Hamburg planning to ban cars from city by 2034

Hamburg, Germany is planning to ban all cars from its city center over the next 20 years, according to the Independent U.K. site. It’s a sad turn of affairs when the country that not only has the Autobahn, but also the Green Hell -- the most difficult racetrack in the world -- turns its back on motorized personal transportation.

The plan is called “Green Network,” and it will allegedly be in full effect by 2034. Citizens will have to travel by bike, foot or public transportation along a series of “idyllic” green thoroughfares.

“We envision a network that doesn’t just help residents to get from point A to B in a sustainable fashion,” Hamburg city spokeswoman Angelika Fritsch told the ZME Science urban planning network. “It will offer people opportunities to hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics, restaurants, experience calms and watch nature right in the city.”

The Independent reports that some 30 city planners are working full-time on the Network, which will cover 17,000 acres. It will encapsulate 40 percent of the city’s area and will connect parks, recreational areas, playgrounds, cemeteries and gardens.

Hamburg isn’t alone. Copenhagen, Denmark is currently building 26 “bicycle superhighways” that spread from the city center to the suburbs. That city plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Germany’s Green Party says Hamburg’s median temperatures have risen by 1.2 degrees to 48.2 degrees F over the past 60 years; sea levels have risen by nearly 8 inches over the same period.

By Jake Lingeman