For a University course I have read a article from BBC about a idée of the city of Hamburg, Germany to close down parts of the city for car traffic. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140204-can-a-city-really-go-car-free .
The article was about the idée of close down 40% of Hamburg city from cars in a zoon called "green network" which should cover areas around parks, playgrounds, sport areas etc. However a big question is 'can the city of Hamburg still function'? in this idée to these areas you have to take a walk, your bike cycle or the bus.
Hamburg is not the only one that make more for the environment by allow cars on less space within the city. London tries to do it and Copenhagen creates more bike cycles roads. With this kind of idée it makes you wonder if the age of cars near its end. If there is less areas there your drive car then you may not need a car, which make the environment a little bit better.
The article have also research report in it. Since the T-model of Ford in 1908, the number of cars has grown but it may have reached its peak. A professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute have published reports of car use and the impact on the environment. In one report showed by his calculation of motor vehicle might peaked in 2008 to now decline. To make a report fair between history and present, economy for the time and the car sales in the same time has taken into the account of the report. There was also the new kind of work mention in it (work from home) and the movement of population in cities center. In Chinas big cities their looking to make a limit of motorized vehicles. The Asian countries, according to another report, will not make it to the level of cars as the west have enjoyed.
In Sweden have the agency of public roads for 20 years tried to make it so safe that no one can get serious injured or die in a traffic accident. Sweden are not there now but in the right direction towards theirs goal, so please (if you drive a car) DRIVE THE SPEEDLIMIT AT HIGHEST or drive 5 km/h below the speed limit and look where you want to go, have your mirrors set, be rest up before the drive, no smoking in the car, no alcohol in your body when you drive, seat belt always on for all in the car during a drive as well as no cellphone for the driver when the car is in drive and drive so you can be in control of the car anytime and driving condition of the road!!! Drive distracted, speeding, drive drunk and no seat belt may cost lives that shouldn't happen. If you don't believe me than have look on Canada's worst driver because same seasons they tell stories that make you realize that bad driving is not a excuse for your mistakes in traffic.
Hello!
SvaraRaderaI will give you some feedback on your reflections.
It was very interesting to read what you have written about this subject. I feel that you have tried to answer the question about car free cities objectively by the information in the article itself. Your conclusions points in the direction that we actually will decrease the use of cars which is the answer I am hoping for. However, I am still curious how you think about the future and the possibility to have car free cities? Do you think it will become reality or will Hamburg soon realise that it won't be possible to reach their goals?
Well done!
/Sofie
To be honest, I want to think that it becomes a reality but something tells me it won't. In an unknown numbers of years to come and they have decreased the number of cars, they might think it was better with many cars and the car era will restart as a pedal effect.
RaderaMy first thought about what you have written is the same as the earlier comment. I don't feel like you are telling my your opinions regarding this subject as much as you are re-telling us parts of the article.
SvaraRaderaI highly agree with your points on safety, but I also feel that it is a bit off topic.
And, with all due respect, there is some mistakes in your blog entry that makes it very difficult for me to focus on the actual contents. I am not a teacher, nor is my English perfect, but if you would like me to specifically point out what I consider to be wrong I will gladly help.