‘People are happier in a walkable neighborhood’: the US community that banned cars
‘People are happier in a walkable neighborhood’: the US community that banned cars
www.theguardian.com
‘People are happier in a walkable neighborhood’: the US community that banned cars
In the environs of Phoenix, Arizona, on a 17-acre site that once contained a car body shop and some largely derelict buildings, an unusual experiment has emerged that invites Americans to live in a way that is rare outside of fleeting experiences of college, Disneyland or trips to Europe: a walkable, human-scale community devoid of cars.
That's not a neighborhood that banned cars. That's a neighborhood that was literally constructed to not accept cars inside it, which is a much bigger victory IMO. If the red tape the US has can be cut through like this more often in more places, we could reverse car-centrism in very big ways.
Somehow I expected this to be outside of the Phoenix area; like, on its own. It looks more like an excuse for a high-density living concept, and going "no cars" means not having to set aside any space for parking; you just pack more people into the same area to make more money (~$27,000/yr for a 950SF, 2 BR apartment, if you're curious; you can't buy here). It's literally an apartment complex that takes up a single "block" in Tempe. I guess it will depend on how happy you are with the shops they can attract to a community with only 1500-2000 people and no parking for outside customers.
That's a very good observation I overlooked: if no useful business opens up nearby then it's gonna potentially suck living there. From what I've heard, though. There is public transit located nearby, which hopefully widens that area of utility more for those trying out the space.