South America
- Argentina
| Location | Area | Population | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | Downtown pedestrian circuit | 2.9 million (Capital) | The pedestrian circuit in the city centre is composed by Florida Street, about 12 blocks, 5 blocks of Lavalle Street, one block of Diagonal Norte, two blocks Tres Sargentos Street and one block of the Pasaje Carlos Discepolo, very vibrant area with many restaurants, theatres, shopping, etc., a short walk from the obelisk, people throng here, streets are entirely car free, but crossing streets are not. Access by bus and the Metro (subte) Line C. Buenos Aires, for the most part, is a very walkable city. |
| Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires | City centre waterfront | Part of city | Very successful waterfront redevelopment area. Highly pedestrianized and car free mixed use district which includes corporate headquarters, luxury condos, residential and business lofts, five star hotels, exclusive restaurants, parks and an ecological reserve.
A recently inaugurated 2 kilometre modern tramway (Tranvía del Este) line serves the area. |
| La Boca, Buenos Aires | Several blocks of main street | Part of city | Barrio La Boca is a colourful working-class neighbourhood where descendants of Italian immigrants once settled, El Caminito, its main street, is pedestrianized and touristy.
An extension of Puerto Madero's light rail tram system to Retiro Station and Barrio La Boca is contemplated. |
| Greater Buenos Aires | Tren de la Costa, car free artery | 12.4 million | A unique suburban modern leisure tramway artery that stretches for 15 kilometres by the River Plate from Olivos to the village of Tigre, each of its eleven "turn of the century" picturesque stations have a charm of its own with its plazas, cafes, antique shops, movie theatres, boutiques, restaurants and regional product markets. You can get on and off during the day as many times as you wish. Good sample of Transit-oriented development. Tren de la Costa website. |
| Tigre, Buenos Aires | Delta | Several thousand | The village of Tigre is the starting point of the magnificent Delta where commuter mahogany launches reminiscent of the roaring twenties travel its web of connecting rivers and streams dotted with week-end homes, English style rowing clubs, countless marinas, large mansions from the Belle Époque and a variety of recreational complexes which offer food, lodging and entertainment. Total absence of cars. |
| Mendoza | Several blocks, centre of town | 111,000 | Wide tree-lined streets, many parks and plazas, ceramic-tiled sidewalks, pedestrianised "Peatonal Sarmiento" adjacent to Plaza Independencia features many outdoor cafe's, restaurants, wine bars and shops. City is served by antiquated trolleybus lines. Mendoza is the capital of the wine producing Mendoza Province. |
| Rosario | Central business district | 1.2 millon | Almost 2 kilometre of retail area, system of parks that line the riverfront area. |
| Córdoba | various pedestrian circuits | 120.000 people | The city's downtown includes 2 kilometres of pedestrianized areas with theatres, shops, outdoor cafes, restaurants, parks and plazas, and an active nightlife. Trolleybus and bus provide access. |
| La Cumbrecita, Córdoba | First pedestrian village in Argentina | Several hundred | A beautiful small picturesque secluded alpine-like village in Córdoba Province settled by central Europeans. Focused on eco-tourism, no paved roads, transport on foot.
Excursions to La Cumbrecita can be taken from nearby Villa General Belgrano, not car free but pedestrian friendly. |
- Brazil
| Location | Area | Population | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curitiba, Brazil | car free area in downtown, 24 linear blocks | 2.7 million (2000 census) | Twenty blocks in the heart of the city are paved with decorative tile in which vehicular traffic is restricted to delivery trucks at set hours, part of this area was pedestrianized in the 70's. It includes much of the historic district. photos Much of the pedestrianized space permits the passage of cross traffic at each block. Its served by a unique bus system running on dedicated streets and providing excellent, low-cost service. |
| Ilha do Mel, Paraná, Brazil | Small Island offshore of Paranaguá | The Island has two small fishing villages | The entire Island is car free, and even cattle free. All goods and materials are carted around by big wheel barrows. Economy is traditionally fishing but Ecotourism is now a big part of economy. 95% of Island is now an ecological reserve. Villages are connected by 2 meter wide sandy walking paths |
| Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Entire island | 177,832 | Large car-free island off the coast of the state, part of Angra dos Reis municipality. Only allowed vehicles are bicycles, tractors and rentable jeeps. |
| Paquetá Island, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Entire island | About 7000 | Extremely peaceful, car-free island in Guanabara Bay, an hour by ferry from downtown Rio. The place is as quiet as Eden. Residents ride bikes, which they park neatly along the curbs of the island's tamped sand streets. Bikes are never locked and tend to congregate on downtown streets or at the foot of the stairs leading to the hillside slums. Not as popular with city residents and tourists as it used to be, you can still rent bikes from a handful of bike shops. In the south portion of the island, Danke de Mattos Park is cycle-free. |
- Chile
| Location | Area | Population | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago, Chile | Three interconnected streets in downtown square | 5.4 million | Ahumada, Huerfanos & Estado Streets around Plaza de Armas, the city's main square and historical centre. Shopping, office and cultural activities. Santiagos ultra modern line 5 metro station is located under the plaza. |
- Colombia
| Location | Area | Population | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bogotá, Colombia | The Ciclovía, 110 kilometers of roads throughout the city | 6.5 million | The Ciclovía roads are closed to traffic Sundays and holidays for 7 hours, from 0700 to 1400, when more than 1.5 million people practice various sports, visit the recreational facilities, or go to cycle-mass. The city also plans to become largely car free during rush hour by the year 2015. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Car-free Places
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