Vauban- A nearly car-free Community
Vauban is a new neighborhood of 5000 inhabitants and 600 jobs, 4km to the south of the town center in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as “a sustainable model district” on the site of a former French military base.Construction was begun in the mid-1990s, and by the beginning of 2001, 2000 people had moved in.
Vauban is a community that differs from traditional suburbs in many respects. The most important difference is that cars are forbidden on most of the streets, and houses cannot have driveways or garages. Though not totally a car-free, but Vauban is a highly “car-reduced” suburb.
The principal means of transportation within the community are biking and walking. A tram that runs down the spine of the district connects Vauban to the train station and downtown Freiburg.
Many residents have carts that attach to bicycles for hauling toddlers and groceries. Some areas are not just car-free, but bike-free as well.
To make sure that residents can live in Vauban without a car, it is a “mixed use” community: stores, banks and restaurants are sprinkled along the main street of Vauban, and that street is within walking distance of all homes. In many traditional suburbs, houses are in areas that are purely residential, according to zoning laws. Stores and banks are often distant, requiring a car ride.
For energy efficiency, the houses in Vauban, which was completed in 2006, are all row houses. Freestanding homes, like those in traditional suburbs, consume huge amounts of energy because of their exterior walls. Many houses in Vauban were built to passive house standard, meaning they are so well designed to conserve heat — through insulation and other innovations — that they do not need heating systems at all.
Many people move to Vauban not for environmental reasons, but because they feel that a car-free environment is far better for children. Indeed, children are everywhere! With no cars on the streets, many residents call Vauban a children’s paradise, where youngsters wander from a young age in safety. Even some residents who say they miss the convenience of a car at their doorstep have concluded that it is worth the tradeoff. More of the details here.
