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LET'S MAKE CITIES FOR PEOPLE,
NOT CARS.

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)
Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Before(The National Archives of the Netherlands)
Gammeltorv, Copenhagen - Now (Bolt)
Gammeltorv, Copenhagen - Before(Copenhagen City Archives)
Der Graben, Vienna - Before(Österreichische Nationalbibliothek)
Der Graben, Vienna - Now (Bolt)
Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam - Now (Bolt)
Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam - Before(Stadsarchief Amsterdam)
Piazza San Carlo, Turin - Before(The Picture Art Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)
Piazza San Carlo, Turin - Now (Bolt)
In 1966, animators Les Drew and Kaj Pindal directed a short film that told the story of Martians arriving on Earth and mistaking cars for our cities’ dominant life form.

But in 2023, What on Earth! isn’t just a cute cartoon with an Oscar nomination. It’s a reality.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines dependency as the inability to stop using something harmful.

If car infrastructure takes up 80% of urban land; road transport creates over 20% of CO2 emissions; car accidents kill more than 1.3 million people per year; and traffic-related noise affects over 113 million Europeans — then why has the number of cars in Europe grown 10 times faster than it’s population?

While the Cambridge Dictionary refers to alcohol and drugs, the definition rings true to our relationship with cars.

Scroll to see how we ended up in this situation.

Step 1

We buy more cars

The allure of status, freedom and convenience helps car sales grow every decade for over a century.

In 2023, the number of cars sold worldwide reaches 65.4 million units.

Step 2

We build our cities to accommodate more cars

Pressured by car owners, urban planners invest taxpayers’ money to fund wider roads and bigger parking lots.

In Paris, a car is granted over 100m2 of urban land, while a person occupies just 31m2 of living space.

Step 3

We neglect walking, cycling and public transport

Higher investment into car infrastructure means lower investment into pedestrian paths, cycle lanes and public transport.

This leads to an inefficient use of public space, as a bus lane can transport up to 13 times more people than a lane of private cars.

Step 4

We move to the suburbs

City centres become packed with cars, forcing people to move away to the suburbs.

This is called suburban sprawl — a 20th century phenomenon that impacts every aspect of our lives.

Step 5

We need to drive everywhere

As suburbs lack an adequate public transport network, people resort to using private cars for both short and long trips.

And the cycle continues.

Reversing car-dependency

Thankfully, we now have the tools we need to put car-dependency and its consequences in the rearview mirror.

Bolt scooters

Best for trips under 3 km

For riders, scooters mean skipping traffic and easier access to public transport. For cities, they mean reduced air pollution, lower congestion and better use of public space. In 2023, Bolt scooters replaced more than 20 million car kilometres and helped avoid over 2.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions.

Bolt e-bikes

Best for trips under 5.5 km

An alternative to scooters, our e-bikes are often used for slightly longer commutes or grocery trips. Familiar and easy to use, they’re popular amongst older generations of car owners. With over 50% of car journeys being under 5 km, e-bikes can be a game-changer in the transition away from private cars.

Bolt ride-hailing

Best for trips under 13 km

A convenient, safe, and affordable alternative to private cars, ride-hailing serves as the gateway to shared mobility.

Bolt car-rental

Best for trips over 10 km

Bolt Drive offers the convenience of owning a car without the hassle of actually owning it. Surveys show that 63% of Bolt Drive users who sold their private car didn’t buy one to replace it.

Bolt scooters

Best for trips under 3 km

For riders, scooters mean skipping traffic and easier access to public transport. For cities, they mean reduced air pollution, lower congestion and better use of public space. In 2023, Bolt scooters replaced more than 20 million car kilometres and helped avoid over 2.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions.

Around the world, cities have started fighting back against private cars.

To document the change, we sent award-winning photographer Tõnu Tunnel across Europe and curated his work into the first-ever gallery of urban transformations.

Browse the photos to see what happens when cities change from spaces for cars into places for people.

Plac Zamkowy, Warsaw - Before(colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo)

Warsaw

Plac Zamkowy
colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo, 1970

Plac Zamkowy, Warsaw - Now (Bolt)

Warsaw

Plac Zamkowy
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Before(The National Archives of the Netherlands)

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
The National Archives of the Netherlands - Willem van de Poll, 1965

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Römerberg, Frankfurt - Before(INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo)

Frankfurt

Römerberg
INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo, 1953

Römerberg, Frankfurt - Now (Bolt)

Frankfurt

Römerberg
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
The National Archives of the Netherlands - Willem van de Poll, 1965

“The best part of the project was comparing the car-filled streets of the past with the people-packed streets of today. Change is possible everywhere.
– Tõnu Tunnel, photographer
Grand Place, Brussels - Before(World Image Archive / Alamy Stock Photo)
Grand Place, Brussels - Now (Bolt)
Købmagergade, Copenhagen - Now (Bolt)
Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)

We spent the last hundred years developing our addiction to private cars. But for the first time in history, we can finally kick the habit.

