Cities free of polluting cars improve the health of their inhabitants… and also their economies. Ask the world’s most sustainable cities. Below, we explain how.
Cities free of cars powered by fossil fuels enrich us. The benefits extend to our health, environment, quality of life and social cohesion. The local economy, too. An example is Copenhagen, the Danish capital, which has earned 400,000 from every kilometer of cycle lane in the city, showing that sustainable mobility can be profitable and beneficial. We explain the importance of this below.
What will I learn from this article?
Combustion vehicles, which run on petrol or diesel, are one of the main sources of pollution in the air of our cities. They emit over half of the harmful particles we inhale, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. This pollution has serious consequences for human health.
A study published in Science of the Total Environment confirms that long-term exposure to fine particles emitted by cars can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Cars generate 18% of CO2 emissions, the main gas behind the greenhouse effect, says the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
With this data in mind, some cities decided to change the mobility on their streets and highways. The aim being to reduce the presence of polluting cars (i.e. those running on petrol or diesel). The main measures included pedestrianizing spaces, increasing cycle lanes and restricting combustion vehicle access to centers.
Oslo is one of these cities which has left behind the snarl of combustion engines for a cleaner mobility without emissions. A milestone which saw it, among other factors, reach the top of the Sustainable Cities ranking compiled by consultancy ARCADIS with UN-Habitat.
The Norwegian capital has spent years investing in a sustainable transport system. In fact, Norway now stands out as a paradise for electric cars. Last year, nine out of 10 cars sold were electric, leading to a market share of almost 80%.
After years of incentives favoring electric over combustion cars, the Norwegian government is now trying to persuade residents to use public transport rather than private vehicles.
“In Norway, nine out of 10 cars sold are electric, leading to a market share of nearly 80 %".
A goal in which cities like Copenhagen are also forging ahead. The Danish capital is close to becoming a car-free city. Since the 1970s, it has pursued a clear objective: promote the use of bicycles. To achieve this, it has invested in the creation of an extensive network of cycle lanes that facilitate safe, efficient travel by cyclists.
The results of these policies are clear to see and speak for themselves. In just five decades, and thanks to nearly 400 kilometers of cycle lanes, it has made cycling the preferred option of its citizens. Fifty-six percent of the capital’s inhabitants use the bicycle every day to move around; 20% opt for public transport, while just 14¡% use the car.
The scope of these plans goes beyond improving air quality. As part of its ambition to become an ‘eco-metropolis’ leader, the Danish capital includes car- and bicycle-related costs and economic benefits in its decision-making.
For every kilometer of bike lane, Copenhagen generates 400,000 euros of savings a year by reducing transport, healthcare and accident costs. According to one study, the city gains 16 cents for every kilometer traveled by cycle lane. The analysis reveals that every kilometer traveled in car or bicycle supposes a cost for society, but the cost of driving a petrol- or diesel-powered car is more than six times (0.50 euros/km) that of a bicycle (0.08 euros/km).
“For every kilometer of bike land, Copenhagen generates 400,000 euros of savings a year”.
There are other benefits that improve people’s quality of life, such as time Danes save every year by avoiding road congestion. Copenhagen profits from its lower traffic. To get an idea, if London’s residents lose 156 hours annually in traffic jams (almost a whole week), in the Danish capital, they save 32 hours. Sustainable mobility gains us time!
To summarize, reducing use of petrol and diesel cars doesn’t only have a positive impact on the environment, but also contributes considerable economic benefits and significantly improves air quality, reducing health risks associated with atmospheric pollution. The examples of Oslo and Copenhagen show us the benefits they obtained that lead to other forms of mobility.
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STOCKHOLM (AP) — A ban on gasoline and diesel-fueled cars from a commercial district of Stockholm’s downtown in 2025 will be the first for a European capital, a city official said Thursday.
The ban will take effect in a 20-block area of shops, pedestrian walkways and a few homes in order to curb pollution, reduce noise and encourage use of electric vehicles said Lars Strömgren, the city council member for the Greens who’s in charge of the Swedish capital’s transportation.
Many European capitals have restrictions on gasoline and diesel cars, but Strömgren says Stockholm’s complete ban would be a first.
“We need to eliminate the harmful exhaust gases from (gasoline) and diesel cars. That’s why we are introducing the most ambitious low-emission zone to date,” Strömgren told The Associated Press. The idea is to create an “environmental zone” where only electric vehicles will be allowed. There will be some exceptions such as for emergency vehicles and transportation for the disabled.
In its budget for 2024, the left-leaning, environmentally-focused city council on Tuesday unveiled the plan for the target area just north of the city’s famed Old Town. The municipal government controls a majority in the council, so the vote set for Nov. 23 is expected to be a formality.
“We are pretty proud, I must say,” Strömgren said, adding that gradual expansion of the environmental zone would be decided in the first half of 2025.
One of the city’s main cab companies, Taxi Stockholm, said its transition to emission-free vehicles is moving at a fast pace. The company’s acting chief executive Pernilla Samuelsson said it’s emission-free vehicles now make up 30% of its fleet - almost seven times more than last year.
“In other words, the transition is going fast and it is already being driven forward by the industry,” Samuelson said.
Some aren’t convinced things will go smoothly. Nike Örbrink from the opposition Christian Democrats told the Aftonbladet newspaper that some are concerned the plan would hurt businesses and the hotel industry.
Other European capitals harbor similar ambitions. The Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is aiming for all transport in the city, including automobiles, to be emissions-free by 2030.
The mayor of Paris wanted to ban all diesel cars before next year’s Olympics, and gasoline cars by 2030, but has run up against resistance.
Currently, any diesel cars built before 2006 and gasoline cars built before 1997 are banned in Paris and 77 surrounding towns for 12 hours a day on weekdays. The ban will expand in 2025 for diesel cars built before 2011 and pre-2006 gasoline vehicles.
Jan Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. AP writers Mike Corder in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Angela Charlton in Paris, France contributed.