Car Free Communities

[jac941]

I've heard about the superblocks in Barcelona, but don't know of anyone who has experienced them personally. They definitely sound like they're worth a visit.

On the Portland / Seattle conversation. It's been over 10 years since I've visited Seattle, but I was in Portland maybe 2-3 years ago. I do think it feels a little safer than the SF Bay Area, but there aren't really fewer cars & I don't think it's any better from a safety / injuries / deaths standpoint. We did (briefly) consider moving there at the time.

@windytrail Based on your comments, we're in the same area - I'm involved with a couple of the advocacy organizations that you listed. From this thread, it sounds like the SF Bay Area is about as good as it gets in the USA. What's frustrating about "as good as it gets" is stuff like this: https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/No-suspect-arrest-in-S-F-hit-and-run-crash-that-16192677.php

"The intersection where Svallingson was struck and killed saw six crashes between January 2016 and December 2020, two of which resulted in injuries to pedestrians..."

They did end up arresting someone for this hit and run. But really, how many crashes does an intersection need before the city redesigns it? I won't be surprised if they still don't make changes after this incident.

@Malcat Any chance you'll let us know what North American (Canadian?) city is doing much better than here? Toronto? You are right that I would prefer to avoid cars all together, but it's sounds like that's not feasible. As I understand it, the SF Bay Area is on the better end of the spectrum for traffic related serious injuries and fatalities. In the cities around here, I think there are around 15-20 pedestrian & cyclist serious injuries or fatalities per 100,000 population per year.

[Metalcat]

No, not Toronto.

Montreal and Ottawa both have extensive bike culture and infrastructure, Ottawa has far more extensive path system and drivers in Montreal are generally more aggressive. My brother lived on his bike in Halifax and seemed to find it really easy there.

[jac941]

No, not Toronto.

Montreal and Ottawa both have extensive bike culture and infrastructure, Ottawa has far more extensive path system and drivers in Montreal are generally more aggressive. My brother lived on his bike in Halifax and seemed to find it really easy there.

Thanks. I'll check them out.

[Metalcat]

No, not Toronto.

Montreal and Ottawa both have extensive bike culture and infrastructure, Ottawa has far more extensive path system and drivers in Montreal are generally more aggressive. My brother lived on his bike in Halifax and seemed to find it really easy there.

Thanks. I'll check them out.

None of them are bike friendly in winter.
Plenty of people bike in winter, but the paths are not maintained, so winter bikers are stuck sharing dangerous roads with cars for nearly half the year.

I wasn't sharing them as a recommendation of where you should live, just an example of what is possible in a very car based city when cycling is made a priority. It was more for you to consider your options and not limit yourself to seeking out only communities that literally don't have cars, which is what you seemed to be asking for.

If some cities up here can be that bike friendly, then surely somewhere in the US has pulled off the same feat. I mean, you guys have infinitely more cities than we do, and usually much less winter.

[Mr FrugalNL]

This YouTube Channel (Not Just Bikes) talks a lot about the Netherlands and talks about many town beyond Amsterdam that are about as car-free as you'll find outside of some islands: https://www.youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes

It might point you in some interesting directions.

I just spent entirely too much time watching these. Thanks for the recommendation. I was somewhat familiar with Strong Towns before, so was interested in seeing his videos on that as well.

If you enjoyed Not Just Bikes, you might also enjoy BicycleDutch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/markenlei

The channel covers Dutch bicycle infrastructure and also has videos where they just cycle through a town with the camera on.

[shelivesthedream]

Assuming you are a native English speaker and that learning another language would be a (surmountable) barrier for you, and that jobs are not a problem, the UK has a few low-car places. Cars are banned on the island of Sark. London has excellent public transport and because of the way it grew, engulfing villages as it has sprawled, it has many mini-centres that are walkable in and of themselves while being connected to wider London, like Highgate village or Hampstead or Belsize Park. Cambridge has come on in leaps and bounds and has a semi-pedestrianised city centre.

[skeptic]

I'll just put in a plug for Washington, DC (and probably there are many other urban places too). It's definitely HCOL but there are various ways to make it work if that is a barrier... not least of which is the savings from not owning a car! We bike everywhere, including with kids, and it is awesome. The number of cyclists here is surging and the city is slowly building more infrastructure (like protected bike lanes) to better accommodate the shift.

