Oslo reaps benefits of its nearly car-free city centre

Currently, huge areas in Oslo are completely car-free, especially around strategic places such as schools and parks. Photo: AFP

Norway's capital city, which has been a pioneer of pedestrianisation, recorded zero pedestrian and cyclist deaths in 2019. It is the only major city in the world to achieve such a feat.

To do so, Oslo has slowly eradicated cars from most central neighbourhoods. It all started a few years back, when Oslo’s city council decided to remove a thousand parking spots from its city streets. The authorities then encouraged city dwellers to use public transportation.

Today, huge areas of the city are completely car-free, especially around strategic places such as schools and parks.