The small community of Vauban, on the outskirts of the South-Eastern German town Freiburg is a good example of how citizen participation can play a vital part in a city’s effort to reduce its ecological footprint. With the aid of car-sharing programmes, parking policies and good bike and public transport infrastructure the city of Freiburg has, together with the citizens organisation Forum Vauban, managed to create a livable and car-lite community.

Vauban was, up until the reunification of Germany, the site of a French army base. Since it was conceived and planned as a military base, the street grid was never meant to accommodate private car use; rather the streets were small passageways between barracks.

When the French army left the area in 1992, the people of Freiburg found themselves with an unused, somewhat built-up area of 41 hectares which the city was planning to demolish for new housing. A group of students, single parents and unemployed citizens joined forces and squatted parts of Vauban, protesting against the proposed development, and began establishing an affordable and self-organised community. They called themselves SUSI: the self-organised, independent settlement initiative. After long negotiations with the federal government, the squatters were able to buy the four buildings that SUSI consisted of, and have since converted these military barracks into housing for over 260 people, complete with playgrounds, workshops, circus wagons – and all of it carfree.

The SUSI project was an experiment in alternative methods of planning and living suburban life; the aim was to be able to live and work more sustainably. Building ecological, carfree and inexpensive was a way to reach the goals of constructing a sustainable and socially integrating community.

The housing set aside for the SUSI project was only a small part of the whole Vauban, and on the remaining 38 hectares the council delegated the mandatory community consultation to Forum Vauban, who had convinced an initially sceptical council to try the carfree concept. Forum Vauban was the NGO functioning as the legal body of the extended citizen participation and was thus co-responsible for the district design by representing wishes and needs of the future inhabitants.

The real building project started in 1998, consistent with ecological solutions for electricity supply and sewerage. A combined heat and power plant burning wood chips and gas provides electricity for around two thirds of Vauban; solar and PV panels cover the rest of the demand, while a sustainable urban drainage system was built for the whole district. In order not to scare people away, their framework for transport behaviour and car use is very loose: instead of controls and penalties, they have chosen to use guidelines and hints. The sustainable alternatives had to be very attractive – low fares on public transport and higher charges for car parking, nice bike routes everywhere and parking spaces only in garages on the periphery. The idea of a carfree society has been a central part of the visions for Vauban, but the term “carfree” is seldom used. It is the individual driving behaviour that is considered to be the problem and car-sharing programmes are encouraged.

Residents of the carfree parts of Vauban must sign an annual declaration stating whether they own a car or not, and if they do own one they have to purchase a parking space in the car parks on the periphery of the neighbourhood. The parking spaces are priced so that the car owners pay the real cost of the infrastructure required: the price for one parking lot exceeds €17,000 plus a monthly fee.

Vauban is not actually considered carfree, but rather a car-lite place. A survey in 2000 found car ownership at 54%, but car use at only 16% of the trips made.

Even though Vauban may not be entirely carfree, there is actually another part of the Freiburg area which is: since 1971 the city has made major investments in pedestrian, cycle and public transport sectors, and since 1984, the historic centre, Altstadt, of Freiburg has been completely carfree.

Today the population of Vauban exceeds 5,000 persons. Families with children live close to each other in 4-5 storey apartment buildings, riding the bus to work and school together and sometimes sharing a car for a trip to the department store. Since 2006 there is a tram line extended to Vauban and new infrastructure developments are constantly in progress.

Read more:

forum-vauban.de, susi-projekt.de, vauban.de

On November 21, 2008, the city made history, when it became the first in the region to implement the “Carfree City” concept. The main market area around the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) was declared a “Car Free Zone” – the entry of cars was banned between 10am, when most shops open, and 7pm, when the shopkeepers head home – despite initial opposition, especially from shopkeepers who feared losing clientele. Only two wheelers (bikes and motorbikes) are allowed, but the town plans to remove them gradually.

Fazilka continues to build on its carfree success, by placing special emphasis on traffic calming devices and installing permanent barriers in a few locations, in addition to the introduction of other alternative ways of getting from A to B (such as “Ecocabs” or dial-a-rickshaw service), all helping to make the city centre more sustainable, pedestrian and cycle friendly.

