopping area
Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus , London Principally Coventry Street ? Carfree entertainment area
London , Barbican About 38 acres (15.4 ha) 8000 Post-war carfree housing development. Roads & parking are underground
Cambridge Center city and university campus Several thousand University town with heavy tourism; cars banned most of the day from downtown
Salisbury Center city and cathdral close ? Large section of downtown is carfree, including the cathdral close
Edinburgh Slateford Green carfree development ? ?
Bath City center ? While the center is carfree, traffic problems outside it are serious
York Several vibrant alley ways in the center, including The Shambles ? Streets too narrow for cars
Leeds , Yorkshire Large part of the city center ? Pedestrian precinct
Lincoln Several cobbled streets around the Cathedral ? Carfree area near the center
Isles of Scilly Group of islands off Land's End Combined population of 2000 Island of Tresco is carfree
Other Europe
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Prague , Czech Republic Large carfree area starting at Old Town Square and extending across the river ? Medieval quarter
Tábor , Czech Republic "Modest network of carfree streets" ? Old town
Dubrovnik , Croatia The old walled city ? Nearly carfree
Rovinj , Croatia The old town is reported to be largely or entirely carfree ? Undoubtedly medieval
Arbat Street , Moscow Small district ? Old area just outside the historic center.
Helsinki 56 hectares ? Old city center
Vilnius , Lithuania Large carfree area reported ? One of the largest surviving medieval quarters in Europe
Riga , Latvia "Modest network of carfree streets" ? Old town
Tallinn , Estonia "Modest network of carfree streets" ? Old town
Buyukada Island , Istanbul , Turkey One of the nine Marmara See islands, resort area 1500(?) Almost enitrely carfree
North America
Canada
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Whistler , BC ? 9,000~25,000 Has a small carfree center
Calgary , Alberta 7 & 8th Avenue Malls / Stampede Grounds 1,043,276 (Entire City) 7th Ave. is a transit mall; 8th Ave. is a pedestrian mall for several blocks that offers everything possible including coffee, food, drinks and culture. Calgary also has the "Plus-15" second-story system that connects many buildings in downtown. It totals more than 16 km. of passages. Every june the area around the Pengrowth Saddledome becomes carfree when the stampede takes place.
Montreal , Quebec 30 kilometers of underground passages Non-residential Carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers; rollerbladers and cyclists not permitted. The passages link some 60 large commercial, administrative, and apartment buildings in downtown.
"P.A.T.H." Toronto , Ontario Kilometers of underground passages Non-residential Carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers
Toronto Islands Several carfree islands just off downtown 300 Urban park and ecological community
Sparks Street , Ottawa , Ontario 6 blocks Non-residential Shopping street 1 block south of Canadian Parliament Building
Mont-Tremblant , Quebec ? ? Ski resort built as a carfree European-style village
Quebec City , Quebec A few streets in the oldest part of the town 300,000 (entire city) Historic part of town has 3 or 4 carfree streets
USA
Madison, San Francisco, and Las Vegas were all reported to have single carfree streets, which is not sufficient to merit inclusion under the current standard.
