Do you dream of cities where people of all ages can move safely on foot or by bike, where public transport is efficient and punctual, and where the car does not dominate every space? It's not impossible. This has been the case in many Dutch cities for years. Some, then, have chosen to embrace an urban model less dependent on cars since the 70s. Today that Italy and other countries face a crisis of road deaths and smog pollution, it's time to follow that example and rethink our cities for people, not cars.
A crisis of deaths and a courageous choice
In the 70s, the Netherlands was facing a crisis similar to the one affecting several cities around the world today: an alarming number of deaths from road accidents, including minors. Dutch society rebelled. The movement "Stop de Kindermoord” (“Stop the Murder of Children”) brought thousands of people into the streets, calling for a paradigm shift in urban design. And the government listened.
Instead of continuing to favor cars, Dutch cities began to rethink their spaces to favor pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. Protected cycle lanes, pedestrian areas, narrower and lower speed streets: just some of the measures adopted to reduce dependence on cars and return the streets to people. And how did it go?
The results of the crusade against the automobile
The results of this revolution are there for all to see. Today, Dutch cities are a paradise for cyclists and pedestrians of all ages. Children, adults and the elderly can move safely, without the constant fear of being run over. Public transport, efficient and punctual, represents a valid alternative to the car for many daily journeys. And the rate of deaths from road accidents has dropped dramatically since the 70s. It is to the point that, after a "rebound" at the end of the COVID lockdown period, the Dutch government took action by promising a plan to completely reset accidents by 2050.
At the moment, however, with its 2,83 car deaths per 100.000 inhabitants, the Netherlands has a sixth of the US deaths, and almost half of the Italian ones.
But the benefits go beyond road safety. Cities less dependent on cars also mean less smog, one of the main causes of premature death globally. They mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions, a key step in the fight against climate change. And they mean more accessible cities for everyone, including children, people with disabilities, seniors and those who can't afford a car.
Car, even less: a challenge for Italy and the world
Faced with these results, one wonders: why don't Italy and other countries follow the Dutch example? Of course, the challenge is complex. Italian cities, often with dense historic centers and narrow streets, have different characteristics from Dutch ones. However, this does not mean that change is impossible.
We can take inspiration from initiatives such as the “Cycling Plan” French, which aims to make France a cyclist-friendly country, or from traffic taxes introduced in New York and on SUVs in Paris, aimed at discouraging the use of private cars. We can redesign streets to make them safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists, such as narrowing them, adding speed bumps and medians, and creating well-maintained sidewalks and protected bike lanes. With the spaces saved, get rid of all that concrete and with the depaving “resod” urban greenery, which keeps cities cooler (and less polluted).
We can invest in efficient and reliable public transport, with dedicated lanes for buses and subways that widely cover the urban area (Ljubljana thought about it years ago). And we can change zoning laws to encourage denser, mixed-use neighborhoods where people can live close to where they work, study and socialize. Then you happen to talk about “15 minute city” and you meet people who evoke prisons, apocalyptic scenarios, war on cars. There is reason to be discouraged, but ordinary people are not to blame.
It's a question of political will
Of course, such a change will require significant investments and a long-term vision. But the costs of today's dependence on cars, in terms of human lives, public health, smog and environmental damage, are simply too high to ignore. And many solutions, such as adding bike lanes and creating traffic-calmed “open streets,” can be implemented at relatively low cost and with immediate benefits.
What is needed, most of all, is the political will to question the status quo and embrace a new model of city. A model where people, not cars, are at the center. A model in which moving is a pleasure, not a stress or a danger.
Reducing car dependence in our cities is not just a question of transport policies or urban planning. It is a choice of civilization. It's deciding that we want safer, healthier, fairer and more livable cities for everyone. It is recognizing that public space is a precious asset, which must be shared in a fair and sustainable way.
It's putting people at the center, building communities on a human scale.
