The map that requires parents' taxi until age 18: what will happen if we continue to plan cities for cars

Cities are increasingly designed with cars as the primary focus, a trend that has fundamentally altered urban structures and commuting habits since the rise of the automobile industry, according to Vilnius's chief architect, Laura Kairienė.

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The street was first and foremost a public space of the city, but the popularization of the car, driven by Henry Ford's mass car production, fundamentally changed the structure of cities and people's commuting habits.

Kairienė explains that while cars remain relevant, a growing emphasis on humanistic urban planning raises questions about whether streets should be designed solely for vehicular traffic. She stresses that modern streets must accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users. Furthermore, challenges posed by climate change are influencing European cities to incorporate more greenery, permeable surfaces, and strategies for managing rainfall and heatwaves. Consequently, street planning is becoming a multidisciplinary task involving transport specialists, architects, urbanists, and environmental experts.

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The relevance of the car in daily activities has not and will not disappear. However, with the strengthening of humanistic urban planning ideas, questions have begun to be raised as to whether streets should be designed primarily for a single user – the car.

A significant issue arising from car dominance is evident in residential areas. When neighborhoods are planned primarily for vehicle flow, offering ample parking and easy access to main roads, essential urban elements like public spaces, services, and green areas are often neglected. Kairienė insists that cities must be planned from a human perspective, catering to the needs of various social groups. She suggests that planning a city from a child's viewpoint would result in a more humane and livable environment.

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Therefore, street planning is becoming an interdisciplinary task, where transport specialists, architects, urbanists, landscape architects, environmental and engineering specialists must sit at the same table.

Kairienė points to the consequences of past development in Vilnius, where peripheral areas were designed with car infrastructure in mind. This has made residents dependent on vehicles, not by choice but by necessity. Such car-centric planning, prioritizing wider roads and large parking lots while separating them from the social fabric, leads to increased traffic congestion, strains social infrastructure, and transforms new districts into monofunctional "sleeping" areas. The cost of a car-adapted city is substantial, impacting the quality of life and urban functionality.

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A good neighborhood is created by looking from a human perspective: responding to the needs of various social groups. After all, not everyone can drive a car, and if we were to create a city from a child's perspective, the city would be much more humane and livable.