
Paris’ Day Sans Cars - b_emery
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/paris-day-sans-cars-shows-us-cities-can/
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russnewcomer
Maybe it's because I grew up in farm country and then lived in a war-torn
'developing' national capital, but whenever I read these kinds of stories, I
think, 'Yes, but do you actually want to live in a city without cars? How will
your grocery stores get their shipments? Do you really want the necessary
human or animal-powered commercial traffic such a city would require? And if
there are ideas for alternatives, how do you get that working in existing
cities? Almost every idea I've heard basically boils down turning the roadways
into something more like the railways, and that just is silly.

Americans wanting cities without cars have a oddly pastoral, almost bucolic
vision of their cities when the cars are removed, when the reality is
something ( not entirely, but moreso ) like this :
[http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-
get/I0000XCAUBam7ZnI/s/850...](http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-
get/I0000XCAUBam7ZnI/s/850/850/Afghan-Corruption-02.jpg)

~~~
dalke
"How will your grocery stores get their shipments?"

The plans don't prohibit vehicles entirely. For example,
[http://circulatieplan.be/en/content/faq](http://circulatieplan.be/en/content/faq)
describes the plan for Brussels:

> How are deliveries to be made in the pedestrian zone?

> Deliveries can be made in the pedestrian zone between 4 am and 11 am. At
> other times. Deliveries are only permitted in exceptional circumstances. The
> regulations for the pedestrian zone can be found here.

The "found here" document is in French, which I cannot read.

> Do you really want the necessary human or animal-powered commercial traffic
> such a city would require?

??? Who says that mass transit, taxis, etc. will all be removed?

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_car-
free_places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_car-free_places) lists many
places which are car free. The more general term is "pedestrian zone"; see
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_zone)
for a description of the variety of possible meanings. Few if any turn
'roadways into something more like the railways'.

