Europe Comes Down Hard on Cars

Many European cities are reversing decades-long trends of accommodating automobiles and are eliminating parking and putting tougher regulations in place, according to a new report.

1 minute read

January 21, 2011, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


Michael Kodransky and Gabrielle Hermann of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy are behind the report.

New Urban Network summarizes:

"In the past few decades, many people "grew tired of having public spaces and footpaths occupied by surface parking," they say. "In dense European cities, a growing number of citizens began to question whether dedicating scarce public space to car parking was wise social policy, and whether encouraging new buildings to build parking spaces was a good idea.""

Kodransky and Hermann write that ""The impacts of these new parking policies have been impressive: revitalized and thriving town centers; significant reductions in private car trips; reductions in air pollution; and generally improved quality of life."

Thursday, January 20, 2011 in New Urban News Network

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