As per figures for January 2025 of Hedges & Company, an automotive digital marketing agency, the world owns approximately 1.644 billion vehicles.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, every car releases 4.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly. A great reason to seek out car-free zones?
Bella Venezia, built on 126 islands and linked by 400 plus stepped bridges, is Europe’s largest pedestrian zone. Its historic car-free centre is around 646.80 hectares (6.46 sq km).
The pretty Western Ghats hill station, with its quiet country roads, can be negotiated by horse, walking or by hand-pulled rickshaws but not by car, all 7 sq km of it.
There are just 2 ways to get about the 24.5 sq km gorgeous island -- water buffalo cart or boat. Off the coast, near Sihanoukville any surprise that sanloem means drowsiness.
At the foot of the Matterhorn, a town with no private cars. Visitors drive up to Täsch, 5 km away, & switch to a shuttle train and get around by bicycles, horse carriages, tourism-sanctioned electric cars/buses.
The Indian ocean island, 150 km from Mombassa, has zero cars -- donkeys and dhows handle all transport. Called Africa’s Kathmandu, its Old Town has lovely old, winding alleys, stunning doors.
Fes el Bali, the bigger of Fes’s two medinas, is a remarkably preserved medieval marvel, with a staggering 13,380 historic structures and is thought to be the world’s largest continuous car-free zone.
This city, in a few years, will have some of the largest car-free zones, especially when the planned emission-free Merwede district is completed. Many parts of the city are only negotiable on foot/cycle.