BBCcom_Content_Index_for_January_19_2022.txt
'It's like being in Greece' The US neighbourhood where cars are banned.txt
'It's like being in Greece': The carro blackjackUS neighbourhood where cars are bannedSkip to contentBritish Broadcasting CorporationRegisterSign InHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewsletters'It's like being in Greece': The US neighbourhood where cars are banned20 August 2025ShareSaveKeridwen CorneliusShareSaveCourtesy of Culdesac(Credit: Courtesy of Culdesac)In Tempe, Arizona, Culdesac is reimagining US cities for people, not cars – and inviting travellers to explore its plazas, paseos and Mediterranean-inspired design.When Sheryl Murdock walks to her apartment in Culdesac – the US' first modern car-free neighbourhood built from scratch – she feels transported to a Mediterranean island. As she enters the central plaza, which serves as an al fresco communal living room, the blare of traffic fades, replaced by the clink of glasses, the hum of conversation and the thump of a cornhole game. She meanders down narrow pathways between low-slung white buildings crisscrossed with fairy lights, passing pops of colour from cheerful murals and magenta bougainvillea. Although she's in Arizona, Murdock says, "It's like being in Greece."Architect Daniel Parolek did have the Mediterranean in mind when he designed Culdesac, though he was influenced more by his travels to the hill towns and coastal villages of Italy and France. Travellers and locals love these settings, Parolek says, because "these are places that were built prior to the automobile, so they were designed around accommodating people". Why then, he asks, do people have to vacation to places like these rather than living in them?The answer is that societies made a Faustian deal with the automobile. As urban planners calibrated the built environment to the needs of cars rather than people, cities spread out into vast systems of traffic-clogged asphalt that disgorge solo commuters into soul-crushingly monotonous suburbs. Car-centric design has contributed to making metropolises more polluted, more socially isolating, less sustainable and hot as hell.But the collective consciousness is shifting. Research is revealing that walkable cities make people happier, less lonely, more satisfied with life and physically healthier. Movements are afoot around the globe toward sustainable urbanism, slow travel and 15-minute (or less) cities – such as Nordhavn in Copenhagen and superblocks in Barcelona. For travellers, strolling around Culdesac's shops, restaurants and outdoor markets offers a glimpse into a future where cities are once again built for people, not traffic.Courtesy of CuldesacIn Culdesac, plazas and walkways replace roads, creating public spaces designed entirely for people (Credit: Courtesy of Culdesac)Culdesac is an especially bold experiment because of its unlikely location: Tempe, a suburb within greater Phoenix, Arizona. This sprawling metropolitan area is cursed with an inadequate public transportation system, which means residents practically need to own a car to get around. So, when Culdesac's first residents arrived in 2023, many sceptics wondered how a neighbourhood that doesn't permit private vehicles could survive in such a car-dependent place.The key is to be "car free, but mobility rich", says Parolek. The 17-acre mixed-use neighbourhood comes complete with eateries, shops, a Korean convenience store, a doctor's office, a dog park, a pool, a gym and a coworking space – meaning locals are steps away from many amenities.Green GetawaysGreen Getaways is a BBC Travel series that helps travellers experience a greener, cleaner approach to getting out and seeing the world.For visitors, the light rail stops right outside, linking the neighbourhood to downtown Phoenix and the airport. Self-driving electric Waymo robotaxis shuttle people further afield, while Archer's Bikes rents e-bikes for exploring Tempe Town Lake or the Desert Botanical Garden. The prospect of shrinking her carbon footprint by living car-light is what inspired Murdock to move to Culdesac while earning her postdoctoral degree in ocean sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU). The light rail whisks her to work at ASU in 10 minutes and to supermarkets in about the same time. She can pedal her e-bike around Tempe, a designated Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community. If she needs to go farther afield, she rents one of Culdesac's handful of shared electric cars for $5 an hour. "Being in Culdesac has taught me that I much prefer the concept of the 15-minute city," she says. "I don't want to have to get in my car to do everything."Courtesy of CuldesacCuldesac connects directly to the light rail, giving travellers easy access to the wider Phoenix area (Credit: Courtesy of Culdesac)Switching from vehicles to public transportation, biking and walking can cut individuals' carbon emissions by 2.2 to 3.6 tonnes annually, according to the