Hey y’all! welcome back. In my last posts, I went over what’s causing the major traffic problem and what other places around the world do to control their traffic. Now I’m going to bring everything I learned so far to find possible solutions and innovations to fix the issue.
here’s a quick summary of the causes:
- Construction – frequent road closures and delays
- Incidents and Accidents – caused by poor road design, weather, and driver behavior
- Urban Core/Suburban Commutes – long daily drives from home to work
- Dependence on Cars – most people drive, even for short trips
- Undeveloped Public Transport – limited, underfunded, and now facing possible cuts
(detailed version on post #3)
Now I will take the things other countries do and incorporate them in a way that fits with Vancouver’s city
1. Expand Mixed-Use Zoning (Inspired by Tokyo)
Urban Core/Suburban Commutes: it takes many people a long drive to get to work or shop.
Solution: updating laws so that more mid-rise and high-rise housing near commercial areas, would encourage mixed-use development so people can live, work, and shop in the same area. There would also need to be a cultural shift since most people here are used to suburb living
Impact: this would heavily lessen traffic, especially during rush hour since there would be less of a need for long commutes by car (1)(2)(3)
2. Build a more Bike-Friendly City (Inspired by Amsterdam)
Dependence on Cars: people use cars too much even when traveling short distances.
The Solution: Invest more in bike infrastructure—protected lanes, bike parking, traffic-calmed streets, etc. by expanding all that we could create a city-wide cycling network.
impact: more active transportation, less car use. (4)(5)(6)
3. Create Car-Free Zones (Inspired by Paris)
Car-dominated public spaces
The Solution: Designate certain streets and areas that are car-free, especially near schools, parks, shopping areas, and public transport centers. to do this they would possibly have to start with weekend closures and then expand based on how the community feels about the closed off area.
Impact: Makes neighborhoods and central areas safer, quieter, and more multi-functional (7)
4. Invest in more in Public Transit (Inspired by Europe)
Undeveloped Public Transport – Cuts to transit services and low user percentage
The Solution: Reverse planned cuts and expand train lines, buses, and other transport networks. For this, there would need more funding, expand and to improve reliability. the biggest part of the problem is that people just prefer to use their cars so for it to work public transport would need to be more developed so that people feel more comfortable and safer.
Impact: Reduces car dependency and makes transit a real option for more people
- Rojc, P. (2019, April 6). Zoning in Japan versus zoning in the U.S. Planetizen News. https://www.planetizen.com/news/2019/04/103734-zoning-japan-versus-zoning-us
- Homes, P. (2022, July 13). Land use zones under the City Planning Law in Japan. PLAZA HOMES. https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/news/land-use-zones-in-japan/
- Hudson, L. (2024, September 29). Urbanism 101: Zoning’s history and role in the housing crisis – the urbanist. The Urbanist – Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life. https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/09/28/urbanism-101-zoning-history-and-role-in-the-housing-crisis/
- Written by: Letitia Smith | Travel Insurance ExpertLast updated: 16 July 2024. (2024, July 16). The world’s most walkable cities. AllClear.
- White, T. (2024, July 31). This city was just named the world’s most walkable – and it’s also known as the “bike capital of the world.” Travel + Leisure. https://www.travelandleisure.com/amsterdam-netherlands-named-worlds-most-walkable-city-8685257
- Cycling in Amsterdam. ThingstodoinAmsterdam.com. (2023, November 7). https://thingstodoinamsterdam.com/transport/cycling-in-amsterdam/
- Berry, A. (2025b, March 24). Paris to increase car-free zones after city vote – DW – 03/24/2025. dw.com. https://www.dw.com/en/france-paris-to-increase-car-free-zones-after-referendum/a-72019387
Hey! I really like how you took ideas from around the world and found practical ways to apply them to Vancouver, it made the post super engaging and realistic. Your breakdown of the four main strategies was clear and easy to follow. One suggestion I have is to maybe include a brief section on possible challenges or resistance to these changes: like cost, public opinion, or political barriers, just to show both sides. Here’s a source that can help: https://thoughtexchange.com/blog/change-management-government/ That could make your proposed solutions feel even more grounded. Great job overall, and I’m excited to see where you go with your next posts!
-Kiara
Hi Zoe
I absolutely love this type of post. I am a big fan of infrastructure and ways to optimize it. Even if on the surface it may look monotonous, truely finding a solution to make our cities better for everyone ensures that it can remain accessible to all. There are a couple great resources you may be interested in tapping into if you seriously want to test out some of your ideas. Microsimulation of Traffic flow (at https://traffic-simulation.de/) is a great small scale resource you can use to test out how small changes in which cars move via roads can lead to overall efficiency changes. I’ll say it again, I really loved this infrastructure post and seeing how you incorporated all methods of current transportation, except for aviation and maritime but who really cares, into the post gives me faith that someday we won’t be needing to pay so much for gas in the future. Keep up the good work.