The transit system is decent too (maybe I should say excellent compared to most US cities, but that isn't saying much.) I think approximately 40% of people in DC own cars, so it's obviously more than possible to get around without them. And Zipcar makes it super easy to use a car occasionally if needed, without all the hassles of going to get a traditional rental car.

Some cities I've lived in, *I* could get around just fine on a bike and/or transit, but the problem was that everyone I knew drove a car, so that made it socially impractical.

[jac941]

I'll just put in a plug for Washington, DC (and probably there are many other urban places too).

Thanks. I took a quick look at the pedestrian and cyclist fatality data for DC, and it’s not great. Definitely worse than where I am now. Also, it looks like the fatalities have been increasing every year since they implemented their Vision Zero plan. I’m looking for a place where it’s safe to get around without a car … or at least where the situation is improving. Not just where it’s possible to live without a car.

[Cranky]

There is a big difference between living without a car and living in a car free place.

I don’t drive. I have never had a drivers license. I have gotten myself around in a wide variety of places without a car, even in places where the infrastructure isn’t designed for that. It’s important to pick your neighborhood with that in mind. I just spent 25 years in a rust belt city where pedestrians are pretty rare, and yet I walked to work, grocery shopped, went the the library and drugstore, etc.

We do own a car, though, which my dh drove to work, and we ran some car errands on weekends.

I actually don’t mind walking the Unscenic Route - over the years I got to know the people at Auto Zone because I cut thru their nicely plowed parking lot every winter morning on my way to work.

I do think that hauling a couple of kids around without a car is a challenge - lugging a toddler and groceries home on the bus when it’s sleeting does not make for a fun morning. It also affected the out of school activities my kids could do, though they seem to have survived.

We have recently moved to Madison Wisconsin and the walking and biking infrastructure here is much, much more developed. There’s an extensive system of separate walking/biking paths, and cars actually stop to let me cross the street. The city is reducing the speed limit to 20mph in most residential neighborhoods. However, the winters are very cold...

[dougules]

There is a big difference between living without a car and living in a car free place.

I don’t drive. I have never had a drivers license. I have gotten myself around in a wide variety of places without a car, even in places where the infrastructure isn’t designed for that. It’s important to pick your neighborhood with that in mind. I just spent 25 years in a rust belt city where pedestrians are pretty rare, and yet I walked to work, grocery shopped, went the the library and drugstore, etc.

We do own a car, though, which my dh drove to work, and we ran some car errands on weekends.

I actually don’t mind walking the Unscenic Route - over the years I got to know the people at Auto Zone because I cut thru their nicely plowed parking lot every winter morning on my way to work.

I do think that hauling a couple of kids around without a car is a challenge - lugging a toddler and groceries home on the bus when it’s sleeting does not make for a fun morning. It also affected the out of school activities my kids could do, though they seem to have survived.

We have recently moved to Madison Wisconsin and the walking and biking infrastructure here is much, much more developed. There’s an extensive system of separate walking/biking paths, and cars actually stop to let me cross the street. The city is reducing the speed limit to 20mph in most residential neighborhoods. However, the winters are very cold...

I've not been to Madison, but in general even the most bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly cities in the US still have infrastructure that heavily favors cars.  My point of reference there is Portland OR which has a great network of bicycle optimized streets.   However, they picked the streets that go back through the neighborhoods for that network.  The streets that have all the businesses and activity are still very much car-oriented.  If bicycles were the priority, the main business streets would be bicycle optimized and the cars relegated to side streets. 

[Cranky]

I don’t disagree, but I’m not sure how practical that is. There’s a reason that cars dominate (and yeah, I’m sure there are multiple reasons) and basically - cars are convenient. More people want to drive cars than want to stand out in the snow waiting for the bus.

But I could take a bike path from my neighborhood all the way downtown, if I had the time and desire to do that.