United Nations. That means that when Culdesac is fully built in a few years, with around 760 units and 1,000 residents, the community could prevent around 3,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere each year.Plan your trip:How to get there: Take the light rail from the Phoenix airport in 30 minutes, or from downtown Phoenix in about 45 minutes. If you're driving, Culdesac (2025 E Apache Blvd, Tempe) has parking for visitors.Where to stay: The hip Moxy Hotel Tempe and the funky, artsy FOUND:RE in downtown Phoenix are both located along the light rail line.What to do: Try your hand at pottery making in Pip Crafts + Clay. Shop for curated pre-loved clothing at Sew Used. Browse garden items and housewares at Maricopa Botanicals.Where to eat: Cocina Chiwas for creative riffs on cuisine from Chihuahua, Mexico. Its seasonal beer garden, El Jardín Chiwas, feels festive thanks to cornhole, s'mores at the fire pits and trivia Thursdays. Start the day with Navajo-inspired blue corn croissants fromWhen to go: November through April for milder temperatures.The neighbourhood was also designed to mitigate heat and curb air-conditioning use. That's essential in a city that last year sweated through 143 days at or above 100F (38C). To make Culdesac cooler, Parolek and his team at Opticos Design took their cue from sun-soaked locales like Italy, Greece and Mexico. They painted the buildings' walls and roofs as white as the towns on Mykonos. White paint reflects the sun much better than Phoenix's typical sand-hued homes, helping reduce the urban heat island effect.Because no space is needed for driving and parking, the architects could also employ another classic cooling strategy in Mediterranean towns: setting buildings close together. Consequently, Culdesac's structures almost constantly shade each other, as well as the paved or earthen "paseos" (Spanish for walkways) that connect them. These narrow paseos also act like funnels that draw in breezes. Similarly, all apartments have windows on opposite sides, allowing for cross ventilation.The shade, airflow, desert-friendly landscaping and absence of asphalt create a microclimate. As a result, in 2023, Harvard University researchers determined that the ground surface temperature within Culdesac was 30-40F (17-22C) cooler than the pavements in the surrounding area.Courtesy of CuldesacPedestrian-only pathways are lined with apartments, greenery and public art, creating a community-focussed environment (Credit: Courtesy of Culdesac)Culdesac also nurtures a lively street life. Around 21 small businesses operate here, including a James Beard-nominated Mexican restaurant, DIY ceramics and candle-making studios, a bike shop, and a sustainable clothing store. Some of the shop owners live in Culdesac, and special zoning rules allow residents to run businesses out of their apartments – a boon for budding entrepreneurs. On market days, live music drifts through the paseos while visitors browse handmade ceramics and snack on Najavo-inspired blue corn croissants from ReddHouse bakery."Once you pull the cars out," Parolek says, "there's so much more opportunity to make a vibrant, thriving community."More like this:? Nordhavn: The Danish 'city' that's been designed for an easy life? How Vienna built a gender equal city? The watery secret of ancient North AmericaPedestrianisation also fosters frequent encounters among neighbours, business owners and visitors, helping mitigate another malaise partly caused by car-centric living: loneliness. Though Culdesac is technically an apartment complex, "it definitely feels more like a neighbourhood", Murdock says.And because Culdesac's mission attracts eco-conscious and socially engaged residents, the community naturally bonds over shared values, Murdock says. "It's like finding your people," she adds.Culdesac's company plans to expand elsewhere in the US, and they've seen growing interest from municipal governments, transit agencies and developers eager to create more walkable and mobility-rich neighbourhoods."Culdesac Tempe has shown that people do want to live car-free in the US, even in a metro area like Phoenix that's often seen as the poster child for car dependency," says Erin Boyd, Culdesac's government relations and external affairs lead. "This success has shifted the conversation around what's possible in American development."For visitors, strolling, cycling and light railing around this unlikely urban laboratory fuels the imagination and shows how time-honoured design and an old-fashioned desire to cultivate community could drive the cities of the future.--If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.Green GetawaysCitySlow TravelFeaturesWatchHow space-based solar power can fuel our EarthTech Now explores how space innovation could help solve the Earth's energy challenges.1 hr agoTech NowWall Street awaits key labor market data - 4 Sep 2025Jim Thorne from Wellington-Altus Private Wealth says markets will look at the quality of this months data.14 hrs agoOpening BellInvestors reassured about inflation impact - 10 Sep 2025Greg Halter says inflation, combined with employment data, may lead the Fed to cut interest rates next week.17 hrs agoOpening BellWhy we need to wake up to what's making us sickTim reveals the shocking impact ultra-processed foods have on our healthcare system and overall health.