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America's "First Car-Free Neighborhood" Is Going Pretty Good, Actually?

Since breaking ground in 2021, Culdesac Tempe has had its share of detractors and skeptics. But none of them live there.

The $200 million project now includes 288 apartment units with about 300 tenants, reeling residents in with appeals of a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle, built-in community with ample amenities, and accessible transit to Tempe and the greater metro area. A dozen or even a thousand Culdesacs can’t solve that problem," because they would lack long-term growth benefits including "the resilience of a system where many hands have built the neighborhood and have a financial stake in it" and would reflect "a zoning and finance stream that favors industrial over incremental production." On the other hand, in recent years, cities nationwide have been increasingly trying to help address the housing crisis by promoting more density, relaxing zoning restrictions, and revising building regulations to reduce parking spot requirements.

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