European Cities are Driven to Become "Walkers' Paradises"

While the European approach diverges from the conventional practice here in the U.S., it still operates on a shared principle of increasing pedestrianization.

"In the United States, there has been much more of a tendency to adapt cities to accommodate driving," says European Environment Agency representative Peder Jensen in a New York Times article.

Elisabeth Rosenthal elaborates, "While American cities are synchronizing green lights to improve traffic flow and offering apps to help drivers find parking, many European cities are doing the opposite: creating environments openly hostile to cars." Frequent traffic signals, longer red lights, limited on-street parking, and various pricing mechanisms are some of the gimmicks used to create a situation "miserable enough to tilt drivers toward more environmentally friendly modes of transportation."