Can you live car free?

A $140 million Arizona development is banning residents from bringing their own cars in favor of scooters, bikes and ride-sharing, testing demand for a new type of walkable neighborhood.

The 1,000-person rental community, which broke ground this month in Tempe, won’t allow residents to park cars on site or in the surrounding area as a term of their leases. The founders say it will be the first of its kind in the U.S.

The neighborhood’s scale will be modest, with mostly three-story buildings. In place of parking spaces, the development known as Culdesac Tempe will feature significantly more retail and open spaces than are typical for its size. It will include a market hall for food vendors, coffee shop, plazas, communal fire pits and a building that residents can rent to host events.

The site is next to a light rail that connects residents to a grocery store, Arizona State University, downtown Phoenix and the airport. There will also be designated spots for ride-sharing and an on-site car-sharing service for residents traveling to other neighborhoods.

Changing tastes and new technologies have fueled demand in recent years for neighborhoods downtown or in inner-ring suburbs where residents can walk to amenities. Concerns about the environmental and health impacts of automobiles and worsening congestion have taken the sheen off driving for more people. Millennials in particular are choosing travel and other experiences over the costs of car ownership.

“Transportation has changed a lot over the last decade and real estate hasn’t kept up,” said Ryan Johnson, co-founder and chief executive of the new developer, Culdesac. “Now there’s the chance for us to build the first post-car development.”

Tags: car free, environmental living, healthy living, modern living