Fazilka Finding its Feet

Fazilka’s unusual story began with a festival in 2006. In the last week of March that year, a citizens’ group of about 250 people, called the Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) organised the Fazilka Heritage Festival. A stretch of 300 metres on the Sadhu Ashram Road, not far from the current carfree zone, was converted into a pedestrian street. GWAF used this event as a case study to conduct an experiment to keep the same city central zone as a carfree zone. By remaining free of cars, the study revealed not just an improvement in the quality of social life, but also in the law and order, environment through less air pollution from car emissions, economy and road safety of the residents.

“The festival was a success,” said Bhupender Singh, a retired professor of mechanical engineering and an architect of this project. “Without cars, there was a lot of road space for everybody. There were stalls selling everything from food to handicrafts and people danced on the streets without the fear of being run over,” he added.

The festival was held again next year, though at a different location: the Salem Shah East West Corridor, which crosses the Ghanta Ghar. This time, the carfree zone extended about a kilometre. Again, the festival was well received by residents and set the tone for a dedicated carfree zone.

“It is only logical that first the most congested area of the town should be freed from traffic,” said Navdeep Asija, project manager of the Punjab Roads and Bridges Development Board. Asija had been studying the town’s traffic problems since 2006. “Fazilka is approximately 10.29 sq km big with each side spanning just a little over three kilometres. It can easily become a pedestrian city, with motorised vehicles used primarily for transportation of goods.”

Market Matters

Festivals can change cities. However, these festivals alone did not ensure a permanent carfree zone. GWAF was trying to convince the municipality to designate a carfree zone. This did not come up without initial resistance. Initially, shopkeepers were not too keen on the idea as they thought it would drive away customers, said Asija, adding that the municipality feared protests.

The stalemate continued until September 2008, when Anil Sethi took over as the president of the municipal committee. A trader himself, Sethi heard GWAF’s idea of a carfree zone, became interested, and set about implementing it. He considered such a scheme beneficial to Ghanta Ghar shopkeepers because it would decongest the area. Sethi’s influence among the traders helped him convince them, through several meetings with traders and their associations in order to create consensus.

The Ghanta Ghar market has three roads jutting out of it in three different directions. The lane encircling the Ghanta Ghar is about 200 metres long and is now free of traffic, as the three roads were barricaded. A further 800 metres of the road connecting the Hotel Bazar in the north to Wool Bazar in the south has been blocked. Another 400 metres of road in the east has been barricaded, and a stretch of road in the west has been blocked by a temple.

Once apprehensive, the shopkeepers in the Ghanta Ghar market are now happy with the ban. There is no official monitoring of pollution in Fazilka, but shopkeepers claim the air is cleaner. “I used to keep a jug of water for my staff and customers. Before the car ban, I had to change the water every hour as it would turn dirty,” said Vicky Chabbra, owner of a local utensils shop. “Now, it remains in the jug for an entire day and still looks clear.” Chabbra said sales in his shop have increased 25 per cent since the ban.

Roshan Lal, who sells chaat (North Indian street food) a few metres away from the utensils shop. “People have more time now. They come and enjoy their food without being hassled about whether their cars are blocking the road,” Lal said. Vikram Ahuja, another local shopkeeper, wants the concept replicated in other parts of the town. “Fazilka is small; one can easily walk from one corner to the other,” he said.

The carfree zone has spurred many an ambitious dream. There are talks of converting the Ghanta Ghar market into a pedestrian mall, with brightly coloured shops selling everything from cotton handkerchiefs to LCD televisions.

Rickshaw Resurgence

GWAF went further than simply introducing a cafree zone. Recognising peoples need to be on the move and get somewhere fast, a popular dial-a-rickshaw service was initiated. The rickshaws, called “Ecocabs”, were introduced as a new form of public transportation using intelligent transport tools, arriving at residents doorsteps following a phone call. The city has been divided into five zones and each has a different phone number.

“We didn’t want the rickshaws to be considered a poor man’s transport, therefore the name Ecocabs,” explains Navneet Asija, a Delhi graduate. Initially, the scheme got a lukewarm response, but picked up when residents understood the utility. It’s not just residents, even the rickshaw-pullers have benefited from fixed rates, which means their earnings have gone up.