[shelivesthedream]

Climate is pretty important when thinking about viability of car-free living on a larger scale. @Cranky , you talk about standing in the snow waiting for the bus. We get 1-3 days of snow per year in London, sometimes none at all. It rains a fair bit, but most bus stops round my way have bus shelters, and if you're leaving the house and it's raining you just being an umbrella. Whereas reading of Canadians cycling in the snow sounds like crazy talk to me - clearly not to them, though!

[Metalcat]

Climate is pretty important when thinking about viability of car-free living on a larger scale. @Cranky , you talk about standing in the snow waiting for the bus. We get 1-3 days of snow per year in London, sometimes none at all. It rains a fair bit, but most bus stops round my way have bus shelters, and if you're leaving the house and it's raining you just being an umbrella. Whereas reading of Canadians cycling in the snow sounds like crazy talk to me - clearly not to them, though!

Oh no, it's batshit crazy to the vast majority of Canadians as well. DH does it and everyone thinks he's completely fucking insane.

[dougules]

Climate is pretty important when thinking about viability of car-free living on a larger scale. @Cranky , you talk about standing in the snow waiting for the bus. We get 1-3 days of snow per year in London, sometimes none at all. It rains a fair bit, but most bus stops round my way have bus shelters, and if you're leaving the house and it's raining you just being an umbrella. Whereas reading of Canadians cycling in the snow sounds like crazy talk to me - clearly not to them, though!

Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Portland all have a robust number of cyclists, but I believe all three get quite a lot of cold rain.   That's not as bad as snow on the road, but it still is pretty bad weather for cycling. 

[chicagomeg]

Surprised no one has mentioned Madison, WI yet. It’s not a city without cars by any means, but towards your newer definition of a place that has extensive enough paths and protected lanes to have carefree bike travel, I think it’s the closest match I’ve personally experienced in the US. Another thing that impressed me while visiting there was that anywhere there was roadwork on a trial or a protected lane, there was a clearly marked alternative that was as protected as possible. Also, I found the drivers to be exceptionally courteous to cyclists. As an added bonus, it has more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the US and it’s still quite affordable.

[jac941]

Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Portland all have a robust number of cyclists, but I believe all three get quite a lot of cold rain.   That's not as bad as snow on the road, but it still is pretty bad weather for cycling.

I haven’t biked in snow, but I have in cold rain. I’ve walked / taken transit in both types of weather. Usually I find snow far more pleasant than cold rain simply because it’s much easier to stay dry. I think if bike paths were plowed, biking in snow would also be better than in rain. Apparently in Oulu, Finland they do this and people bike in the snow through the arctic winter. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU

I wonder if they plow the bike paths in Madison. @mlipps or @Cranky do you know?

[chicagomeg]

Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Portland all have a robust number of cyclists, but I believe all three get quite a lot of cold rain.   That's not as bad as snow on the road, but it still is pretty bad weather for cycling.

I haven’t biked in snow, but I have in cold rain. I’ve walked / taken transit in both types of weather. Usually I find snow far more pleasant than cold rain simply because it’s much easier to stay dry. I think if bike paths were plowed, biking in snow would also be better than in rain. Apparently in Oulu, Finland they do this and people bike in the snow through the arctic winter. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU

I wonder if they plow the bike paths in Madison. @mlipps or @Cranky do you know?

Even Chicago with their mediocre bike infrastructure plows the paths, I would be shocked if Madison doesn’t. Haven’t been there in the winter though, it’s my escape in August when our heat gets bad for a weekend!

[Chaplin]

The video about Oulu in Finland is eye-opening. Essentially, biking is easy if the infrastructure supports it, almost regardless of the weather. Cars are convenient too when the infrastructure (in this case the entire design of urban environments, not just a roads versus bike paths discussion) supports them. Of course people seem nuts when they do something in spite what the design of an environment naturally prompts and encourages.

The book "Strong Towns" expands on this in ways I couldn't begin to summarize effectively here. I highly recommend it if you're interested in exploring the financial viability of different urban designs independent of personal or population preferences.

This YouTube Channel (Not Just Bikes) talks a lot about the Netherlands and talks about many town beyond Amsterdam that are about as car-free as you'll find outside of some islands: https://www.youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes

It might point you in some interesting directions.