How can we make that happen? How should authorities, citizens and mobility platforms work together to make cities for people? And how do we shift the conversation from what do we need to give up to what can we get in return? We interviewed some people who know the answers.

Watch the videos to hear what experts have to say.

Karen K. Burns

Watch founder of an urban analytics startup Karen K. Burns talk about harnessing data to build agile, safe and human-centric cities.

Johan Tali

Watch architect and researcher Johan Tali talk about how human-centric urban planning can make cities better places to live.

Annela-Anger Kraavi

Watch Director of the Climate Change Policy Centre at the University of Cambridge Annela-Anger Kraavi talk about how people-friendly cities are also eco-friendly cities.

Hannes Aava

Watch writer and urbanist Hannes Aava discuss tactical urbanism and community-led change.

Raul Vibo

Watch transport engineer and road planner Raul Vibo talk about how human-centric cities benefit everyone.

Indrek Oden

Watch road engineer Indrek Oden talk about how rethinking public policy will help us make cities for people, not cars.

Tõnis Savi and Marek Rannala

Watch architect Tõnis Savi and civil engineer Marek Rannala discuss how inclusivity and accessibility can make everyone’s commute easier. (Part 1)

Tõnis Savi and Marek Rannala

Watch architect Tõnis Savi and civil engineer Marek Rannala discuss how inclusivity and accessibility can make everyone’s commute easier. (Part 2)

Karen K. Burns

Watch founder of an urban analytics startup Karen K. Burns talk about harnessing data to build agile, safe and human-centric cities.

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)
Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Before(The National Archives of the Netherlands)
Gammeltorv, Copenhagen - Now (Bolt)
Gammeltorv, Copenhagen - Before(Copenhagen City Archives)
Der Graben, Vienna - Before(Österreichische Nationalbibliothek)
Der Graben, Vienna - Now (Bolt)
Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam - Now (Bolt)
Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam - Before(Stadsarchief Amsterdam)
Piazza San Carlo, Turin - Before(The Picture Art Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)
Piazza San Carlo, Turin - Now (Bolt)

LET'S 
MAKE 
CITIES 

FOR 
PEOPLE, 
NOT 
CARS. 

In 1966, animators Les Drew and Kaj Pindal directed a short film that told the story of Martians arriving on Earth and mistaking cars for our cities’ dominant life form.

In it, humans spend their days ensuring their mechanical masters enjoy fancy meals (at the fuel pump), socialise with friends (in traffic jams), take naps during the day (at parking lots) and get a good night’s sleep (under the starry sky).

But 57 years later, What on Earth! isn’t just a cute cartoon with an Oscar nomination. It’s a reality.

Step 1
Cycle of car-dependency

The Cambridge Dictionary defines dependency as the inability to stop using something harmful.

If car infrastructure takes up 80% of urban land; road transport creates over 20% of CO2 emissions; car accidents kill more than 1.3 million people per year; and traffic-related noise affects over 113 million Europeans — then why has the number of cars in Europe grown 10 times faster than its population?

While the Cambridge Dictionary refers to alcohol and drugs, the definition rings true to our relationship with cars. Today, most people drive not because they want to. They drive because they have to.

Scroll to see how we ended up in this situation.

We buy
more cars

The allure of status, freedom and convenience helps car sales grow every decade for over a century.

In 2023, the number of cars sold worldwide reaches 65.4 million units.

We build our cities to accommodate more cars

Pressured by car owners, urban planners invest taxpayers’ money to fund wider roads and bigger parking lots.

In Paris, a car is granted over 100m2 of urban land, while a person occupies just 31m2 of living space.

We neglect walking, cycling and public transport

Higher investment into car infrastructure means lower investment into pedestrian paths, cycle lanes and public transport.

This leads to an inefficient use of public space, as a bus lane can transport up to 13 times more people than a lane of private cars.

We move
to the suburbs

City centres become packed with cars, forcing people to move away to the suburbs.

This is called suburban sprawl — a 20th century phenomenon that impacts every aspect of our lives.

