ABSTRACT
Over the past 70 years, the evolution of urban form and the rise of automobile dependence have been closely intertwined. As the car grew and became a dominant feature of modern life, its drawbacks have led to the recognition of its role as a nuisance. One response to this is car-free or reduced-car neighborhoods that have developed in various locations worldwide. These experimental car-free neighborhoods demonstrate straying from the status quo, often requiringadditional negotiations and working through different political and cultural barriers. This thesis investigates how planning cultures influence, facilitate, or hinder the development of two car-free neighborhoods: Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona, USA and Merwede in Utrecht, Netherlands. This thesis hypothesized that the planning culture in Tempe presents greater challenges to implementing community-oriented, reduced-car neighborhoods compared to Utrecht, the Netherlands stemming from a combination of factors, including car-centric urban development patterns, institutional and political barriers, site-specific constraints, regulatory and policy differences, prevailing public attitudes, and distinct economic and market conditions. However, through expert interviews with stakeholders, civil society, owners, and planners, this thesis concludes that planning culture does not simply enable or inhibit car-free development but rather shapes the type of challenges encountered—whether spatial, financial, or political. Securing funding, neighbor protests, an external amenities, for example, all contributed to the successes and challenges these neighborhoods faced in Dutch and U.S. contexts.