I just spent entirely too much time watching these. Thanks for the recommendation. I was somewhat familiar with Strong Towns before, so was interested in seeing his videos on that as well.

If you enjoyed Not Just Bikes, you might also enjoy BicycleDutch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/markenlei

The channel covers Dutch bicycle infrastructure and also has videos where they just cycle through a town with the camera on.

Thanks! I've been enjoying that channel too!

[Cranky]

The bike paths in Madison seemed mostly cleared in January - we were only here on and off last winter. But Madison only salts the main roads, not residential areas and it was pretty icy. I saw a stroller with ski runners for the first time. LOL Lots of people wear yaktrax in the winter.

There’s more variation in cold climates than you might think if you aren’t in one. When we lived in Boulder, for instance, a cold and snowy week is typically followed by a round of mild weather and plenty of sun, so the streets and paths clear quickly. In Madison, the snow that fall in December is at the bottom of the pile in March.

It really is an area with a robust support for getting around without a car (which is one reason we’ve retired here) but I can see that most people do have a car if they can for backup use, or for going out of town.

[dougules]

I would think good transit would be an alternative for biking when the weather is particularly bad or there's a lot of snow on the roads, especially if the bus stops are covered. 

[seattlecyclone]

When I lived in Madison I basically only used my car to visit out-of-state friends and family, and to go to the supermarket because there wasn't one I liked near the center of town. I walked most places most of the time and used public transit occasionally. It wasn't the OP's ideal of a city where you could go about your business much of the time without so much as encountering a street full of cars, but it was pretty nice.

[Cranky]

Most of the bus stops in Madison are not covered, alas, but there is a Bus Rapid Transit system in development and it’s supposed to have fancy shelters. Currently a lot of the bus stops are still closed from the pandemic.

Thinking about this some more, it does seem like an actual car free community would be difficult for people with mobility issues.

[seattlecyclone]

Thinking about this some more, it does seem like an actual car free community would be difficult for people with mobility issues.

It really depends. Car-oriented communities are terrible for people who can't or don't drive. I'd guess people with mobility issues are overrepresented in that population. Whereas a community designed to be navigable on foot can also be navigable by wheelchair if you take care to not put in stairs everywhere.

[jac941]

Thinking about this some more, it does seem like an actual car free community would be difficult for people with mobility issues.

It really depends. Car-oriented communities are terrible for people who can't or don't drive. I'd guess people with mobility issues are overrepresented in that population. Whereas a community designed to be navigable on foot can also be navigable by wheelchair if you take care to not put in stairs everywhere.

It turns out there’s data on this issue: https://www.bts.gov/travel-patterns-with-disabilities

“Regardless of age, people with disabilities travel by personal vehicles—as drivers or as passengers—for a smaller share of trips than people without disabilities.”

Reducing and eliminating the need for personal vehicles for the vast majority of people should make an area more accessible for people with disabilities provided that there’s robust transit and some vehicle access and parking in otherwise car free areas for people with disabilities. I know that when I was briefly unable to walk we had to fight traffic and could NEVER get an ADA spot at our destinations. It was really frustrating.

[dodojojo]

@Dulcimina
I wonder if we're neighbors? ;)

I'm in a downtown neighborhood on the Red Line. 95 walk score and this one is valid since I'm in downtown and really can walk to everything.  Haven't owned a car since leaving Car is King Southern California. That was nearly 2 decades ago. It has been the best benefit of moving to the east coast.  My number one objection to moving back to CA is the car culture there.

@dodojojo probably, if you reaally stretch the definition of neighbors! Have you been to any DC MMM meetups? Pre-Covid, of course.

Never thought about MMM meetups...but of course there would be one in DC.  Thanks for bringing it up, I'll look into it.  Do they go through Meetup?  Or is it on this site...

[GuitarStv]

Climate is pretty important when thinking about viability of car-free living on a larger scale. @Cranky , you talk about standing in the snow waiting for the bus. We get 1-3 days of snow per year in London, sometimes none at all. It rains a fair bit, but most bus stops round my way have bus shelters, and if you're leaving the house and it's raining you just being an umbrella. Whereas reading of Canadians cycling in the snow sounds like crazy talk to me - clearly not to them, though!

