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The 10 Best Cities For People Who Hate Traffic

Author:

Emma Loewe

November 05, 2015

By Emma Loewe

mbg Contributor

Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.

November 05, 2015

Earlier this month, the government of Oslo, Norway, announced that it will completely ban automobiles from the city's center by 2019 — citing environmental and traffic concerns as motivation for the decision.

Though a car-less cityscape might sound like a bizarre concept, other urban centers around the world are also taking major strides to ditch cars. In the process, they're cutting down on smog and creating pedestrian-friendly areas accessible to biking enthusiasts and avid walkers alike.

Probably unsurprisingly, most of these progressive areas are in Europe, though the Americas house a few. Until the day that all cars are made more efficient (or Tesla totally takes over), we'll look over these idyllic streets in envy.

La Cumbrecita, Argentina

Visitors need to say goodbye to their cars at the entrance to this tiny pedestrian town in the Argentinian mountains.

Brussels, Belgium

Last year, the mayor of Brussels — a busy urban hub that's been referred to as a "sewer for cars" — announced a plan to completely ban driving in the city center.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is home to more than 200 miles of bike lanes, and its scenic Strøget strip is Europe's longest pedestrian-only street.

Dublin, Ireland

This summer, Dublin announced a plan to divert cars from parts of the city's center. They're aiming for 55 percent of pedestrians to use public transport, 15 percent to cycle, 10 percent to walk, and 20 percent to use private cars by 2017.

Madrid, Spain

Visitors who don't live in Madrid are slapped with $115 fines if they're caught driving through certain central streets. The city has also implemented a bike share program for electric bicycles.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Cars have been banned from this 3-mile island in Michigan's upper peninsula since 1898, and all locals and visitors travel by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage.

Milan, Italy

Though no timeline has been set for the project, Milan plans to revamp its streets to be completely pedestrian-friendly. The city currently bans cars whenever smog exceeds the city's pollution limits for longer than 12 days.

Oslo, Norway

In a plan to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent over the next 15 years, Oslo will ban cars from its city center by 2019. The city is investing in improvements to the existing public transportation system and miles of new bike lanes.

Paris, France

On September 27 of this year, Paris held its first carless day, and the event cut down on smog-producing chemicals by 40 percent. The city's mayor now wants to turn car-free Sundays into monthly affairs.