CAR-FREE CITIES – A MESSAGE FROM SOUTHWEST EUROPE TO SOUTHEAST PROF. ENG. MANUEL DA COSTA LOBO ISTANBUL, AUGUST 2007

INITIAL THOUGHTS: 1ST CARS CAN KILL PEOPLE 2ND CARS CAN DISTURB PEOPLE 3RD CARS ARE ENERGY CONSUMERS 4TH CARS ARE MACHINES 5TH CARS COST A LOT OF MONEY 6TH CARS MUST BE TOOLS TO SERVE PEOPLE, TO SAVE CITIZENS, TO USE WISELY, TO PARK AND TO CIRCULATE ON THE PLACES MADE FOR CARS, BUT NOT INVADING CITIZENS SPACE:

7TH CITY SPACE IS FOR CITIZENS TO WALK, TO STAY, TO MEET, TO WORK 8TH PEOPLE LIKE FREEDOM! AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE 9TH DONT PUT GATES ON OUR CITIES, DONT PUT DIFICULT STEPS ON THE STREETS (CREATE ALTERNATIVES FOR STAIRCASES), DONT POLUTE OUR SPACE (CHICKENS MUST GO TO CAGES, ELEPHANTS MUST GO TO THE JUNGLE, BIRDS MUST GO TO THE TREES, CARS MUST GO TO PARKING PLACES OR TO SPECIAL STREETS FOR CARS…) 10TH TWENTY CENTURY CITIZENS ACCEPTED CARS ON THEIR HUMAN SPACES… BUT NOW THEY ARE UPSET! NOT ANYMORE CARS… OUT!

Let us try a theoretical model for a region, having in mind car-traffic reducing, assuming cities of inhab – car- free, inhab – mostly car-free, – balanced and inhab – multi-pole.

POLLUTION-FREE CITIES! 1ST HEALTHY AIR COMPOSITION 2ND MORBID RADIATIONS OUT 3RD GOOD QUALITY WATER 4TH HEALTHY SOIL 5TH CRIME-FREE CITIES/CIVIC EDUCATION 6TH CAR-FREE CITIES

POLLUTION IS ANY QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND SUBSTANCES PLACED WHERE IT IS NOT THEIR PLACE. THEN: A CRIMINAL IN THE CITY IS POLUTION, IN PRISON IS A CITIZEN BEING PUNISHED AND EDUCATED. A CAR IN THE CAR-PARKING IS A STANDING-BY CAR, A CAR ON THE PAVEMENT IS LITTER, IT IS POLLUTION, MUST BE CLEANED OUT. ORGANIC REMAINS OF COOKING ON THE FLOOR IS POLLUTION, IN THE LAND IS FOOD FOR THE AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION. SEWAGE IN THE TREATMENT PLANT IS AN EFFLUENT BEING PROCESSED, SEWAGE ON THE STREET IS POLLUTION, ETC…

AS MEASURES TO PROGRESS SLOWLY TO THE OBJECTIVE OF CAR-FREE CITIES ONE CAN LIST DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES: AT THE CENTRAL AREA ONLY ALLOWED CARS OF A SMART SIZE OR EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS LIKE FIRE-BRIGADE, POLICE, AMBULANCE, HANDICAPED PERSONS. AS AN ALTERNATIVE – TO ENTER IN THE CENTRAL AREA IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO HAVE A GREEN CARD AND THE PRICE TO PAY WOULD PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE WITH THE SIZE OF THE CAR. THE CITIES WOULD BE PLANNED AS A SYSTEM OF CAR-FREE POCKETS LINKED AMONG THEM BY UNDERPASSES OR FLY-OVERS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BYCICLES.

EACH URBAN UNIT MUST HAVE A CAR-SILO OR A CAR- PARKING PLACE OR A CAR-PARKING SYSTEM WHERE THE CARS COULD FIND A PLACE TO STAY AND THEY WOULD BE ORIENTED TO THAT PLACE OR PLACES EACH TIME THEY WOULD REACH THE CITY. CARS OUT SIDE PARKING PLACE (P) OR OUT-SIDE THEIR OWN GARAGE THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED WASTE, TO REMOVE AND DESMANTLE

Prof. Eng. Manuel da Costa Lobo