Increased car use has brought freedom to a large number of people, but alongside this has come increasing traffic jams, worsening air quality and increasingly unhealthy lifestyles due to long commutes and use of cars even on short trips. In order to reduce car use, many ideas have been developed. These range from increasing alternative options through improved public transport (covered in our Transit Oriented Cities examples), encouraging businesses to support transit passes for employees (in Brazil), starting carpool programmes and enabling and encouraging work from home. Local governments have also become involved in awareness activities through car-free days or weeks, with Suwon in Korea going as far as establishing a car free month. This was widely seen as a success and has led to permanent changes including car-free weekends, speed restrictions and further street improvement being planned. Cities have also been directly discouraging car usage through schemes such as congestion charges (London and Stockholm).
What else is there? Are there other means you know of reducing car use and making mobility more eco-friendly? Which policies, instruments, frameworks, projects or initiatives do you know about? Are there policies in your country, region or city to enable better and cleaner transport options? Do you know about or are you involved in projects in your community, school or business that are supporting reduced car use?
If so, please let us know in our questionnaire.