Zoning reform. It’s boring, but the way we zone most regions practically requires a car. You need mixed use areas, commercial and high density residential areas, smaller roads and bypass highways. Separating and isolating commercial from industrial from reaidential separates the jobs from the stores from the homes.
I’ve been seeing this more lately actually as a trend. I think policy makers (well at least some local and state) are getting smart to the idea that rezoning, while NIMBY’s hate it, is really smart city wide policy. Reduces need for spending public funds on additional housing and reduces road maintenance and public services that are required to upkeep a car dependent city.
A WFH mandate to start.
I came here to say strict parking maximums but zoning reform is the real answer as @themeatbridge@lemmy.world said
Mass transit and rezoning to actually be able to build mixed use areas.
Building rail transit and high speed rail transit corridors. Development along them, much like with the highway system in the US started in the 50s would take decades to come to fruition, but would allow much more efficient, affordable living for those who don’t want to spend their lives in metro traffic hells.
The enormous investment of the US highway act, and incredibly large ongoing cost to maintain the absurd amount of roads is never even brought up but is apparent to anyone not living in the insanity it doesn’t have to be this way. Maintenance costs for oems major highway vs. rail is no contest long term.
Creating a network of safe cycling infrastructure. These other ideas are great but will need decades and billions of dollars to execute.
Bicycles are perfectly adequate for most trips people take in their day to day life—but most people don’t use them because it’s not safe. Solve that problem and you have a cheap fun way to get around for a huge portion of the population. With e-bikes the needed level of fitness is low and you can cover greater distances in a reasonable amount of time too.
The great thing about bike patgs is all you have to do to make a road or street into a bikeway is decide that’s what it’s for now. And a protected bikeway made out off road lanes can be new paint and a jersey barrier. That’s how New York has been making them.