Oh no, it's batshit crazy to the vast majority of Canadians as well. DH does it and everyone thinks he's completely fucking insane.

Toronto's not bad.  Sure, we don't clear any of the bike paths in the winter.  Sure, we get cold temperatures and snow.  But we salt so heavily that the snow and ice don't typically stay on the roads for long enough to make conditions really dangerous.

[joemandadman189]

Lone Tree, CO might work for you, not so much a bike friendly area but walkable and the light rail has several stops. There are lots of housing options around a "city" core with shopping and a library, parks, rec center, open space

[Watchmaker]

Most of the talk about European cities has centered on cities in the north, but many cities in southern Europe are pretty pedestrian oriented, at least in their city centers. Pretty much any old city in Italy has walkable, low-car neighborhoods. Lucca is the first example that springs to mind.

College campuses were mentioned above. In the US I think those are often the best you can do for low-car lifestyle with plenty of amenities.

[StarBright]

Most of the talk about European cities has centered on cities in the north, but many cities in southern Europe are pretty pedestrian oriented, at least in their city centers. Pretty much any old city in Italy has walkable, low-car neighborhoods. Lucca is the first example that springs to mind.

College campuses were mentioned above. In the US I think those are often the best you can do for low-car lifestyle with plenty of amenities.

Lucca! I *heart* Lucca. Was lucky enough to spend about 6 months there in my early 20s and got around completely by foot and bicycle for the day to day. Totally a walkable city and very few cars within the walls.

[freeat57]

There is a town here in Georgia that is rather different from most of the places mentioned.  Peachtree City is about 20 miles SW of Atlanta and is typical suburbia EXCEPT that it has an extensive separate system of golf cart paths.  People also walk and bike the paths.  Most of the businesses have golf cart parking lots (supermarkets, Lowes, etc.).  There is a large system of parks and lakes also linked by the paths.  Of course, most people have cars because they commute to ATL for work.  Look at the wikipedia article for it.
From Wikipedia"
"Peachtree City has a system of golf cart paths which spider across the town and provide a secondary means of access to almost any destination within city limits. These multi-use paths stretch for more than 90 miles (140 km) throughout the city. Many places of business have specially designated golf cart parking spaces. The Peachtree City Police Department has several golf carts used to patrol along these paths.

Over 10,000 households own a golf cart, and use them as an extra vehicle for local transportation.[29] Children aged twelve to fifteen may operate a cart on Peachtree City cart paths with a parent, grandparent or other guardian in the front seat. Those who are fifteen or older, with either a valid Georgia learners permit or a full driver's license, are allowed to operate golf carts alone. Students at McIntosh High School are encouraged to drive family golf carts to school because of limited car parking. In 2015, Starr's Mill High School opened a golf-cart specific lot. The golf cart paths are also used by cyclists, joggers, and pedestrians as a safer alternative to the side of the road. In February 2003, Golf Digest magazine discussed the traffic congestion caused by the use of golf carts in the city."

[FLBiker]

Climate is pretty important when thinking about viability of car-free living on a larger scale. @Cranky , you talk about standing in the snow waiting for the bus. We get 1-3 days of snow per year in London, sometimes none at all. It rains a fair bit, but most bus stops round my way have bus shelters, and if you're leaving the house and it's raining you just being an umbrella. Whereas reading of Canadians cycling in the snow sounds like crazy talk to me - clearly not to them, though!

Oh no, it's batshit crazy to the vast majority of Canadians as well. DH does it and everyone thinks he's completely fucking insane.

Toronto's not bad.  Sure, we don't clear any of the bike paths in the winter.  Sure, we get cold temperatures and snow.  But we salt so heavily that the snow and ice don't typically stay on the roads for long enough to make conditions really dangerous.

I'm in small town Nova Scotia (Annapolis Valley) and they actually do plow the bike path across the street from my neighborhood that goes into down (using a Bobcat).  Even in the dead of winter, I've been very pleasantly surprised how car-optional things are.

