The Altstadt

Cars are prominent in Freiburg, but there is a different relationship between people, bicycles, transit and cars compared to home.  Cars defer to pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit as they negotiate the city streets.  Bicyclists and pedestrians move around each other fluidly.  There is also a higher level of convenience in using non-automobile travel modes.

Freiburg has made the Altstadt – the old core of the city – a car-free zone.  Only residents who live within the zone and service vehicles can drive in.  Pedestrians, cyclists, and the tram are freer to move.   Fraziska Breyer of the City government told us that when the car-free zone was proposed, businesses were very concerned that shoppers would shun the center.  But the decision has instead made the… [view entry]

This week, the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) launched an ambitious community outreach and education program to help Cambridge residents save money and reduce their carbon footprint. Eight dedicated climate heroes arrived in Cambridge Massachusetts after completing a 90 mile bike ride that began in Deerfield, MA. Cambridge is the riders’ the first stop on the Massachusetts Climate Summer tour to raise awareness about climate change by biking from community to community, promoting sustainability.

Over the next month, the climate heroes will bike throughout Cambridge, MA, speaking one-on-one with up to 3,000 residents about energy efficiency programs and services. The Climate Summer riders will visit Cambridge neighborhoods from the 17th of June to the 7th of July, offering a unique opportunity for residents to connect to information and resources to make their… [view entry]