In his "The Year of Living Car-lessly Experiment," Sightline director Alan Durning documents his family's first year of functioning as a car-free household in 2007. The blog catalogues the pros and perils of going car-less in his community of Ballard, in Seattle, WA. (And, as the Durnings discover, it's not as tough as they'd thought.)

The Durnings embarked on the car-less experiment after their 1986 Volvo wagon bit the dust. Parents Alan and Amy bribed their three children with cell phones so they'd buy in, though they learn that being car-free with kids poses one of the year's greatest challenges. This sentiment was loudly echoed by readers who commented on the blog, as well as by guest blogger Clark Williams-Derry.

This stellar documentary offers a thoughtful, honest, and comprehensive commentary on car-free living. In the blog, Durning explores both the expected (i.e. biking in the rain) and unexpected (child molesters running amok? Unlikely, but most parents are still too scared to let their kids take the bus). He also considers other surprising effects of going car-less, like feeling a greater connection to and awareness of his community and immediate surroundings, being in public (versus within the protective, private confines of the car), that cars travel so very, very fast (!), the joy of a car-free vacation, and how living without a car can lead you to be more contemplative.

The Durnings do occasionally borrow friends' cars and rent FlexCars, though their overall savings--in both cash and carbon emissions--is tremendous. If you're considering taking the plunge to car-free (or going on a "low-car" diet), this series is a must-read.

Photos via flickr by BikePortland.org and mattlehrer.

Comments (2)

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zichi said:

Its good that Alan Durning and his family gave up cars which I know can be difficult in a country like America, especially outside of the cities. I gave up cars in 1977, that's 31 years without owning a car and I have never rented one in those 31 years. I'm a full time artist and rely on public transport. I do hire a truck to take my paintings to my exhibitions. I also use taxi's sometimes but usually only if the public transport is closed down. I have lived in the countryside and alpine mountains and still managed without a car. I can't even remember the last time I actually drove one. Of cause, no one is car free because our food is produced with cars, delivered by cars, the power and water companies, the sewers etc. I have tried to keep my carbon footprint to the minimum at least at the level of a second world country. I do not use air conditioning or central heating. If you be good if more people tried to live without cars, even if only for one year.

April 22, 2008 | url

MarkR said:

Thanks for that link I look forward to reading more from the Durings. and he is dead on when he states, "When you don’t have a car, you are forced to consider your options for each trip. You have to think more. And that is often a good thing, because often there are better alternatives than driving." So true...

April 22, 2008

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