[aetheldrea]

I was going to reply to this thread several weeks ago, but then my daughter was T-boned in an automobile crash and I just felt too emotionally raw. She was very lucky to escape with “only” a broken arm and various cuts scrapes and bruises. Fucking cars.
Some people say that The Netherlands is fifty years ahead of us on road design. But really they are 50+n years ahead of us, where n = the number of years it takes us to decide that we no longer want to kill and maim our citizens with our shitty road design, and want to stop crapping up our cities for the benefit of cars. 

[dougules]

I was going to reply to this thread several weeks ago, but then my daughter was T-boned in an automobile crash and I just felt too emotionally raw. She was very lucky to escape with “only” a broken arm and various cuts scrapes and bruises. Fucking cars.
Some people say that The Netherlands is fifty years ahead of us on road design. But really they are 50+n years ahead of us, where n = the number of years it takes us to decide that we no longer want to kill and maim our citizens with our shitty road design, and want to stop crapping up our cities for the benefit of cars.

I'm glad to hear she's ok.  I totally agree. 

[PDXTabs]

Assuming you are a native English speaker and that learning another language would be a (surmountable) barrier for you, and that jobs are not a problem, the UK has a few low-car places. Cars are banned on the island of Sark. London has excellent public transport and because of the way it grew, engulfing villages as it has sprawled, it has many mini-centres that are walkable in and of themselves while being connected to wider London, like Highgate village or Hampstead or Belsize Park. Cambridge has come on in leaps and bounds and has a semi-pedestrianised city centre.

Edinburgh isn't car-free but it's better than say, Portland, OR. But not great on bike infrastructure. More walking+buses.

[kite]

Where there are well placed housing projects, it is likely to have decent access to mass transit. 
I think there are entire car-free subcultures right among us and if you aren't looking, you won't see them.  We happened to buy our home six doors away from the housing project in our hometown.  It was a matter of price & location for us.  The only thing we could afford in the town where we grew up and where both sets of parents were living.  Since the area supports car-free residents, it was straightforward for us to go long stretches of time without driving. It left us very well acclimated to staying home when the lockdowns and distancing requirements started 18 months ago. 
But ditch the car entirely?  Nope. When evacuation is necessary, having your own transportation is far superior to having to wait for someone else.  And now that our mothers are 80 and 92 with all the expected declines in mobility, the minivan comes in handy. 

[WalkaboutStache]

The superblocks idea in Barcelona is intriguing, haven't seen anyone mention that yet, or give their impression.

It looks like the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona is one of the older superblocks in Spain.  Cars are limited to deliveries and residents.  It seems Google Streetview opted to use a bicycle for their imaging.  This area is great: https://goo.gl/maps/AJTRPPYFGB5QfmZr7  You can see the line of people takes priority and it's "excuse me, can I get through here on my bike?"

I am putting my stuff on craigslist and moving to Barcelona next week.

I was about to mention Barcelona.  Absolutely feasible without a car and it does not feel overwhelmingly car-centric. 

A few Asian cities have lots of cars but also excellent public transportation, though immigration can be tricky at this time.

I lived in London for 18 months and did not miss having a car at all.  In some neighborhoods, traffic is fairly minimal on the side streets.

In the US, Chicago is not too bad if you are close to the lakefront and want to bike North or South.  The L is decent, buses are adequate.  You do get more wide avenues than what I think you might like.

[PDXTabs]

I saw this today: Chamois, Italy.

But also I remembered Óbidos, Portugal which I originally found on this list.

[shelivesthedream]

But ditch the car entirely?  Nope. When evacuation is necessary, having your own transportation is far superior to having to wait for someone else.  And now that our mothers are 80 and 92 with all the expected declines in mobility, the minivan comes in handy.

Interesting thought about wanting a car "for emergencies". I would posit that your choice of location will also determine your choice of emergencies, and that you can make a strategic choice in this regard to make car ownership properly obsolete. I have never lived anywhere where evacuation was something anyone thought about. Some areas of the UK are prone to flooding, but not anywhere I've ever lived. If by some chance we did have flooding which required evacuation, I would rely on hitching a lift with a neighbour or being rescued by emergency services, as again we have always lived in densely populated areas. We don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.