We need
to drive
everywhere

As suburbs lack an adequate public transport network, people resort to using private cars for both short and long trips.

And the cycle continues.

Reversing car-dependency

Thankfully, we now have the tools we need to put car-dependency and its consequences in the rearview mirror.

Bolt scooters

Best for trips under 3 km

For riders, scooters mean skipping traffic and easier access to public transport. For cities, they mean reduced air pollution, lower congestion and better use of public space. In 2023, Bolt scooters replaced more than 20 million car kilometres and helped avoid over 2.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions.

Bolt e-bikes

Best for trips under 5.5 km

An alternative to scooters, our e-bikes are often used for slightly longer commutes or grocery trips. Familiar and easy to use, they’re popular amongst older generations of car owners. With over 50% of car journeys being under 5 km, e-bikes can be a game-changer in the transition away from private cars.

Bolt ride-hailing

Best for trips under 13 km

A convenient, safe, and affordable alternative to private cars, ride-hailing serves as the gateway to shared mobility.

Bolt car-rental

Best for trips over 10 km

Bolt Drive offers the convenience of owning a car without the hassle of actually owning it. Surveys show that 63% of Bolt Drive users who sold their private car didn’t buy one to replace it.

Bolt scooters

Best for trips under 3 km

For riders, scooters mean skipping traffic and easier access to public transport. For cities, they mean reduced air pollution, lower congestion and better use of public space. In 2023, Bolt scooters replaced more than 20 million car kilometres and helped avoid over 2.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions.

Around the world, cities have started fighting back against private cars.

To document the change, we sent award-winning photographer Tõnu Tunnel across Europe and curated his work into the first-ever gallery of urban transformations.

Browse the photos to see what happens when cities change from spaces for cars into places for people.

Plac Zamkowy, Warsaw - Before(colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo)

Warsaw

Plac Zamkowy
colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo, 1970

Plac Zamkowy, Warsaw - Now (Bolt)

Warsaw

Plac Zamkowy
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Before(The National Archives of the Netherlands)

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
The National Archives of the Netherlands - Willem van de Poll, 1965

Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Römerberg, Frankfurt - Before(INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo)

Frankfurt

Römerberg
INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo, 1953

Römerberg, Frankfurt - Now (Bolt)

Frankfurt

Römerberg
Tõnu Tunnel for Bolt, 2022

Paris

Rue des Rosiers
The National Archives of the Netherlands - Willem van de Poll, 1965

“The best part of the project was comparing the car-filled streets of the past with the people-packed streets of today. Change is possible everywhere.

– Tõnu Tunnel, photographer

Grand Place, Brussels - Before(World Image Archive / Alamy Stock Photo)
Grand Place, Brussels - Now (Bolt)
Købmagergade, Copenhagen - Now (Bolt)
Rue des Rosiers, Paris - Now (Bolt)

We spent the last hundred years developing our addiction to private cars. But for the first time in history, we can finally kick the habit.

How can we make that happen? How should authorities, citizens and mobility platforms work together to make cities for people? And how do we shift the conversation from what do we need to give up to what can we get in return? We interviewed some people who know the answers.

Watch the videos to hear what experts have to say.

Karen K. Burns

Watch founder of an urban analytics startup Karen K. Burns talk about harnessing data to build agile, safe and human-centric cities.

Johan Tali

Watch architect and researcher Johan Tali talk about how human-centric urban planning can make cities better places to live.

Annela-Anger Kraavi

Watch Director of the Climate Change Policy Centre at the University of Cambridge Annela-Anger Kraavi talk about how people-friendly cities are also eco-friendly cities.

Hannes Aava

Watch writer and urbanist Hannes Aava discuss tactical urbanism and community-led change.

Raul Vibo

Watch transport engineer and road planner Raul Vibo talk about how human-centric cities benefit everyone.

Indrek Oden

Watch road engineer Indrek Oden talk about how rethinking public policy will help us make cities for people, not cars.

Tõnis Savi and Marek Rannala

Watch architect Tõnis Savi and civil engineer Marek Rannala discuss how inclusivity and accessibility can make everyone’s commute easier. (Part 1)

Tõnis Savi and Marek Rannala

Watch architect Tõnis Savi and civil engineer Marek Rannala discuss how inclusivity and accessibility can make everyone’s commute easier. (Part 2)

Karen K. Burns

Watch founder of an urban analytics startup Karen K. Burns talk about harnessing data to build agile, safe and human-centric cities.