Recommended Reading: We Need to Make Cities Less Car-Dependent
Explore how U.S. cities can learn from the Netherlands to reduce car dependence, enhance public transit, and make urban areas safer and more sustainable.
Making these changes curbs air pollution, which causes millions of excess deaths worldwide every year, and reduces the amount of greenhouse gas we pump into the atmosphere with every drive to the grocery store.
The call for cities to reduce car dependency is not new, but it has gained fresh urgency in light of mounting environmental concerns, public health issues, and safety problems. Drawing inspiration from the Netherlands' successful reduction of traffic fatalities and enhancement of cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure, the article argues for a comprehensive shift in urban planning and transportation policies in the U.S. It advocates for the redesign of streets to slow down traffic and discourage driving, the expansion of public transit systems, and changes in zoning laws to support denser, mixed-use developments. Such changes aim to reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve public safety and accessibility, particularly for non-drivers like children, people with disabilities, and the economically disadvantaged.
