Whether it’s by banning cars, imposing strict emissions regulations, or leaving fossil fuels behind, many cities are responding to climate change, and it’s improving residents’ quality of life. Fewer cars mean less traffic. Lower emissions lead to better air quality.
There is plenty that cities can do to move in that direction. Sustainability may appear pricy initially, but it will save money long-term, not to mention make life on this planet much more enjoyable.
Oslo, Norway
The capital of Norway is looking to create a permanent ban for all private vehicles as well as invest in public transit. Currently, the ban covers the city center only, where all street parking has been converted to green space, bike lanes, benches, and plants. Pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation have become the priority over cars.
Oslo made these efforts and will continue to make more in the fight for better air quality and against climate change. Residents have already begun to feel the difference in air quality and can enjoy their city center more thoroughly without all the cars.
Mexico City, Mexico
The United Nations called Mexico City the most polluted city on the planet in 1992. Since then, Mexico City has made many changes and has vowed to get rid of diesel cars by 2025. Through the expansion of public transportation, two million cars have been eliminated from the city streets each day.
By 2020, Mexico City will ban many single-use plastic items and shops will no longer carry plastic bags. By 2021, plastic straws, cups, cutlery, and balloons will also become illegal. As Mexico City comes in second to New York for waste production, these changes could have a big impact.
Bogotá, Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia started closing streets in the city center to cars way back in 1974. Since then, their efforts have been expanding. Sundays, city center streets are closed from 7 AM until 2 PM, where one million people on bicycles and playing sports use the space instead. Bogotá also has over 200 miles of bike lanes running throughout the city.
Every February 1st is “Car-Free Day” in Bogotá, providing an example of sustainability and eco-friendly living. For 19 years, this day has given the people of Bogotá a glimpse into how existence without the traffic, stress, and pollution cars create.
San Francisco, California
Traffic in the Bay Area is no joke, ranking with the worst cities in the world for congestion. To combat this, San Francisco, as of January 2019, eliminated its minimum parking requirements for new developments. The old requirement forced developers to include parking, encouraging more people to drive.
San Francisco is also trying to go carbon neutral by 2050. In September 2019, city officials passed a law that says large commercial buildings must use renewable energy sources for all of their power. They are the first US city to enact this law, which will greatly help the global environmental crisis.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid made a bold move toward going green in 2018. They began requiring all vehicles that drive freely in the city center to be zero-emissions. No petrol vehicles registered before 2000 nor diesel vehicles registered before 2006 can drive in downtown Madrid. The only exception is if you’re an area resident.
The idea of this new law is to get emissions under control and also make the city center experience more pleasant for everyone. When there is less traffic, both drivers and pedestrians enjoy their time more. Madrid is hoping to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels by 23 percent by 2020.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin enacted a ban in 2008 to eliminate all cars that didn’t comply with the city’s emissions standards. Thirty-four square miles of the city are included in the ban, covering around a third of people living there. The great public transit system in Berlin also contributes heavily to its eco-friendliness.
Berlin has a refund system for recycling, which has helped turn the practice into a way of life for many residents. Germany’s capital has been named among Europe’s greenest cities, winning as the city with the greatest area of green space, with green space and water covering 46 percent of Berlin.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the busiest cities in the world, which can, unfortunately, create a less than green situation for residents. Moves to ease pollution have been made in recent years, including closing off many areas of Hong Kong to cars entirely. This includes Cheung Chau and Discovery Bay of Lantau Island.
The city is also planning to build more pedestrian-only zones in its busiest areas and has begun testing how the city would function by closing streets in a busy business district known as Central. They are hoping these moves decrease congestion and pollution at the same time.
Brussels, Belgium
Thanks to it being one of the most polluted cities in Europe, in 2019, Brussels began enacting car-free Sundays and has banned diesel vehicles made before 1998. In addition, vehicle speed limits have been reduced in an attempt to clean up the city’s low-quality air.
Brussels plans to make public transportation free if air pollution is high, and may expand free public transportation to nights and weekends as well. City officials have also been putting a lot of effort into increasing the amount of pedestrian-friendly areas in the city. They plan to eliminate all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.
London, England
London’s pollution is awful, so the city has finally enacted strict emissions standards to combat it. Drivers with highly polluting cars must pay a high daily fee in order to drive in the city and most diesel cars have been banned. Those that can enter are charged a fee.
The low-emissions zone in London will be expanding in 2021. It will begin to impose fees on buses and coaches and increase in area to the north and south circular zone. By that time, estimates say about 80 percent of cars in the low-emissions zone will meet the city’s emissions standards.
Barcelona, Spain
The movement toward no cars is well on its way in Barcelona. The city has already transformed congested intersections into superblocks, which are nine consecutive blocks that are pedestrian-only and occupied by gardens and plazas. Part of this initiative has to do with the city’s increasing air and noise pollution, and these superblocks have already begun to help.
