Blessed with graceful natural beauty as well as a rich historical urban fabric, Istanbul faces serious challenges in trying to accommodate an additional 100,000 cars every year. Public transport initiatives include a metro (which Üstündag jokingly refers to as a "centimetro," because of its limited reach), as well as light rail and planned BRT lines. Istanbul also utilizes the Bosphorus strait, which runs through the city, as a public transportation artery, and efforts are being made to integrate the various forms of pubic transport into a coherent whole.

Back in 1987, the Taksim area was closed to motor vehicles and transformed into a pedestrian street, a move which was initially opposed by local businesses, but which today is generally considered a great success. Nowadays, the city is experimenting with car-free Sundays a la Bogota.

Also check out this video - part of CNN's "Eco-Solutions" series - on Mexico City's recent efforts to integrate progressive urban planning measures, based on policies implemented in Bogota and Curitiba, including car-free weekends, BRT lines and a new network of bike lanes.

Via:: StreetFilms