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Death of the City Centers - From Car-Free to People-Free City CentersIt is the dream of many urban planners and climate-change prevention activists – the car-free city center. But this is also its death.  On naumburg-mein-platz.de, a survey has been launched. "Together on the way to the development of a climate-resilient city center! - What measures do you think are necessary for a future-oriented development of the city center and to adapt to the consequences of climate change? What is missing in the Naumburg city center in terms of livable public spaces?" is asked there. The answer is actually quite obvious: Everything that has been done in recent decades is clearly not the solution. The Death of the Car-Free City CenterThese are often nostalgic dreams of a few: Many people strolling down boulevards and shopping streets. The city centers are bustling, and cars are hardly seen. But the reality of life has fundamentally changed.In the past, many buildings on the ground floor had stores, with living spaces above, and workshops and businesses in the backyards. Short distances to work were therefore a given. Cities were, if you will, mixed-use areas. But this eventually became seen as disruptive. Noise, exhaust fumes, and emissions were no longer wanted in the city centers. Craft businesses and industry were outsourced. The logical consequence: longer commuting distances. Large companies are now located far outside the cities, and workers are expected to be flexible and commute – otherwise, they risk trouble with the job agency. So, only shopping, dining, and living remain. But there are problems here too: In shopping centers, parking spaces are always free and available. So why drive to the city center where the constant risk of a parking ticket looms – whether due to lack of parking or an expired meter? For this reason, I have avoided city centers for years. For shopping, I go to the mall or shop online. Those who rely on a car to get to work avoid living in the city center. Who wants to spend forever looking for a parking spot in the evening? The Fairytale of Man-Made Climate ChangeClimate change is hammered into people's minds daily like a mantra. Recently, I came across a post on sciencefiles.org.It shows that there is a lack of reliable data to support many of the common narratives. It is claimed that temperatures between 1850 and 1900 were much lower than today – but there were hardly any measuring stations at that time to actually prove this. The theory that the temperature rise is caused by increased CO₂ has also been debunked – in reality, temperatures rise first, then CO₂. Nevertheless, the propaganda of man-made climate change continues. Of course, trees and lots of greenery are important for a good city climate. But the car should not be declared the enemy. The Problem Solves ItselfCynics might say: The problem solves itself. Buildings in city centers fall into disrepair, are demolished, and green spaces emerge. Car-free city centers are neither attractive for living nor shopping for the average person. Businesses don't want to be there anyway. Urban developers would only need to sit back – time will take care of the rest. The city centers will naturally become environmentally friendly.Adapting Cities to Real-Life Realities – Not Educating PeopleIf city centers are to thrive again, they must be adapted to the real-life realities of people.People in rural areas are especially dependent on cars. If we want more people to move back to city centers, there must be plenty of free and available parking. Retail and gastronomy will only flourish if customers – often from the surrounding areas – can come into the city without searching for parking for ages. If they also have to feed the parking meter, shopping becomes more expensive – and bargain hunters will stay away altogether. Potential customers will be scared off. The walk with shopping bags to the car must be short – just as people are used to in shopping centers. The same applies to the walk from the car to the home. People cannot be educated to do without cars – especially not when they need them daily to get to work or run errands. City centers are in direct competition with shopping malls, suburban single-family home areas, and residential communities. If city centers are to be attractive, they must at least offer the same conditions – or even better. Because often, higher rents are charged. Instead of banning cars, we should think about how to create sufficient free space for them. Utopias have clearly not worked so far. Why I'm Right? - Wink EmojiGo to the city centers. Count the houses that are falling into disrepair or have already been demolished. Count the vacancies in the shops on former grand streets. That should be proof enough.If people really wanted to live in car-free city centers, the cityscape would already look very different. If there were many people who wanted to live in car-free city centers, they would already be living there. No one is stopping them from living what some envision as the future. But it seems there aren’t many of them – or not enough of them. The future of city centers will likely lie in housing, gastronomy, and culture, if the framework conditions are right – which is currently clearly not the case. Retail will certainly no longer be a focus. Culture and gastronomy must also be affordable for citizens. Culture is in direct competition with what is streamed to people’s screens. Urban developers will therefore have to look for and implement entirely different concepts than they have had in mind so far, or what has been politically and ideologically desired. Or time will take care of making the city centers green on its own. Author: AI Translation - Michael Thurm | 10.05.2025 |
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