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Mackinac Island , Lake Huron Entire island 600 permanent residents Resort island; horse-and-buggy transport
Fire Island, New York ? ? Most or all of the island is accessibly only by boat; wagons used for transport
Roosevelt Island , East River , New York City Most or all of island 9,500 Some car access does exist, with large parking garages; very few local services
Ithaca, New York Ithaca Commons ? downtown carfree area of modest extent
Main Street Mall , Buffalo, New York Downtown light-rail mall ? Theater distsrict pedestrian/LRV mall
Russell Island in the St. Clair River , Michigan ? ? Carfree resort community accessible only by boat; only golf carts are allowed on the island
Minneapolis, Minnesota skyway 5 miles (8 km) of enclosed overhead passageways 1,500 residences, 4,000 hotel rooms, 200 million square feet (19 km²) of office space, and 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m²) of retail space Commercial/retail heart of the city
Catalina Island , California Most of island ? Carfree except for gasoline-powered golf carts in the town of Avalon
Third Street Promenade , Santa Monica, California 1/2 mile (800 m) of 3rd Street ? Carfree shopping district, with further expansion planned
Isla Vista, California 4-6 square block area (reportedly) 18,344 Adjoining university campus
Columbia, California ? ? Small carfree district at the center
RiverPlace , Portland, Oregon Pedestrian promenade about 1/2 mile (800 m) long (the only large carfree area); pedestrian alleys connect other buildings to the promenade; the site is 73 acres (29.5 ha) About 1,200 Mixed-use development along the riverfront including apartments, retail, restaurants, a small market, and a waterfront pedestrian promenade
Portland Center , Portland, Oregon Two pedestrian streets run parallel through the development, which includes two parks (carfree streets total about 1 mile (1.6 km) length) About 1200 Mixed-use development with apartments, retail, and offices
Boston, Massachusetts Downtown Crossing, several carfree streets ? Heart of the commercial district in old downtown Boston
Tangier Island , Virginia Entire island 800 Carfree fishing & tourism community
Colonial Williamsburg , Virginia 5 blocks plus side streets (from 9 AM to 5 PM) About 100 families of people who work there Restored Colonial-era village
Bald Head Island , North Carolina Whole island 150 families Exclusive, golf-cart-based community
Harbour Town , Hilton Head, South Carolina Artificial harbor with promenade and shops Few hundred Carfree resort community from the 1960s and 70s
Shelter Cove Harbor , Hilton Head, South Carolina Artificial harbor with promenade and shops, larger than Harbour Town Several hundred Carfree resort community 1980s
Peachtree Center , Downtown Atlanta, Georgia 13 block area connected via network of enclosed pedestrian sky bridges. Rapid transit station provides direct access to entire city and international airport (Premier mixed-use development at heart of the central business district) 4,000 room conference atrium hotels, office complex, dozens of shops and restaurants, observation deck, athletic facility and art museum
East Lake Commons , Metro Atlanta, Georgia 67 dwellings planned Probably 200 Parking will be located on the perimeter of the village. Access within the village core will be by walking, carts, and bicycles
Main Street Mall , Memphis, Tennessee 3/4 of a mile (1200 m) 5000 Carfree mixed-use district in the heart of the city
Lincoln Road Mall , Miami, Florida Half-mile (800 m) street (7 blocks) ? Shopping, socializing, dining al fresco in the heart of the Art Deco district
San Antonio , Texas Riverwalk ? Carfree tourist area; lacks basic services
New Orleans, Louisiana Several blocks between the French Quarter and the river Several hundred Carfree mixed use area served by a streetcar line
Arcosanti , in Arizona New town built by Paolo Soleri 100? Carfree arcology
Boulder, Colorado Pedestrian mall ? At the city center; there is some debate as to whether this really is a carfree area or not. The Pearl Street Mall is absolutely car-free, and extends through several blocks of the center of the city.
Fort Collins, Colorado 7 acres (2.8 ha), 4 streets City population 115,000 Old Town, commercial district, no traffic except for maintenance crews; area includes 60 apartments for the elderly
Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado 4 long streets 25,000 students Carfree area of university campus, to be expanded
Denver, Colorado 16th Street Mall, about a mile (1.6 km) long ? Transit mall with pedestrian-only extensions
Charlottesville, Virginia 1 street ? 120 shops, 30 restaurants in historic brick paved downtown area, free trolley to
University of Virginia campus
Ithaca, New York 1 street, 2 blocks long Population 30,000 Pedestrian mall
Haig Point , Daufuskie Island, South Carolina Private residential golf development on an island adjacent to Hilton Head Island, SC. Golf carts allowed. Several hundred Carfree resort development of the 1980s , only accessible by ferry. Other areas of the island have limited cars.
Central America
City Geographic Extent Population Character
San José , Costa Rica Several streets in the downtown area ? Several areas of the city have carfree sections, the largest being seven blocks long with side streets. The area is the commercial and civic center of the city and includes the plaza adjacent to the gorgeous Theatro Nacional.
Tortuguero , Costa Rica Town on a coastal island 1000 Access by boat or airplane. There are no roads, only sidewalks and jungle paths connecting the buildings.
