The City without cars.

The smaller shops would go bust within 6 months. Why would anyone want to cart loads of shopping or gifts home with them when they can drive 10 minutes the other way and throw everything in the boot?

 

It would be fantastic if one of our cities was brave enough to take the plunge and do this. A true environmentally friendly city that focuses on overall quality of life for all.

However, there are so many obstacles to it. The planning of our cities is so poor.

Prime example, it currently takes me 25 minutes to cycle to work. Had to get the bus for the last two days, it takes over an hour.

Got friends who live in Vienna. Live pretty centrally, they have schools nearby and a superb integrated public transport and cycling network.

If they need to drive anywhere, they are members of a car club and it is unusual to have to walk more than five to ten minutes to get a car. No wonder Vienna is consistently rated one of the best cities to live in.

Think I'd like to visit that city in Spain.

 

Bradford is dying because its whole reason for being a city left the area decades ago, most old industrial cities suffer this as manufacturing premises and practises become outdated, new technologies take over leaving a crumbling infrastructure and no real desire to change it as it easier to set up in areas where you don't have to fight the 'old' infrastructure. Its why you are seeing lots of developments by major motorways. As Bradford has no real purpose anymore bar being a source of employment for a rapidly expanding Leeds maybe it is time for Bradford to look at changing itself to something unique to this country.

 

Close two roads - bottom of sunbridge rd and market st, the vast majority of the centre of Bradford would be closed to cars - public transport and delivery vehicles being the exception.

 

I saw the article and thought that it could work really well in Leeds which has a decent inner ring road and park and ride facilities. Ban cars from everywhere within the boundary of the A58/A64 and the river but let buses and taxis carry on using the loop and that'd work just great. One of the big differences to West Yorks and Spain is the weather, come February I'm not sure that I'd be up for having to walk 10 minutes through the rain to go to the cinema.

 

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain..

 

It won’t. The city centre has died on its arse, it really has nothing going for it at all.
I don’t recognise the place anymore, a shame because i enjoyed it in the 80s and 90s. Maybe its because i’m getting old but to me the place is just a barren shithole now with no purpose.

 

No surprise at all.

Central Manchester is a very rough place at the moment.