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While there\u2019s a short-term parking lot for deliveries, retailers and guests, Culdesac residents are expected to get around by the nearby light rail system, as well as on buses, scooters, electric bikes and by using ride shares. There are 22 retail shops, several of them live-work spaces, and a small Korean market. So far, 288 apartment units have been built on eight of the site\u2019s 17 acres with another 450 units planned.<\/p>\n
There are other car-free places in the United States, mostly island getaways where people walk, bike or tool around on golf carts. But zoning requirements in most cities usually require new developments to provide residents with a minimum number of parking spots, including in the Phoenix area, a paragon of urban sprawl. Culdesac Tempe\u2019s developers were given a special exemption from parking requirements by the City of Tempe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis is completely different than our modern, conventional approach to development,\u201d said Edward Erfurt, chief technical adviser at Strong Towns, a North American nonprofit group that promotes community resilience. \u201cWe\u2019ve just had this experiment for the last eight decades where we\u2019ve opted to prioritize an isolated transportation system versus our natural way of working together as humans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Culdesac Tempe broke that mold, Mr. Erfurt said, adding, \u201cThis is a very big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Culdesac\u2019s two- and three-story buildings are designed for the desert climate, painted bright white to reflect heat. Not having to factor in residential parking allowed its architects to configure buildings to maximize shade and to design narrow pathways that encouraged breezes and social engagement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe pedestrian is really the primary person, the figure that you\u2019re developing for,\u201d said Alexandra Vondeling, the lead architect on the project. Big expanses of glass were eschewed, awnings added over sun-facing windows, and native plants and trees put in for cooling shade. There\u2019s a wide walkway that can accommodate emergency vehicles, but no asphalt, reducing the urban heat island effect and improving conditions for the dogs that live there, too.<\/p>\n
The apartments range from studios to three bedroom units, renting from between $1,300 to $2,800 a month, which Mr. Johnson said were market rates. Nearly 90 percent are leased.<\/p>\n
Some residents were drawn to Culdesac because of its car-free mission, others in spite of it. There\u2019s a contingent, size unknown, that quietly still owns cars, just parked off-site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sheryl Murdock, 50, a postdoctoral researcher who lives in Canada, is renting a unit because she is frequently in Tempe for work and wanted to balance the carbon emissions from all that flying.<\/p>\n
Ashley Weiland and her husband moved in with their young child to give up the expense of having a car and ended up getting jobs at Culdesac, she at a restaurant there and he in maintenance.<\/p>\n
Electra Hug, 24, who works for the city of Tempe and is blind, wanted to be close to public transit and have a sense of community. It\u2019s the first time she\u2019s lived without the assistance of family and friends. \u201cIn order to have a good time or have fun, I do not have to cross the street,\u201d Ms. Hug said. \u201cIt\u2019s just super unique and really just homey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Rouhani and Ms. Reyes borrow her father\u2019s car once a week for errands. Otherwise they mostly ride public transit with free passes provided by Culdesac.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n