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorThe science behind the fasting fadWhat happens to our microbes when we fast, and how when we eat can be optimised for our health.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorWhy you need to explore the wonderful chemicals in plantsAim to consume 30 plants a week, each with a different set of chemicals that will benefit your microbiome.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorHow to make sustainable eating resolutionsTake this opportunity to make a plan for your healthy eating future, with a healthy mindset.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorTangy natural probiotics to add to your dietLearn about food fermentation and why it plays a crucial role in supporting a healthy gut microbiome.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorWhy we need to learn to love our bugsTim explains how modern habits have cut the diversity of bugs in our diet and offers five tips to fix it.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorMeet the micro-organisms living inside youGet a comprehensive understanding of the gut microbiome, the many species, and the vital roles they play.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorUnderstand the makeup of ultra-processed foodsUnderstand industrially manufactured 'food' and the impact they have on our bodies.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorIs it worth paying extra for organic produce?Tim dives into when it's worth getting organic, and when it probably isn't.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorWhy many health foods are not what they seemWhy labels like 'high protein' and 'low fat' and other 'health halos' can be misleading.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Tim SpectorWhy sustainable productivity will drive successSteven shares his three 'M' goal-setting framework to help you be more productive for the long-term.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettHow to hire the best people for your teamAre they a bar raiser, bar maintainer or bar lowerer? Learn how to build a team that can get behind your mission.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettWhat is your business culture and why is it so important?Explore how you can use your mission to set the right culture for your business.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettWhy you must share your idea and get honest feedbackLearn Steven's three crucial steps for validating your business proposal and why impartial feedback is vital.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettHow to know yourself, grow yourself, and take controlFind out how to counteract limiting beliefs you hold about yourself and build new ones that serve you better.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettHow to get the money you need to start a businessLearn how to start a business with nothing in the bank and how to get funding if you need it to get started.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettWhy you should start a business and why to start it nowSteven explains the common obstacles to starting a business and why now is the time to start yours.18 hrs agoBBC Maestro - Steven BartlettMore from the BBC11 mins agoThe power of Stephen King's most disturbing novelThe Long Walk imagines young men competing in a deadly marathon for entertainment. A new film version is a reminder of how it anticipated our reality TV age.11 mins ago23 mins agoThe diverse benefits of Scotland's 'wee forests'Fast growing areas of tiny forest in cities could play a much bigger role for both health and nature in cities than we thought.23 mins ago22 hrs agoThe controversial sweet that fuels NorwegiansKnown as 'the trip chocolate', Kvikk Lunsj has fuelled outdoor adventures for generations. So, what makes this chocolate so controversial?22 hrs ago23 hrs agoHow women's pockets became so controversialWhy do men's clothes have so many pockets, and women's so few? For centuries, the humble pocket has been a flashpoint in the gender divide of fashion. Is that finally set to change?23 hrs ago1 day agoEarth has now passed peak farmland. What's next?The world's use of farmland has peaked, bringing the chance to turn over more space to nature. How far could the trend go?1 day agoBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherBBC ShopBritBoxBBC in other languagesFollow BBC on:Terms of UseAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpContact the BBCAdvertise with usDo not share or sell my infoBBC.com Help & FAQsContent IndexCopyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
