A neighborhood without cars, where traffic does not exist and the tram comes to pick you up from the house. No, it is not a dream. Just go to Friborg, a charming town of 200 inhabitants located on the border between Switzerland and Germany. Here, in 1994, an initiative took place aimed at creating a sustainable district, the Vauban district, which has been inhabited according to these criteria since 1998.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Un car-free neighborhood, where the traffic does not exist and the tram comes to pick you up from the house. No, it is not a dream. Just go to Freiburg, a charming town of 200 inhabitants located on the border between Switzerland and Germany. Here, in 1994, an initiative took place for the construction of a sustainable district, the district Vauban, inhabited according to these criteria since 1998.
Based until 1992 from a French barracks, from which it took its name, the area until 1996 was occupied by a nomad camp, a kitchen for homeless people, shelters of the Salvation Army and a center autonomous youth. But then, thanks to the establishment of a special Forum, intended for the recovery and redevelopment of the area, the idea of creating a ecological residential neighborhood template.
But how to give up the car? How to move and move comfortably? If of the 5 inhabitants, 3.850 have chosen not to need it, obviously there is no need. In fact, the planimetric scheme of the neighborhood was created by intersecting homes, shops and public transport, completely eliminating the need to travel by car to attend to daily errands. The district is organized in a "sensitive to movement ": thanks to its long and narrow conformation it is crossed by a tram line that approaches every house. The main road used by this tram leads to Freiburg and is the only one open to traffic.
The inhabitants of Vauban use for shopping a trolley dragging it on foot, given the short journeys, or attaching it to the bike. For those who want to move within the district or to reach Freiburg it is available an excellent public transport network, like the new tram line, which crosses the entire area.
And to go on vacation? Very widespread is the habit of having acar shared with neighbors, in addition to train or car-sharing club. In short, no more fights for parking under the house. The car is not well accepted by Vauban and the possession is certainly not facilitated, indeed. There are no private boxes and it is forbidden to park both on private property than in the street. Thus, those who really cannot give up the car are forced to leave it in one of the two municipal car parks located half a kilometer from the houses.
But that's not all. The same fellow citizens contributed to the realization of a project so close to the real life needs of its inhabitants who, since 1995 thanks to the Forum, have actively participated in the design process and realization of Vauban. Hence the concept of socio-ecological neighborhood, destined to break even in the motorized America. In fact, in California, a Vauban-inspired project is planned in the suburbs of Oakland.
No more smog, no car and space for healthy walks in the green of the city in the company of the infamous neighbors.
Francesca Mancuso
