2023’s Best Cities to Live Without a Car

Prefer to get around on two feet instead of four wheels? 

In some cities, you can easily ditch your car and hoof it — or bike, take public transit and share a ride when you need to.

With car ownership more expensive than ever and harming the environment, LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Best Cities to Live Without a Car. 

They compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 19 indicators of car-free-friendliness and measured each city’s walkability, transit ridership, climate and pedestrian safety, among other factors.

See where your city stands in their rankings! Plus, we’ll add the East Bay as part of the greater San Francisco region with access to BART, AC Transit, Amtrak, CalTrain and the Cal State East Bay shuttle service. 

Michael T. Schmeltz, DrPH, MS, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health, was one of their go-to experts for insights and tips on going car-free.

What would it take to make a city completely car-free? Is that possible or even a good idea? Please explain.

The way our cities are currently designed, having a city completely car-free does not make sense. It would take time to redesign cities to allow this to be feasible, but it can be a goal. To get there, though, we would need to start with a few changes.

To reduce the use of cars in cities, we need to build widespread, reliable, frequent and safe public transportation systems. Similarly, we would also need to include better active transportation infrastructure as well, like bicycle paths, sidewalks and greenways.

This will also allow for the limited use of cars in society that may be needed, such as emergency response vehicles, ambulances and fire trucks. So while it may seem far-fetched to many, we have the ability and good examples of how to achieve these goals.

The possibility is there, but is it a good idea? Yes. The amount of pollution reduced, particularly from fossil-fuel-using cars will greatly improve air quality and reduce air pollution-related morbidity and mortality. Similarly, the reduction of car accidents would greatly improve the safety of our cities as well.

Compared with other countries, why is the U.S. slower to embrace the car-free lifestyle?

In many instances, the U.S. designed cities for cars, not people. Urban sprawl and suburban communities included in these designs almost required people in the U.S. to have cars. Cities in other countries, particularly older cities in Europe and Asia grew without cars and ‘retrofitted’ their cities to include cars. We see this a lot with the size of cars in Europe versus the U.S. Many large cars in the U.S. would not even fit down European streets.

In the U.S., cars are also linked to American values of freedom, independence and self-reliance. It was, and likely still is, a right of passage for a teenager to get their driver’s license and be granted that freedom.

In many cases, the U.S. continues to emphasize suburban living and large single-family homes. This reinforces the need for vehicles, particularly when individuals living in these communities do not have walkable workplaces, retail establishments or access to public transportation. The U.S. will continue to be slower at embracing the car-free lifestyle until changes are made to reduce the reliance on our vehicles.

Are car-free days a good long-term solution to traffic-related problems, such as noise, pollution, congestion and associated health issues?

Absolutely. The reduction in noise, pollution and traffic will greatly enhance our health and safety. Car-free days give individuals a glimpse into what life could be like without cars. The more individuals who see and experience this benefit, the more likely a change in public opinion is possible. When it comes to redesigning our cities for people and less so for cars, any changes that move in this direction will be beneficial, long-term or short-term.

What are some situations that absolutely require having a car?

Personally, I did not own a car for over 25 years while living in cities. I never felt the need to have a car and my needs were met by public transit, bicycles and walking. That being said, each individual will have a different perspective and situation on whether or not they absolutely need a car. It could be about work, caring for children or older adults, or a variety of other factors. There may or may not be a situation described that would be agreeable to everyone.

What are your top three tips for someone considering a car-free lifestyle?

1. If possible, consider your living situation. Can you relocate to an area that will support your car-free lifestyle?
2. Try going car-free for one week and assess the pros and cons.
3. Consider your values. Want to help combat climate change? Looking for health benefits? Saving money?