This city will be largely petrol-free within a generation, but we should make the switch as soon as possible.
In 25 years' time, how will people get around Canberra? Mostly in electric cars, buses, light rail, bikes and on foot. Many of the cars will be self-driving and shared, dropping off or picking up, with no parking needed in city or suburban centres. Diesel and petrol engines will be unusual and considered a nuisance.
More people will live close enough to their work and shops so they will walk and ride, which will be made more attractive through better foot and bike paths. The transport system will be better integrated, linking up the different modes.
We will have more space, better air and less noise – an even more people-friendly Canberra. Underpinning that vision is denser housing, much more investment in better urban spaces, and the electric transport revolution.
Read the full article by Prof Frank Jotzo in the Canberra Times.