Car free experience in

Freiburg-Vauban

by Hannes Linck, Manager

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The situation of Freiburg

and its Vauban quarter

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The situation of Freiburg

and its Vauban quarter

Close to the city center ...

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban
The situation of Freiburg and its Vauban quarter

... and close to the open countryside

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008
 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The situation of Freiburg

and its Vauban quarter

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban
A short historical outline of the quarter
1938 Construction of the Schlageter barracks
1945 Takeover by the French military
deployment – Vauban barracks
1992 Withdrawel of the French troops

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

A short historical outline of the quarter

1993 Decision of the Municipal Council to develop a new quarter.
1995 Forum Vauban Association takes on responsibility for the broadened
citizens' participation.
The Student's Union and S.U.S.I.
begin the conversion of
10 military housing buildings.
1996 Discussions on the development
plan, Forum Vauban crucially
influences them.
Vauban is German example of
'Best Practice' at the World
Settlement Conference 'Habitat II'.

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

A short historical outline of the quarter

1998 The first building cooperative begins building.
2005 Construction work on the third building section
begins.
2006 Opening of the tram line number 3 to Vauban.
2008 More than 5,000 inhabitants, 30% under 18,
2% over 60 years

2009 Projected ending of development status.

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The principal ideas behind the traffic system in Vauban

Very little car traffic in the quarter

A quarter of short distances with good supply for the daily needs

concentrating the cost of the car traffic on the users of cars

Good connections by public transport

Car-Sharing

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The development of the traffic system

• No car-free area, but parking-free residential streets
• District garages at the entrances of the quarter
• Parkings for visitors
along the two
main streets

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban
Space needed for different traffic and parking systems

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The development of the traffic system

• In the residential streets the pedestrians have priority
• Seperate streets and lanes
for pedestrians and cyclists

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car free experience in Freiburg-Vauban

The development of the traffic system

• No through traffic in the residential streets
• No through traffic on the main streets
• On the main streets only 30 km p.h. © Stadt Freiburg
 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban

The development of the traffic system

• Bus lines and since 2006 a tram line connect
the quarter to the city center in 15 min.

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban

Regulations of car-free living

• Residents who don’t regularly use cars, don’t have to buy or rent a parking
space
• They sign a contract with the Association for Car-Free Living
• They pay 3,700 Euros instead of 20,000 Euros
• They submit a declaration once a year that they still don’t use cars regularly
• They may use cars occasionally privately or for their jobs
• The association guarantees a parking place if necessary later on

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban

A quarter of short distances

• Kindergartens, primary school, youth club, sports clubs,
• Shops for daily needs
• restaurants
and bars
• 400 jobs
• 3 tram stops
• 2 bus stops
• short connections
for pedestrian
and cyclists

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban
Success
• quiet residential streets where the children play
• more space in the streets for the pedestrians
• over 420 homes (40%) are car-free
• only 250 motor vehicles
per 1,000 residents
(Germany: 500 per 1,000 res.)
• 12 frequently used car-
sharing cars in different
sizes for different uses

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban

How the Vauban people move in their free time (2003)

foot bike bus/tram car others

car users in Vauban Freiburg car free people in Vauban

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban
How the Vauban people move in their daily life (2003)

foot bike bus/tram car others

car users car free car users car free

daily purchase large purchase

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008

 Car
Car free
free experience
experience in
in Freiburg-Vauban
Freiburg-Vauban

Problems and solutions

• a number of car users park in the streets because they find the way to the
garages too far
• As a result of this sometimes there are not enough parkings for visitors
• 10-15 % of the car free homes still use cars
• the council voted in favour of the system, not the administration
many conflicts and hard struggle between commited residents and the
administration
• only little commitment of the administration for the traffic system

Such a system only works well if all the participants act in favour!

© Verein für autofreies Wohnen e.V., 2008