South America
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Curitiba , Brazil Only a limited carfree area in downtown ? Primarily interesting because of its unique bus system, running on dedicated streets and providing excellent, low-cost service
Paquetá Island , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil Entire island About 7000 Carfree island in Guanabara Bay, an hour by water from downtown Rio
Bogotá , Colombia The Ciclovía, 110 kilometers of roads throughout the city 6.5 million The Ciclovía roads are closed to traffic Sundays and holidays for 7 hours, from 0700 to 1400, when more than 1.5 million people practice various sports, visit the recreational facilities, or go to cycle-mass. The city also plans to become largely carfree during rush hour by the year 2015.
Buenos Aires , Argentina Florida & LaValle Streets Two crossing streets downtown Two vibrant shopping/office streets with many restaurants, theaters, stores, etc, a short walk from the obelisk. Florida is two or three kilometers long, LaValle somewhat shorter. People throng there, and business owners have recently (2002) been moving there from other parts of the city to take advantage of the crowds. The two streets are entirely carfree, but crossing streets are not. Access by bus & metro available.
Santiago , Chile Ahumada, Huerfanos & Estado Streets Three interconnected streets downtown Shopping/office streets around the city's main square, Plaza de Armas. The shop rental space at the intersection of Ahumada and Huerfanos is the most expensive within the city (4.8 million inhabitants) and country.
Caribbean
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Hopetown , Barbados (reportedly) ? ?
Australia
Asia
Japan
According to one reporter, most towns have covered (i.e., carfree) streets.
Tsumago , Japan ? ? Restored town near Mt. Fuji; some delivery traffic is allowed
Tokyo ? ? Some of Tokyo's major shopping areas are closed to auto traffic on Sundays; these areas are called "pedestrian paradises."
Tokyo , Asakusa area Small arcades ? Some streets in the same area are pedestrian from 10:00 until 18:00
Tokyo , Ueno area, next to the railway station Several streets ? ?
Shinjuku station , Tokyo Kilometers of underground passages Central business district; in principle no residents Carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers; about 3,000,000 passengers per day use the station
Hiroshima Kilometers of covered passages All business: restaurants, parlors, theaters, shops of all sorts Similar to pedestrian streets in Tokyo and Osaka, very popular and lively, entirely carfree but some crossing streets are not carfree
Kichijoji , Musashino , Tokyo One city block: two roofed streets, two open streets, many alleys 130,000 (Musashino) Carfree during the day except for morning deliveries
Sapporo , Hokkaido Kilometers of underground passages 1,800,000 in city Carfree network of underground passages and shopping centers
Shizuoka One kilometer of underground passages 470,000 in city Carfree network of underground passages and shops. The street above has traffic calming and wide sidewalks.
Osaka , Namba area 2 long streets, mostly covered, very popular and lively ? ?
Osaka , Tenma area A street 2.6 km long ? ?
Kobe Several streets in downtown ? ?
Other Asia
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Gulangyu Island , Xiamen, China Carfree island ? See Pete Menchetti's photos and commentary . See also the New Colonist article
Cheung Chau Island, (and others) off Hong Kong ? ? ?
Matheran, India Entire town 5000 Carfree hill town
Zhouzhuang , one of a number of small carfree towns (Xitang, Tong Li, possibly Wu Zhen) in the "water district" of Shanghai Area right along the river 2000 in the town Old carfree waterfront town that resembles Venice in some ways, including heavy tourist traffic.
Novosibirsk , Siberia Entire city ? Research center in the coldest part of Siberia; highly car-moderated, although not carfree
Bhaktapur , Nepal Entire city ? Planning to become carfree within 15 years
Africa
Morocco
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Fes-al-Bali (the oldest part of Fez) Entire city quarter except for a few roads entering a short ways from outside Population 156,000; may be the world's largest contiguous carfree area Old medina with streets mostly too narrow for cars
Rabat Half of the medina ? Oldest area of the city, extremely narrow streets; some busy roads pass through the medina
Casablanca Entire medina ? Oldest area of the city, extremely narrow streets
Meknes Entire medina ? Oldest area of the city, extremely narrow streets
Marrakesh The souk ? While the souk is carfree, the old areas nearby have motorbikes.
Essaouira ? ? Medina is carfree
Chefchaoen ? ? Largely carfree
Tangier ? ? Old medina is carfree
Other Africa
City Geographic Extent Population Character
Lamu , Kenya Entire island ? Only the chief has a car
Cape Town , South Africa St. George's Mall, comprising five blocks ? Center-city mall
See Also
External links
