Originally Posted by AverageCommuter
Or read the book "Carfree Cities" by J.H. Crawford. The federal government has established rules which make it uncomfortable for lower level governing bodies not to follow their zoning guidelines, but it's not illegal. As far as the ammenities go, there isn't anything a carfree city should be unable provide that a car-centric one can.
Right, that's the point. If a city wants to go car-free, it just makes that a part of its City Plan. Then when it designs car-free areas, it is simply following its Plan. No big deal. Cities have a free hand to do a lot of things. They can't violate federal or state laws, but they do have a free hand to pretty much do whatever they want within the law.