Profits Following a Car Ban

Mayor Sethi plans to free most of the city of cars eventually. Sethi sees the carfree zone as a way to promote non-motorised transport and to build connections between the wealthy parts of town and the poorer parts. “The aim to create a car free zone and also to promote non-motorised modes of transport within the city is to build bridges between the prosperous sections of society in the city and the less well-off,” said Sethi. He opposes the construction of new overpasses within the city, which is a courageous position in Indian politics today.

Fazilka has seen a change not just in the improved quality of social life and road safety for its people, but also in improved law and order, local economy and environment from reduced air pollution.

The successful projects making the city centre carfree have been beneficial in many ways, not simply by decongesting the market. With the carfree zone and the Ecocab initiative, Fazilka is perhaps the only Indian town with such simple yet effective schemes. And it is clear that with public transportation alternatives such as these, along with the introduction of carfree spaces, communities benefit from feeling safer and healthier, when free from cars. Fazilka can proudly show a new way to the rest of the country.

This is an updated and edited version of Fazilka: Come without your Car by Arnab Pratim Dutta available at www.downtoearth.org

San Luis Potosi (SLP)

Nowadays, SLP is an industrial and commercial city. Since 1994 the city and state administration have focused on supporting the car industry, and perceiving the car as the primary means of transportation. There is an industrial zone with a large car-manufacturing cluster, which includes a General Motors factory. The downtown area is mainly comprised of modern, sprawling residential and industrial developments, all encircled with very large and wide highways, which are generally congested with cars. However, among the sprawl of modern development, there are two bicycle factories that produce more than 50% of bicycles in Mexico.

Carfree Core

Despite a strong industrial and commercial presence, especially of the car industry, the city is not as car-infested as appears at first glance. Walking is the main way to get around in the historical centre of the city. The well-preserved historic downtown of the city is characterised by a maze of narrow cobblestone streets connecting large plazas, bordered by large churches, trees and fountains.

There have been a number of recent carfree conversions in the city, most of which were done in the historic centre in order to help it gain the UNESCO World Heritage status. Many areas in the city centre have been designed for people and social interaction – offering an exceptionally friendly place where teenagers congregate, couples stroll and street performers attract large crowds.

Today the Pedestrian Mall, located in the heart of the historic centre, is regarded as one of the most important carfree developments in the city and indeed the country. The Pedestrian Mall is a walk-only zone and popular social and shopping area – a place where you can see, smell and buy food, and enjoy the colourful array of clothes – that is both desirable and important for people, the environment, as well as the economy. The Mall has gained a reputation as an enjoyable area to meet people, as well as to discover religious buildings and admired architecture such as the del porfiriato houses built just before the Mexican revolution in the 20th century.

It is approximately 4.7 km in length: 1.7km of which was originally carfree, and 3.0 km of streets were made carfree after 1973. The basic design of the Pedestrian Mall is a north-south axis, which joins two previously existing pedestrian areas: the Avenue Juarez and the Garden Hidalgo. The Garden Hidalgo is in the heart of the city and was redesigned to be carfree in 1990. This conversion was achieved after the mayor and engineer Guillermo Pizzuto Zamanillo fought against the huge amount of pollution generated by cars every day.

Setting the Standard

SLP has undergone a rapid pedestrianisation, especially in the downtown area; achieved by successful developments including the Pedestrian Mall, which have re-energised the city and also helped to reactivate the local economy. Many new shops, cafés, restaurants and hotels opened, profiting from these carfree surroundings.

SLP is now considered as a pioneer city for carfree conversions in Mexico. Now there are hopes that other cities will follow SLP’s example and continue to develop carfree areas, infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, and to improve public transportation in order to keep building a better life for their citizens.

World Carfree Days in SLP

State Congressman Javier Algara Cossio organised the first World Car Free Day in 2001. Year after year the carfree celebrations have grown and new organisations join in. Bicycle advocacy groups, schools and local authorities join forces to organise successful events every September 22nd.

There are now several carfree days, demonstrations, Ciclovias, as well as other carfree events happening throughout the year and organised by different groups: from youth organisations to anarchists. All follow the same aim: to promote alternatives such as walking, biking, and public transport – and all promote an end to car dependency.

San Luis Potosi in Numbers

Population: 670,532 inhabitants

Size of SLP: 385 square km

Total km of pedestrian streets in the centre of SLP: 4.7km

For more information, please visit: www.bicicleteros.wordpress.com

Photo by Agustin G. Villegas Villarreal