Global warming is a huge motivator for Barcelona’s action to become greener. They’re building urban green infrastructures around the city, such as rooftop gardens. Local businesses like Barcelona Energia have enacted plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to clean energy.
Venice, Italy
Venice, Europe’s famous city of canals, does not allow cars within the city center. If you come by car, you must park outside the city proper and walk in on foot. Then, you can either walk or take a gondola to get around. In fact, those are the primary methods of transportation in Venice.
Because of Venice’s summer heat, the houses tend to have shutters on the windows to keep the space cool without using energy. Government-owned buildings don’t allow air conditioning to be used until June 15th. Efforts like these are what the world needs to truly go green.
Paris, France
Pollution in Paris is out of control, and the city is finally trying to deal with it. Now, Paris has banned cars registered before 1997 from driving in the city during the week. Paris is also in the process of turning a highway that ran alongside the Seine into a promenade for pedestrians only.
Even more, the city is working to double its bike lanes by 2020 and completely ban diesel vehicles by 2025. These eco-driven moves will no doubt help clean Paris’ air, not to mention make the city much more bearable to live in by reducing the traffic.
Copenhagen, Denmark
More than half of Copenhagen residents bike to work every single day. The fact that the city is among the most bike-friendly places on the planet encourages it. As if they weren’t already doing their part, Copenhagen plans to be completely carbon neutral by 2025.
The city’s buses are already moving to electric from diesel, and they plan to build something called Copenhill, an artificial ski slope that covers waste that is being turned into energy for both businesses and homes. The city also wants to build a bicycle superhighway expanding for 300 miles to connect it to Copenhagen’s suburbs.
Athens, Greece
Athens is in the process of banning all diesel cars from the city center by 2025, largely because of the city’s poor air quality. The goal is to eventually ban all petrol cars as well, instead pushing for electric vehicles and sustainable transportation.
Athens built a metro network in 2010 for the Olympics and has since seen reduced traffic congestion and lower commute times and air pollution as a result. City officials are in the process of implementing a green economic strategy to foster all kinds of green jobs, tourism, and investment and do its part in reducing global warming.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Not long after San Francisco overturned their mandatory parking minimums for new developments, Minneapolis quickly followed suit. The idea is to stop encouraging so much driving and get people walking and using public transit instead. This can have a huge impact on reducing both emissions and road congestion.
Minneapolis officials want to reduce emissions by a whopping 80 percent before 2050 as well as decrease miles driven locally by 40 percent. The city is also making huge efforts to create more green roofs and plant more trees to do its part in creating a more sustainable future for this planet.
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent, Belgium is quite a bit ahead of other cities where car banning is concerned. They disallowed cars in their city center all the way back in 1996. The idea was to combat both air pollution and traffic congestion, and it worked. Now, there is much more room for public transportation and bicycles.
This mid-sized city is also gearing toward becoming carbon neutral by 2050. They’ve put a lot of work into reducing emissions in transportation, agriculture, and lighting. In addition, Ghent households now recycle more than half of their waste thanks to initiatives put in place by the city.
Fes el Bali, Morocco
Fes el Bali is the ancient walled section of Fez, Morocco. More notably, it is the biggest car-free zone in the world. The walled city in its entirety was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. The street traffic is populated by pedestrians, cyclists, donkeys, and carts, but no cars, save for some emergency vehicles.
The population of Fes el Bali is roughly 156,000, making the fact that it is car-free quite the feat. Whether you’re a tourist or a local here, its thousands of narrow alleys make being able to walk without worrying about cars a blessing.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo began its move to eco-friendliness in 2002 when it adopted its Building Environmental Plant meant to ensure the building of green infrastructure. Big enough buildings have to abide by efficient energy use standards. The city hopes to reduce its emissions to 25 percent by 2020.
Strict regulation on diesel vehicle emissions began in Toyko in 2003; vehicles that don’t pass the test aren’t allowed to drive in the city. This law has helped Tokyo to improve its air quality. What’s more, Tokyo has announced it will make an effort to use renewable energy only for the 2020 Olympic Games.
New York City, New York
New York City is looking to increase pedestrian traffic by creating areas that are friendlier to people not using cars. The city is heavily promoting bike sharing and public transit. Already, parts of the busier areas of the city are pedestrian-only zones.
City officials have committed to funding projects that use renewable energy to power over 400,000 homes. Initiatives will include building solar and wind farms so that 50 percent of the city’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2030. They are also hoping to greatly reduce carbon emissions and remove over 300,000 cars from the road.
Zermatt, Switzerland
No city is too small to make an impact on the planet. Though Zermatt, Switzerland only has about 5,700 residents, this Alpine town no longer allows cars to enter, though electric and freight vehicles are permitted. If necessary, you can get a permit to drive and park, but only on the outskirts of town.
Zermatt’s location is at the base of one of Europe’s highest summits, Matterhorn, making high-quality air unfettered by pollution a necessity for several reasons, including visibility. Of course, city officials also care about keeping Earth clean and green, so their no-car rule serves many purposes.
