Norway’s capital, Oslo, has announced it will eliminate conventional automobiles from its city center by 2019, replacing them with electric cars — and thus slash its greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2020. This is sensational news for Oslo. But it may not be the right strategy for other cities intent on becoming carbon neutral, at least not yet. There are many other ways cities can reduce carbon emissions and air pollution in the near term: by transforming traffic-choked streets into integrated networks for bicycles, e-bikes, public transportation and walking. Overall, Europe’s urban transportation system is nothing to crow about. But there are affordable, visionary plans to change that by 2030. Worldwide, cities are responsible for 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, and transportation is responsible for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. The battle against climate change must begin at street level. The imperative to lower emissions […]