For those car-free enthusiasts, here is something we have and love: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sekey-Folding-Handcart-Outdoor-Suitable/dp/B07G75R3F1/?th=1

It can carry two toddlers and a week's worth of shopping to and from a supermarket 30-40 minutes walk away. (Just! Toddlers be growing, so they will soon have to take turns going on the weekly shopping trip.) Much more long term utility than a double buggy, and allows a wider radius of outings than always putting the 18mo a single buggy and making the 3yo walk. I just sewed it a rain cover from clear PVC I bought online. It took five months to pay for itself when compared to having shopping delivered (factoring in only delivery charge, and not that Tesco who deliver sell more expensive groceries than Aldi we can walk to) - and obviously it's a bargain compared to a car!

I wonder at what point our commitment to car-free living will crumble in the face of convenience, but right now the wagon gives us much better QOL than a car.

[GuitarStv]

But ditch the car entirely?  Nope. When evacuation is necessary, having your own transportation is far superior to having to wait for someone else.  And now that our mothers are 80 and 92 with all the expected declines in mobility, the minivan comes in handy.

Interesting thought about wanting a car "for emergencies". I would posit that your choice of location will also determine your choice of emergencies, and that you can make a strategic choice in this regard to make car ownership properly obsolete. I have never lived anywhere where evacuation was something anyone thought about. Some areas of the UK are prone to flooding, but not anywhere I've ever lived. If by some chance we did have flooding which required evacuation, I would rely on hitching a lift with a neighbour or being rescued by emergency services, as again we have always lived in densely populated areas. We don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.

I'm 40 years old now, and have never in my life needed a car for emergencies.  Zero times.  Have I just led a very charmed life?  Here in Ontario we don't have earthquakes, or hurricanes . . . but I've been through several tornadoes and a couple floods.

[dougules]

The thing about using a car for emergencies is that:

a) The roads have to be passable.  Floods, downed trees, etc. make that non-trivial.
b) If you're in a big city, you'll be contending with extreme traffic if everybody else is trying to get out.  This is rough enough in a hurricane evacuation when there isn't any damage yet.  If people were trying to get out after a disaster had already caused damage to infrastructure, the traffic might be completely unmanageable. 
c) You have to have gas.  In an emergency there's a decent chance you won't be able to fill up.  If there's no electricity, gas stations may even have gas but not be able to pump it. 

[Metalcat]

But ditch the car entirely?  Nope. When evacuation is necessary, having your own transportation is far superior to having to wait for someone else.  And now that our mothers are 80 and 92 with all the expected declines in mobility, the minivan comes in handy.

Interesting thought about wanting a car "for emergencies". I would posit that your choice of location will also determine your choice of emergencies, and that you can make a strategic choice in this regard to make car ownership properly obsolete. I have never lived anywhere where evacuation was something anyone thought about. Some areas of the UK are prone to flooding, but not anywhere I've ever lived. If by some chance we did have flooding which required evacuation, I would rely on hitching a lift with a neighbour or being rescued by emergency services, as again we have always lived in densely populated areas. We don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.

I'm 40 years old now, and have never in my life needed a car for emergencies.  Zero times.  Have I just led a very charmed life?  Here in Ontario we don't have earthquakes, or hurricanes . . . but I've been through several tornadoes and a couple floods.

You most certainly have lived a charmed life.

Emergencies don't just constitute states of emergency, there are plenty of individual emergencies that require access to a vehicle, and in many areas there is no public transportation or taxi service.

I just recently had to rush someone by car to the ER because the one ambulance in the region was busy an hour away.

I mostly maintain a car to have easy access to my rural living parents in the event of emergencies because most taxis/car shares won't reliably go that far.

[dougules]

You most certainly have lived a charmed life.

Emergencies don't just constitute states of emergency, there are plenty of individual emergencies that require access to a vehicle, and in many areas there is no public transportation or taxi service.

I just recently had to rush someone by car to the ER because the one ambulance in the region was busy an hour away.

I mostly maintain a car to have easy access to my rural living parents in the event of emergencies because most taxis/car shares won't reliably go that far.

It's a different circumstance if you live in a small town or rural area, or if you need to go to a small town or rural area much. 