Seoul, South Korea
South Korea at large wants to improve air quality, in part by getting rid of diesel vehicles. Seoul banned all diesels built before 2005 unless they were able to pass emissions standards. By 2020, those emissions standards will also move to Seoul’s surrounding regions.
City officials are putting effort into creating a city that doesn’t need cars at all. They want everything to be accessible as a pedestrian or through the city’s subway lines. Even more, Seoul has implemented a project where people must leave their cars at home once a week. Not abiding means your car fees go up.
New Delhi, India
In New Delhi, about 600,000 people die because of air pollution annually. It is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Luckily, local and national officials have begun to take action to combat the deadly air quality. To begin with, taxis and auto-rickshaws must use natural gas instead of diesel from now on.
New Delhi’s government has also implemented a scheme in an attempt to reduce traffic: vehicles with even and odd license plate numbers can only come into the alternating days. They’ve also enacted stricter emissions’ standards as well as some costly penalties for burning trash.
Curitiba, Brazil
While most people have never even heard of Curitiba, in Brazil, it had proudly been named the Green Capital of the country. In Curitiba, residents recycle 70 percent of the city’s waste, powering reusable energy or for new products. Part of this is due to an incentive program that rewards people for recycling with cash, food, and tokens.
Curitiba also boasts an amazing public transit system so that people can easily get around without cars, which lowers the city’s emissions. In addition to all that, Curitiba’s urban area includes plenty of green space, with its 16 parks and 14 forests.
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki, known as one of the greenest cities globally, is already sustainable, where 77 percent of all trips take place on foot, a bike, or public transit. Still, they want to continue along this path and have made urban mobility and environmentally-friendly living a priority.
Helsinki is moving to transform its suburbs into pedestrian-friendly places that are accessible from the city. City officials want to encourage more people to use public transportation and have a plan to get residents to forget about cars by 2025. Part of this plan includes making other forms of transit easier than using a car.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm’s goal is to be completely free of fossil fuels by 2050. They already have a system in place where they aren’t dependent on huge reserves of fossil fuels as it is, so it seems like that goal is more than attainable. They use sewage and turn it into biofuel at biofuel conversion plants.
Stockholm also has begun a project to turn waste heat from stadiums, data centers, and stores into residential heating for the homes of the city. They’ve begun to incentivize building technology businesses within the city so that their waste heat can be utilized for this purpose.
Chengdu, China
China is changing the game where renewable energy is concerned. They’re now spending more on renewable energy than Europe and the US combined. Their massive pollution problem throughout the country is the driving force of these changes.
Outside of Chengdu, China, a satellite city has been designed as pedestrian-friendly as possible. Residents will be able to get to anything within 15 minutes of walking. Not only will that make cars obsolete, but many of the roads won’t even be open to cars. The city should be completed by 2020 and will hopefully serve as a model for the rest of China.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
In Amsterdam, there are more bikes than there are people. Some of those are electric bikes with more than 300 charging stations all over the city just in case a person gets lazy. The city also takes care of its local farmers who provide organic food to the population.
Sustainable fashion is also part of Amsterdam’s culture to reduce emissions and other pollution that fast fashion creates. In general, the city is always looking for ways to become even more sustainable. That way of thinking has become a lifestyle for Amsterdam’s residents, building a greener future with every step forward.
Vancouver, Canada
In North America’s major cities, Vancouver trumps all in sustainability and has the lowest carbon emissions, though not without plenty of effort. In 2010, building bike lanes became a top priority to encourage more cycling and less driving. They also placed more charging ports for electric vehicles around the city.
Vancouver’s accessible public transit and pedestrian-friendly city center also contribute to its transformation into such an environmentally-friendly place. Their goal is to be the greenest city in the world by 2020. In 2016, Vancouver ranked number one for air quality in major cities globally, so they might just get there.
Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany, is one of Europe’s most eco-friendly cities. It has bike paths, electric transportation, waste reduction programs with significant results, and has banned disposable items. They take the environmental impact of products seriously. The focus is on creating ethical and sustainable products.
In 2020 and moving forward, Hamburg will on only order electric buses, moving toward a zero-emissions bus system. They hope to accomplish this by 2030. Germany as a whole is attempting more sustainable practices in general, but Hamburg is among the first cities to make this commitment to a completely electric bus fleet.
Portland, Oregon
Since 1991, Portland, Oregon has transitioned away from fossil fuels to become one of the greenest cities in the world. This is thanks to excellent urban planning by its Sustainable City Government (SCG). They have lowered carbon emissions by 17 percent since 2006, all the while the population and industry have been growing.
What’s more, residents of Portland recycle 63 percent of their waste thanks to a culture that embraces green living and nature. The city’s expansion of bike lanes has also helped the city to cut back on emissions as more people are cycling instead of taking a car.
Jess Lakritz 