14 DAY TRIAL // High officials in the city of Hamburg, Germany say that, in about 20 years' time tops, this urban area has high chances to be completely car-free.
Oddly enough, the city's extreme green makeover will not happen because of some wacky piece of legislation banning people from getting behind the wheel, but because Hamburg will get a brand-new transportation network that will eliminate the need for cars.
The eco-friendly transportation network currently under construction in this part of Germany is dubbed Grünes Netz, which translates as “Green Network,” Inhabitat reports.
The initiative boils down to setting in place car-free paths that link Hamburg's major parks, playgrounds, community gardens and cemeteries with one another.
Once completed, the network is expected to expand over 40% of the city's overall surface, and make it possible for Hamburg's residents to reach one destination or another either by walking, or by cycling.
Thus, information shared with the public says that the urban area's Green Network will comprise both pedestrian and cycling paths. What's more, these paths will have green spaces along them.
“[Hamburg] envisions a network that doesn’t just help residents get from point A to point B in a sustainable fashion.”
“It will offer people opportunities to hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics and restaurants, experience calm and watch nature and wildlife right in the city. That reduces the need to take the car for weekend outings outside the city,” city spokesperson Angelika Fritsch explained in a statement.
The city's high officials estimate that work on this project will only last for a few more years. More precisely, the network should be in place within 15 years, 20 tops.
Hamburg's decision to go ahead with this project has to do with the fact that, over the past few years, the city has experienced the consequences of climate change and global warming.
Specifically, average temperatures recorded in this urban area have increased by about 9 degrees Celsius (roughly 16 degrees Fahrenheit).