Car-Free

People walking on Broadway street with neon signs for bars and music venues in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tennessee DOT weighs making Nashville's Broadway car-free — sometimes

After a crash that killed one person and injured several others, state and city officials are in talks to consider options for closing the popular thoroughfare to cars during certain events.

August 4, 2026 - WZTV Nashville

Group of young people sitting at outdoor shaded table laughing and talking with e-bikes and dog next to them.

After Culdesac's success in Tempe, Mesa approves new 1,000-unit 'car-light' development

Culdesac Mesa will take the same transit-oriented approach with a compact, walkable design and access to transit and shared mobility options.

June 26, 2026 - ABC 15

Neo-classical rounded South Station building with decorative clock on front and crowd walking in and out.

MBTA threatens to use eminent domain to pedestrianize Boston streets during World Cup

Boston city hall has been unusually reluctant to align with MassDOT and MBTA's proposed crowd management plans.

May 22, 2026 - Streetsblog Massachusetts

Kruunuvuori bridge in Helsinki, FInland under construction.

April must-reads: Top 10 articles from last month

The world's longest car-free bridge opens in Finland, Amtrak's new Mardi Gras line shatters ridership predictions, and Bay Area commuters could lose a third of Caltrain stations.

May 7, 2026 - Diana Ionescu

Two large totem-style sculptures in Pioneer Square plana in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle's Pioneer Square to become pedestrian zone during World Cup

The city will restrict car traffic and street parking in areas around Lumen Field on match days.

April 28, 2026 - KIRO7

A red light rail train driving down Main Street in Houston, Texas.

Houston's pedestrian promenade on track to be ready for World Cup crowds

The city is transforming seven downtown blocks along a light rail line into a car-free zone focused on outdoor dining and entertainment.

April 26, 2026 - Islands

Blue Greyhound bus in a terminal with people with luggage standing next to it.

Greyhound Says the ‘Great American Road Trip’ is Best Done by Bus

Hitting back on Sec. Duffy’s call for Americans to “get in the car,” Greyhound launched a guide to using buses to access America 250 celebrations.

March 13, 2026 - Streetsblog USA

Rendering of pedestrianized area of Main Street in Houston ,Texas with public seating and colorful murals.

6 Streets Getting Pedestrian Makeovers in 2026

These U.S. cities are reducing or removing car traffic to make major streets more people-friendly.

January 4, 2026 - Fast Company

Teens on scooters crossing a crosswalk.

Study: Nearly Half of Portland TOD Residents Commute by Transit

People living in transit-oriented developments are more likely to ditch the car and opt for transit or walking, new research shows.

September 29, 2025 - Science Magazine

Bright green vintage streetcar and cyclist on Market Street in San Francisco, California.

SF’s Market Street Will no Longer be Car-free

The city will allow Waymo robotaxis and ride-hailing app vehicles to drive down the car-free stretch of Market Street as part of Mayor Dan Lurie’s effort to help revitalize local businesses.

August 22, 2025 - San Francisco Chronicle

Elderly people wheeling a wheelchair and grocery cart in crosswalk.

‘Week Without Driving’ Highlights Needs of Non-Drivers

The event encourages public officials to use their local public transit and engage with the people who rely on it every day.

August 6, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Cyclists riding on green painted bike lane protected by flexible post delineators in Chicago, Illinois.

Growing up Car-Free in Chicago

One Chicago youth recounts their experience growing up in a car-free household.

May 27, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

People walking at Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free

According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.

March 18, 2025 - Seattle Bike Blog

Aerial view of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum stadium in Los Angeles, California.

LA’s ‘Car-Free’ Olympic Dream Is in Danger

Can the city fund its ambitious plans to build over $3 billion of public transit and sustainable transportation projects before the 2028 Olympic Games?

October 28, 2024 - Governing

Week Without Walking banner.

‘Week Without Driving’ Challenge: Are You Up For It?

The Week Without Driving challenge, scheduled Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 this year, encourages motorists, particularly policy makers and planning practitioners, to experience the challenges facing nondrivers in automobile-dependent communities.

September 18, 2024 - Week Without Driving

A bustling tree-lined pedestrian bolevard down the middle of a city street, filled with walkers and bikers, protected from lanes of traffic on both sides and surrounded by high-rises.

Study: AI Can Help Build Support for Car-Free, Car-Lite Infrastructure

Study participants were more likely to support sustainable transportation projects when shown AI images of what the completed real-life infrastructure would look like, suggesting generative AI could be a useful tool for planners.

May 16, 2024 - PetaPixel

Line of five cyclists bike away from camera in wide protected bike lane on the right side of a street, with low-rise residential buildings in the background.

Book Review: Shifting Focus from Car-Free to Car-Lite Cities

Instead of aiming to make cities better for bikes, a new book argues we should be making cities better with bikes using a car-lite, not a car-free approach.

May 14, 2024 - Stephanie Rouse

People ride bikes past outdoor restaurant patio with misters in Culdesac car-free development, Tempe, Arizona.

Car-Free Arizona Suburb Gains Residents

The project, dubbed Culdesac, offers EV rentals, free light rail passes, and other perks instead of private parking.

March 6, 2024 - Fast Company

Rendering of electric scooters, electric cars, light rail train, and apartments in background.

Arizona’s ‘Car-Free’ Community Takes Shape

Culdesac Tempe has been welcoming residents since last year.

February 14, 2024 - The Cool Down

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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