My ‘Living in America’s First Car-Free Community’ Experience: Here’s Why It Could Happen

Pete Adeney, like most people, hates being stuck in traffic.

So when he heard about a new community where he wouldn’t need to own a car at all, he was intrigued.

Just 15 miles from downtown Phoenix, AZ, Culdesac is billed as the first car-free community built “from the ground up” in the U.S. In 2023, nearly 140 residents moved in and plans to expand to 1,000 residents in 760 apartments to 17 hectares by 2025.

Currently, rents range from $1,500 to $2,280 per month for one- and two-bedroom apartments (the community also offers incentives to renters that actually bring the rent down to about $1,200 per month).

Short-term rentals are also available, fully furnished, although they are not yet for sale.

But is it realistic to live without a car?

In December, Adeney decided to find out by moving to Culdesac.

At the time, he was living in Denver with his teenage son, but they were eager to escape the area’s bitter winters and experience a more active lifestyle that Culdesac had to offer.

“My son and I moved there for the experience together,” says Adeney.

The benefits of car-free living

For four months, Pete rented a furnished two-bedroom apartment in Culdesac and lived there full-time while his son commuted between Colorado and Arizona.

At first, they were worried about how they would get around and whether they would have access to everything they needed, but those fears were quickly allayed with the many car-free travel options available to them.

They do a great job of providing multiple ways to get around, so you can live there without owning a car – a rail stop on the corner of the neighborhood, plus e-bikes and even a car-sharing station right on the block. country, equipped with new Chevy Bolt EV electric cars, – says Adeney.

Soon after moving home, he and his son loved that they could avoid being behind the wheel all the time.

“I’ve always been a big fan of living a life with more walking and cycling and less dependence on the car,” he says. “I like to position myself to be close to everything I like to do on a regular basis: work, friends, groceries.”

Adeney, a personal finance blogger and founder of Mr. Money Mustache also notes that car-free living comes with many other benefits.

First, residents who don’t own a car don’t need to pay for gas or insurance.

Plus, “it helps you get in better shape by reducing your need to drive,” he points out.

Two of Adeney’s favorite amenities at Culdesac are the lush grounds and two-story fitness center.

“Culdesac itself is really beautifully laid out with great architecture, courtyards and gardens,” he says. “As a fitness enthusiast, I had a special appreciation for the on-site gym, which is the best and most complete facility I’ve ever seen in an apartment complex.”

But Adeney also points out that they never felt trapped in Culdesac, with plenty of walking, cycling and other attractions nearby.

“We loved being within easy biking distance of downtown Tempe and Papago Park and having easy access to a bunch of other walkable mountains in the Phoenix area as well,” says Adeney.

Why car-free life creates a sense of community

Nate Dicochea, the leasing manager for Culdesac, also lived there when it opened and was impressed by the convenience factor of not having to drive anywhere.

“When you’re cooking and you run out of an ingredient, you can just go down to the store and grab it in three minutes, instead of taking the time to drive to a distant store and back.” € he says.

However, Culdesac co-founder and CEO Ryan Johnson believes a car-free life offers much more than convenience.

He thinks America’s car-centric culture has made people feel disconnected from their communities.

Culdesac, on the other hand, “builds in” social interactions in the form of friendly clashes with neighbors.

“Culdesac embodies our vision of putting people first, creating vibrant connections between residents, businesses and the wider community,” says Johnson.

A neighborhood environment is also cultivated through local social events such as movie nights and farmers markets.

“There’s always something to do and somewhere to go,” notes Dicochea.

Adeney agrees that he and his son enjoyed strolling the main streets of Culdesac, which includes a James Beard-nominated restaurant, Korean convenience store and more that create “a pretty cool mini-downtown feel.”

Why life without cars appeals to college students

Culdesac is especially popular among college students, who often don’t own a car anyway.

“Right now, I don’t have a car,” says 19-year-old Adrian Rodriguez, a student at Arizona State University, which is a short bike ride from Culdesac, where he’s lived since January 2024.

“I fully understand that living in a car-free community may not be for everyone; but for me, it’s perfect, – he says.

Rodriguez lives in one of the live/work units, with a one-bedroom apartment in the back and a retail store in the front where he sells his sustainable clothing line, Ito.

“My retail space is pretty separate from my living space,” he says. “My bedroom and bathroom make up about half of my unit, and my retail space and kitchen take up the other half. I’m studying entrepreneurship and fashion design, and having a place to live close to campus while also getting a retail space has been a game changer – an opportunity that wouldn’t have been available to me otherwise for the coming years .â€

Since he opened his shop in March, he has learned a lot from other shop owners nearby.

“I’m very happy to say that I’m close to all the retailers here in Culdesac,” he says. “They are all wonderful people who have taught me so much about running a business. There is a real community here of residents and business owners that I have yet to see anywhere else in Arizona.â€

Can life continue without cars?

Culdesac is now looking at expanding into Mesa, AZ and Atlanta, but it remains to be seen whether such communities will catch on widely.

“The emergence of car-free built environments will be an interesting trend to watch,” says Realtor.com economist Ralph McLaughlin. “A large majority of the US has developed around automobiles, so families have had little choice to vote with their feet in favor of car-free neighborhoods.

“Certainly, some families will be in favor of such car-free spaces, but it will be interesting to see if price growth in these areas outpaces traditional neighborhoods over time. As alternative modes of transportation become more popular, it’s possible that car-free neighborhoods could be a design trend that becomes a more permanent fixture in American cities.

Adeney (who negotiated a reduced press rental fee and blogged about his experiences) says the four months he spent at Culdesac were so enjoyable that he would consider returning there at some point.

“We Americans get a little nervous when someone talks about alternatives to driving,” says Adeney. “But at root, it all means that the most beautiful things are much closer to home” and who doesn’t want that?