New German community models car-free living

FREIBURG, GERMANY

With gas prices well above $6 per gallon across much of the continent, Vauban is striking a chord in Western Europe as communities encourage people to be less car-dependent. Just this week, Paris unveiled a new electric tram in a bid to reduce urban pollution and traffic congestion.

“Vauban is clearly an offer for families with kids to live without cars,” says Jan Scheurer, an Australian researcher who has studied the Vauban model extensively. “It was meant to counter urban sprawl – an offer for families not to move out to the suburbs and give them the same, if better quality of life. And it is very successful.”

Christian Science Monitor