Living without a car in a car-oriented environment: Everyday mobility practices of voluntarily car-free households in a German city region

Addressing the environmental and social consequences of mass motorisation requires not only technical solutions but also an overarching transition towards sustainable everyday mobility. In this paper, we investigate members of voluntarily car-free households—those who travel by foot, bicycle, public transportation, or use borrowed or rented cars—as pioneers in this mobility transition. To this end, we conducted qualitative interviews exploring the mobility practices of car-free households to identify the opportunities and limitations for sustainable everyday mobility revealed through their experiences. We chose a car-oriented city region in Germany, a spatial setting generally considered unsuitable for car-free mobility, to investigate the extent to which car-free mobility is feasible despite negative preconditions. To analyse the mobility of car-free households, we further developed a model of mobility practices grounded in theories of social practice from various authors. Our results show that car-free living is feasible in different spatial contexts and life situations, including city peripheries, households with children, and among former car-owners. All participants assessed living car-free positively. Short trips and effective mobility tools simplify car-free living. Our results also revealed the opportunities and limitations of car-free mobility. With these findings, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the possibilities for a socio-ecological transition to sustainable everyday mobility. • This study investigates voluntarily car-free households in a car-oriented environment. • The paper applies a qualitative approach building on a model of mobility practice. • Voluntarily car-free living is feasible in different spatial contexts and life situations. • Car-free experiences reveal opportunities and limitations for sustainable mobility.