Freiburg, Germany-You won’t find huge parking lots or drive thru windows in one German community on the outskirts of Freiburg, a city of 200,000. Leaving your car in front of your apartment here is mostly illegal. There is even an association committed to making the place as “car-free” as possible.
Vauban is able to pull off this urban design for a multitude of reasons. Its history as a former military barracks mean its grid was never intended to be clogged by cars at rush hour.
An association called Forum Vauban was formed shortly after the first barracks was converted to student housing. It went on to play a crucial role in advocating for human based design.
What results from this and many other factors is a community with a car ownership rate of only about 60%, according to Stadt Freiburg. One study estimates that a small fraction of trips made by Vaubaners are by car, as shown in the graphic below.
This gallery below helps you visualize how Vauban is able to facilitate a lifestyle largely without reliance on the car.
