The community of Culdesac is thriving, but you might notice something missing

The first such community in the US was most likely Fire Island in New York.

UPDATED SEP 30, 2024

Needless to say such communities have come in for some rather bizarre criticism.

Tempe, Arizona: Can you imagine life without pollution? No, guessed not. Can you imagine life without the noise of traffic? Not unless you're living in the boonies. Now, can you imagine life without cars? Well the residents of Culdesac, Tempe, are doing that for you.

The concept of car-free communities has been around for a while. The first car-free community in the US was most likely Fire Island in New York. Fire Island has been largely car-free since its development in the early 20th century. Cars are generally banned during the summer months when most tourists visit, and year-round residents typically use bicycles or walk to get around. The largest car-free community in the country is Mackinac Island in Michigan.

So how do the people who live in Culdesac actually get about, especially when summer temperatures regularly cross 110F? (Photo: Culdesac)

But what if you're not an island? To Arizonans, one of the most familiar examples of this trend is a car-free community in Tempe. The founders of the real estate development company -- Culdesac -- behind this inititative have a stated aim of "building neighborhoods that embrace community, open space, and mobility". Founded by Ryan Johnson and Jeff Berens, Culdesac claims "the communities prioritize biking, walking, and transit over cars and parking".

So how do the people who live in Culdesac actually get about, especially when summer temperatures regularly cross 110F? The community has tied-up with numerous transportation companies, as of now they offer: 15% off all Lyft rides; free rides on the Metro; carsharing starting at $5/hour with Envoy; Bird scooters on-site, 1,000+ bike parking spots; limited free and discounted rides with Waymo; and exclusive deals and discounts at Archer's Bikes.

Needless to say car-free communities have come in for criticism due to their perceived lack of accessibility and Emergency Services access. But one rather ironic complaint is that they're so sought-after they can actually drive up real estate prices. While this only appears to affect older communities that have recently switched to car-free status, the fear is this could push out long-term, lower-income residents who can no longer afford to live in these areas.

But while Culdesac, Tempe has a ways to go before it becomes a Venice, Italy -- arguably the only car-free city in the world -- new units are already under construction, with 450 additional residences expected to be completed in the next two to three years.