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Old 01-22-2011, 07:04 PM
 
Location: Irving, Texas
25 posts, read 120,137 times
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World wide, no matter how small, what are cities where you don't need a car, where you can use public transit or walking to get to everything you need or want?
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Old 01-22-2011, 07:11 PM
 
Location: Macao
16,265 posts, read 43,006,857 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by star314 View Post
World wide, no matter how small, what are cities where you don't need a car, where you can use public transit or walking to get to everything you need or want?
Almost every city in the world. Honestly!

The United States is the ODD one out where cars are often the only way to get places. Mostly because of the auto industry starting there, and the money they used to make sure they'd make sure our U.S. cities were car dependent.

The only other countries kind of like it might be Canada and Australia...although their main cities have good mass transit - just like our largest US cities do as well.

But generally speaking you NEVER need a car to go ANYWHERE in the world...ONLY when in North America or Australia do you need a car.
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Old 01-22-2011, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
7,641 posts, read 18,060,146 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer View Post
Almost every city in the world. Honestly!

The United States is the ODD one out where cars are often the only way to get places. Mostly because of the auto industry starting there, and the money they used to make sure they'd make sure our U.S. cities were car dependent.

The only other countries kind of like it might be Canada and Australia...although their main cities have good mass transit - just like our largest US cities do as well.

But generally speaking you NEVER need a car to go ANYWHERE in the world...ONLY when in North America or Australia do you need a car.
I agree. Most families in the world do not even own a car.
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Old 01-22-2011, 10:50 PM
 
Location: Small town in BC
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NYC is the only one that comes to mind since at least half the locals don't have a vehicle. I agree we North Americans are car dependant.
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Old 01-22-2011, 11:00 PM
 
Location: Tricity, PL
61,243 posts, read 86,123,788 times
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From my experience - most if not all European cities.
I don't know that much about other parts of world ( except of US - probably very small cities are ok to walk, most bigger are not. US is car dependent).
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Old 01-23-2011, 12:26 AM
 
Location: Macao
16,265 posts, read 43,006,857 times
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ALL of Europe, ALL of Africa, ALL of Asia, ALL of South America. Thost 5 continents, EVERY CITY in all of those continents you don't need a car. (Except Brasilia, Brazil - which is car-oriented - designed for that in mind).

Australia and North America...are the two continents where most cities you need a car, except their largest cities which have public transit options.
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Old 01-23-2011, 12:41 AM
 
Location: War World!
3,226 posts, read 6,618,986 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tvdxer View Post
I agree. Most families in the world do not even own a car.

I don't believe that.

I would say Tokyo, NYC, Mumbai, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, London, Paris, all the major and big cities in the world. Some are different though. You can walk in cities like LA, Vegas and Miami but they are also very car dependent and don't have a sufficient or reliable metro.
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Old 01-23-2011, 02:02 AM
 
170 posts, read 766,943 times
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nearly all European cities (even Middle-sized cities) and some American major cities (NYC, Toronto, Vancouver). For Asian megalopolises, it would be horrible to use a car, due to the high incidence of traffic jams.
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Old 01-23-2011, 03:38 AM
 
Location: Beautiful Pennsylvania / Dull Germany
2,205 posts, read 3,315,792 times
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"Need" a car is a kind of definition. You can survive without a car all over the world (even though I have little doubts regarding the US )

In all larger former soviet cities, you don't need a car, because they have very efficient underground systems and a very dense trolleybus system. In all European cities, you CAN live without a car, as countries like Germany have rail- and busconnections all over the place. The only thing is you might have to change the train/bus one or two times for getting from A to B.

In the time I studied and worked in Germany I had to change 2 times for university or office, because I lived in a rural suburb with only 1 train every 30 minutes and few bus connections. The total traveltime was about 1h15 to university, whereas with car it took only 35 minutes, but was 4 times that expensive. But we had local supermarkets within walking distance or bus connections to the next larger city every 20 minutes.

Here in my town in Pennsylvania (which is 3 times that large, in terms of citizens) we have 2 busses a day and no train. Even the walmart is 4 miles away form our university or houses, with no pedestrian walkway.
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Old 01-23-2011, 05:06 AM
 
Location: Yorkshire, England
5,586 posts, read 10,600,684 times
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For somebody with no children living in London who doesn't need to travel outside the city much it would be crazy for me to own a car. Not only would it be more expensive and more hassle than public transport, it would often be slower as well and parking would be a nightmare, plus there's a $16 charge on driving into the centre. The only time I'd have found a car useful was buying big stuff like a TV which wasn't that convenient carrying back on the train. Where I am I can walk 6 minutes to the supermarket and 15 minutes to work/5 minutes on the bus. When spring comes I'll probably get a bike or motorbike, but for pleasure more than necessity.
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