[Fishindude]

You can be car free anywhere you want.
Amish have been doing it forever.

[Metalcat]

You most certainly have lived a charmed life.

Emergencies don't just constitute states of emergency, there are plenty of individual emergencies that require access to a vehicle, and in many areas there is no public transportation or taxi service.

I just recently had to rush someone by car to the ER because the one ambulance in the region was busy an hour away.

I mostly maintain a car to have easy access to my rural living parents in the event of emergencies because most taxis/car shares won't reliably go that far.

It's a different circumstance if you live in a small town or rural area, or if you need to go to a small town or rural area much.

Yeah, of course, but Steve said he couldn't even imagine a scenario, and those were the most obvious scenarios that popped into my head, scenarios where a vehicle is needed, but where a public one isn't readily or at all available.

[Metalcat]

You can be car free anywhere you want.
Amish have been doing it forever.

Sure...but then you have to live like the Amish.

It *can* be done, but like everything, there are trade offs.

[jac941]

I started compiling a list from the above thread & have pasted it below -- roughly organized by continent. Maybe I should edit the original post & add it to the bottom?

I think we're going to start narrowing down some options and visiting places in North America - US, Canada, Mexico. Most of the areas that came up are pretty large cities, but I think that some smaller towns might exist too. I'll add to this if we find something interesting.

United States
Seattle
Portland
San Francisco
Boulder
Lone Tree
Minneapolis
Madison
New York City
Buffalo
Washington DC & Suburbs
Chicago
Philadelphia
Baltimore (promenade area)
Peachtree City (golf cart city)

Canada
Ontario - Ottawa, Toronto
Quebec - Montreal
Nova Scotia - Halifax, Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Mexico
Guanajuato

Islands
Fire Island
Isla Holbox
Savary Island
Mackinac
Catalina Island

UK
London
Sark
Cambridge
Edinburgh

Denmark
Copenhagen

Netherlands
Amsterdam
Utrecht

Finland
Oulu

Sweden
Stockholm
Malmo

Norway
Oslo

Portugal
Obidos

Spain
Barcelona (Poblenou)

France
Paris

Italy
Lucca
Chamois
Venice

Germany
Berlin
Freiberg
Luxembourg

Austria
Vienna

Czech Republic
Prague

Croatia (has digital nomad visa - https://www.expatincroatia.com/digital-nomad-visa-croatia/)
Zagreb
Pula

Singapore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_car-free_places

[Cranky]

You can be car free anywhere you want.
Amish have been doing it forever.

The Amish actually pay people to drive them to work and to the grocery store.

[Britan]

If you do visit Baltimore, check out some of the promenade adjacent neighborhoods too, where housing is a bit more affordable. The houses right on the water can be absurdly expensive.  Highland town, Patterson park, Canton, Fells point, little Italy, and Federal hill for example. I don’t know that I’d call it a bike friendly city, but it’s certainly bikeable, and some big changes are afoot to make it better for bikes and pedestrians, assuming the city government can stay functional enough to follow through on it.

[yachi]

I'm surprised Baltimore makes the list, as I imagine the San Francisco Bay Area to be much easier to live in without a car.  I've visited and lived in Baltimore for a year.  They have a good light rail system, and walkable areas all over the inner harbor, Patterson park, and the University areas.  I've never used their bus system though.  Where I see it lacking is in employment areas reasonably accessible by public transport.  This is where I see it taking second place to larger cities.  A lot of companies have chosen to base themselves in communities outside of Baltimore.  Either North & East to make use of the commuting highways of Route 83 and 95, or south-west of Baltimore to situate themselves between Baltimore and DC. 

I think you can do everything else - groceries, eating, cafes, recreation by walking from your home (especially if you like urban environments), but you might be limited to working for the largest employer in your field if you need to get there by public transportation.

[shelivesthedream]

@Malcat I think my original point still stands though that when you choose your location you choose your potential emergencies. Living in outer London, there is no emergency I can think of where I would not be able to call out an emergency vehicle, get a lift, or get a taxi - except ones where a private car would be useless also.

If you are fundamentally choosing your location,  rather than having to live near family or a job, you are choosing your emergency scenarios. Zero of ours require a private car.