A front page article in today’s New York Times looks at how European cities are prioritizing mass transit, cycling and walking and reducing dependence on private cars. The piece features ITDP’s report “Europe’s Parking U-Turn”.

A few snippets from the article are below.

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“It often takes extreme measures to get people out of their cars, and providing good public transportation is a crucial first step. One novel strategy in Europe is intentionally making it harder and more costly to park. “Parking is everywhere in the United States, but it’s disappearing from the urban space in Europe,” said Mr. Kodransky, Global Research Manager for ITDP.
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While Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has generated controversy in New York by “pedestrianizing” a few areas like Times Square, many European cities have already closed vast areas to car traffic. Store owners in Zurich had worried that the closings would mean a drop in business, but that fear has proved unfounded, Mr. Fellmann said, because pedestrian traffic increased 30 to 40 percent where cars were banned.