Car-free streets are emerging in cities around the world

Pedestrian zones are booming. A trend that began during the pandemic — from wider sidewalks to spaces for community gathering — is becoming the new standard in many popular destinations.

San Francisco, California

What was once an area full of dull parking lots and long-abandoned docks has transformed into San Francisco’s newest neighborhood — Mission Rock, located just south of downtown. Today, it’s a modern waterfront district for work, living, and leisure. With views of the Bay Bridge and Oracle Park stadium, the area now features pedestrian promenades, wide streets, and eight acres of green space — offering something rare in the city: room to breathe.

This 28-acre project is the result of years of multi-stage collaboration between the San Francisco Giants baseball club, the Port of San Francisco, the Tishman Speyer development company, and CMG Landscape Architecture studio. The goal? To rethink what a 21st-century urban district could look like — and how it could function.

Winding around the new China Basin Park runs the Bay Trail, while car-free streets throughout the neighborhood are dotted with so-called “street rooms” — artistic urban features designed for sitting, climbing, or relaxing. The area also hosts branches of some of San Francisco’s most sought-after businesses. About 500 new apartments in two architecturally striking buildings were leased quickly — residents are drawn not only by access to shared workspaces but also by the easy connections via bus, train, tram, or ferry

San Francisco’s New Pedestrian District

“Covid reminded us what public space means to us and what city life can look like,” Corbett Belcher from CMG told National Geographic. “We laid the foundation for a vibrant district focused on social and ecological well-being—a place governed not by cars, but by people.”

The push to reduce emissions and improve urban quality of life is not unique to this West Coast U.S. city. The car-free city trend is currently resonating across the United States and around the world.

Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius was named the European Green Capital of 2025, in part due to significant investments in eco-friendly public transport, including electric buses and trolleybuses. By 2028, several new lines will expand access to the city center without the need for a car, and since 2016, the city has built roughly 100 kilometers of new cycling paths.

This sustainability-focused city allows visitors to easily explore kilometers of pedestrian routes and dedicated paths leading to parks, monuments, and museums. Vilnius has also shortened pedestrian traffic light waiting times to make moving around the city more convenient and efficient for both residents and visitors.

Vilnius City Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is perhaps the most walkable city in the U.S., while also offering one of the country’s most extensive trail networks—over 640 kilometers of paths (and growing) connecting parks, business districts, suburbs, and rural areas. Visitors can stroll or cycle along the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) and reach popular destinations such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Valley Forge National Historical Park.

The most pedestrian-friendly city in the U.S.

Shared Indego Bikes in Philadelphia now include 250 stations and over 2,000 bikes, with an additional 40 stations planned for 2025. Earlier this year, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker introduced new rules banning stopping or parking in more than 56 kilometers of dedicated lanes, including all bike lanes.

Paris, France

In March, Parisians voted for the “garden streets” project, which will transform 500 streets into pedestrian zones over the coming years. This ambitious step follows earlier initiatives by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who had already redirected main traffic flows onto major roads while freeing smaller streets for pedestrians and cafés, furthering the city’s goal of being more people-friendly than car-friendly.

Visitors will also notice the calm Seine riverbanks, formerly crowded with cars, now used for walking, running, picnics, or enjoying an aperitif at sunset. Bike paths are ubiquitous, well-marked, and heavily used, and with 1,480 Vélib’ bike-sharing stations (with more planned), cycling around the City of Light is safe, affordable, and enjoyable.

Paris has undergone a radical transformation in recent years

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In 2024, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the ambitious Dubai Walk plan, aiming to transform the city of four million residents into a pedestrian-friendly metropolis. The plan includes an integrated network of over 6,400 kilometers of walkways equipped with air conditioning, shaded passages, and interactive digital screens, making them usable year-round even in extreme temperatures.

Among the first completed projects are the 15 km historic routes Al Ras in Ras Al Khaimah and Al Souk Al Kabeer. In Dubai itself, the Future Loop is being developed – an elevated, air-conditioned pedestrian path connecting 10 key locations, including the Dubai World Trade Centre, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, the Museum of the Future, and nearby metro stations.

DubaiTampa, Florida

“Our goal was to bring people closer to what really matters: their homes, workplaces, parks, restaurants, and entertainment,” says Josh Taube, CEO of Strategic Property Partners, the developer behind Water Street Tampa, whose master urban plan was created by Elkus Manfredi Architects.

Residents and visitors enjoy outdoor dining, concerts, farmers’ markets in shaded parks, yoga, fitness centers, and stylish hotels such as the Tampa EDITION, home to one of the city’s first Michelin-starred restaurants. Life at Water Street is also made easier by the free TECO Streetcar, which stops at Amalie Arena, Ybor City, the cruise port, and other popular downtown locations.

Tampa Bay

Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá is home to perhaps the world’s oldest “pedestrian” city project—the legendary Ciclovía, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in December. What began as a civic protest against the dominance of cars in the city has evolved into a weekly tradition: approximately 120 kilometers of streets are closed to motor vehicles, opening up space for around 1.7 million people to walk, cycle, rollerblade, or run throughout the city.

Ciclovía is now more popular than ever and has inspired similar initiatives worldwide, such as CicLAvia in Los Angeles.

Ciclovía. Photo: Wikipedia

New York City, New York

Bryant Park is often cited as a key driver of New York’s pedestrian renaissance. In the 1980s, it was revitalized into an acclaimed public space thanks to the Bryant Park Corporation and its director, Dan Biederman. He is now also involved in the Future of Fifth project, set to begin in 2028, which aims to transform part of Fifth Avenue. The plan includes removing two traffic lanes and widening sidewalks between Bryant Park and Central Park, opening up one of the world’s most famous streets to pedestrians.

Here everything started

No one transforms urban space quite like New Yorkers. A prime example is The High Line – a former elevated railway turned into a 2.3 km-long green corridor on Manhattan’s west side, attracting an estimated eight million visitors annually. Another unique site is Little Island – a 2.4-acre park built on pilings over the Hudson River, opened in 2021. With its green pathways and rich summer programming, it draws over a million visitors each year, 70% of whom come from outside the city. “People leave with a more favorable impression of a place if they experience it as pedestrians,” says Dan Biederman.

If you want to experience what it’s like when streets belong to people, not cars, come to this year’s 20th Neighborhood Festival Zažít město jinak. On Saturday, September 20th, over 150 locations across the Czech Republic will be transformed for one day. Don’t miss it!
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