Carless in California: Green choice or misery?

Between ecological convictions and practical considerations – profiles and motivations of residents in car-free housing developments in Germany and Switzerland

“…This stands in contrast with the literature on automobility, which shows that motorisation is correlated with the presence of children in the household and with the level of education (and income;Haefeli and Bieri, 2008;Kühne et al, 2018;Mitra and Saphores, 2017;Preisendörfer and Rinn, 2003). However, these observations are in line with other studies on similar housing projects (Baier et al, 2004;Ernst, 2008;Moser and Stocker, 2008;Scheurer, 2001), which show that car-free living may be attractive for population groups that are usually more motorised than average. Our study shows, however, a very specific profile in terms of values and voting intentions: residents are much more likely than the other citizens of their cities to vote for the left and to have altruistic values.…”

“…Scheurer focused on the planning and design of such urban developments and presented some early insights into the residents, including an overrepresentation of families. This was confirmed by other evaluations (grey literature) of car-free housing in Vienna, Hamburg and Munich, which reported higher proportions of highly educated residents and nearly no foreign citizens (Baier et al, 2004;Ernst, 2008;Moser and Stocker, 2008). The residential motivations of car-free housing residents are based more on the characteristics of the development (such as living in a community or ecological aspects such as an energy-efficient construction) than on those of the home itself.…”

“…Analyses of the profiles of car-free households based on statistical records show that, in general, three types of characteristics influence car ownership (Haefeli and Bieri, 2008;Kühne et al, 2018;Mitra and Saphores, 2017;Preisendörfer and Rinn, 2003). First, the profile of the household plays a role: household size, level of income and the presence of children correlate negatively with the likelihood of being car-free.…”

“…Car-freeness in itself is a motivation for only a few residents, whereas mobility-related aspects (e.g. a cyclist-and pedestrian-friendly environment or access to public transport) are central (Ernst, 2008;Moser and Stocker, 2008;Ornetzeder et al, 2008;Scheurer, 2001). This applies also to urban middle-class households moving to new developments (Jarass and Heinrichs, 2014;Rérat et al, 2013;Rérat and Lees, 2011).…”

“Desperately Need a Car”: Analyzing crowdfunding campaigns for car purchases and repairs on Gofundme.com

“…The most important factor influencing whether a household owns a car is its level of income. In the U.S., most households that can afford to own a car do so (Blumenberg and Pierce, 2012;Brown, 2017;Chu, 2002;Giuliano and Dargay, 2006;Mitra and Saphores, 2017). Income may be the main factor, but the built environment, transit service, and land use policies all affect car ownership levels (Chatman, 2013;Guo, 2013;Salon, 2009;Weinberger, 2012;Zegras, 2010).…”