Context
Before the twentieth century, cities and towns were normally compact, containing narrow streets busy with human activity. In the twentieth century, many of these settlements were adapted to accommodate the car with wider roads, more space allocated for car parking, and lower population densities where up to 60% of the surface area was devoted to the automobile. Lower population densities led to urban sprawl with longer distances between places, and traffic congestion which made the alternatives to the car unattractive or impractical, and created the conditions for more traffic and sprawl; the car system was "increasingly able to 'drive' out competitors, such as feet, bikes, buses and trains". This process led to changes in urban form and living patterns where it was virtually impossible for people to live without a car.
Some governments have responded to this emerging situation with policies and regulations aimed at reversing this trend by increasing urban densities, encouraging mixed use development, reducing the space allocated to the private car, and lending greater support to cycling, walking, and public transport. In addition to "traditional" transport mode, car sharing is seen to be an increasingly important element in the transport mix, where people can easily rent a car for a few hours rather than own one.
Read more about this topic: Car-free Movement
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