Where Car-Free Streets Won Out

While some open streets experiments have met with backlash from community members, others were so successful they led to permanent changes.

1 minute read

November 22, 2022, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


People sitting at outdoor dining tables next to bike lane protected by delineators and three-story buildings in Dublin, Ireland

Claire Whitehead / Capel Street, Dublin, Ireland

An article by Maylin Tu in Next City expounds on the benefits of car-free streets, which got a shot in the arm during the Covid-19 pandemic and, in some cities, are having lasting impact.

Tu lists the common arguments against open streets and the evidence debunking them, going on to describe four cities where open streets experiments are still going strong. “Car-free advocates would say that as greenhouse gas emissions and traffic violence go down, happiness and connection go up — it’s hard to connect with your neighbors while ensconced in two tons of steel.”

The four featured projects: San Francisco’s John F. Kennedy Drive, which winds through Golden Gate Park and has been closed to cars on Sundays since 1967; Griffith Park Drive in Los Angeles, which was closed to cars after the death of a cyclist in April; 34th Avenue in New York City, which, although not permanently closed to vehicle traffic, hosts a vibrant community of events and classes during daytime hours; and Dublin’s Capel Street, now the longest car-free street in Ireland.

Tu points out that well before the pandemic, cities like Paris, Bogotá, and São Paulo were experimenting with projects like car-light or car-free streets, open streets events, and parklets, but the success of pandemic-era programs has, in some cases, accelerated efforts to reclaim public right-of-way from cars.

Monday, November 21, 2022 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

"Units for sale - contact your local realtor" sign in front of homes.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods

A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

May 19 - Next City

Turquoise blue Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan

A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

May 19 - Inside Climate News

Alpine Recreation Center sign in park in Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown

Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.

May 19 - American Community Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.