I toured an Arizona neighborhood that banned cars and found a walkable oasis in the middle of a Phoenix suburb

• Culdesac is a car-free neighborhood in Tempe, Arizona.

• The housing startup has 200 residents who use bikes, scooters, and ride-share services to get around.

• Take a look inside the walkable oasis filled with courtyards, local shops, and plenty of shade.

Walkable neighborhoods are on the rise. In a country run by cars, many millennials and Gen Zers are willing to spend more to live in a community where it's easy to get around without a vehicle, according to a 2023 study by the National Association of Realtors.

Enter Culdesac — the budding Arizona block making a name for itself as the "first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US."

Located in Tempe, home of Arizona State University, Culdesac is a community where cars are banned. It's been a project in the making since 2018. Last year, the neighborhood opened to residents. Now, 200 people live on the 17-acre block, a company representative told Business Insider. Eventually, Culdesac plans to house 1,000 residents.

As a New Yorker without a car, Culdesac intrigued me. So, on a recent trip to Arizona, I visited the car-free neighborhood and thought it felt like an urban oasis in the Phoenix suburb.

Culdesac is in the greater Phoenix area.

The neighborhood is located on the east side of Tempe, just about 10 miles from Phoenix.

I recently got a private tour — and the chance to chat with the CEO.

During my visit, I met with CEO and cofounder Ryan Johnson. After years of working in the real estate and transportation industries — and traveling to walkable places around the world — he was inspired to create a neighborhood free of cars.

From New York City to Budapest, Johnson says his travels launched a passion for cities.

"I saw those places and said, 'Wow, this is a much better way to build a city — with thoughtful architecture, great transportation systems,'" he told BI.

Johnson added that developments in the transportation industry, from ride-share apps to public transit systems and electric bikes, have made living car-free possible in places like Arizona.

Johnson, who grew up in Phoenix and currently lives at Culdesac, hasn't had a car in 14 years.

All around the property, I spotted electric bikes and scooters.

Visitors and delivery drivers can park their cars at Culdesac, but residents cannot.

The company representative told BI that for residents with cars, "it's regulated through their lease agreement that they won't park on-site or on any public streets within 0.25 miles."

Some residents park their cars elsewhere in Tempe, while others, like Johnson, don't have a vehicle at all. Residents get around on foot, bicycles, electric bikes, and electric scooters. The neighborhood has more than 1,000 bike parking spots.

One Culdesac resident previously told BI that living without a car can be challenging outside the neighborhood, as the surrounding city was built for vehicles.

However, according to the company's website, Culdesac provides residents with a mobility package worth almost $3,000 a year to make transportation easier. It includes a complimentary Valley Metro pass for the light rail that goes through Phoenix and Tempe and discounts on ride-share apps like Lyft and Waymo, a self-driving cab service.

My tour began in the plaza.

The plaza, located across from the neighborhood light rail stop, is the communal center of Culdesac. It's marked by a sculpture by artist Matthew Salenger that doubles as a canopy.

Here, there are games, shaded tables, and weekly events.

Every Thursday evening, Culdesac hosts Little Cholla, a public outdoor night market with music, vendors, food trucks, art, and activities such as line dancing and yoga.

There's also a two-story gym.

A two-story building in the plaza with giant windows is home to the neighborhood fitness center. It offers workout classes and is lined with equipment.

Across from the plaza, there are local shops run by residents.

From thrifted clothing to unique dishware and candles, there's plenty of local shopping at Culdesac.

According to the company's website, there are about 11 micro-retail shops, including a market, a laundromat, a medical spa, an art studio, and a plant shop.

These micro-retailers have the option to live in their workspace.

The company representative told BI that the small-business owners at Culdesac are residents, and some even live in their stores thanks to a zoning permit that allows them to do so.

All the stores have kitchens and bathrooms, and some have bedrooms.

Steps from the plaza, the neighborhood has a restaurant with outdoor seating.

In April 2023, Culdesac's Cocina Chiwas opened. It's a family-owned Mexican restaurant serving Chihuahuan cuisine.

As I strolled the communal paths, I noticed that Culdesac didn't feel as hot as the surrounding streets. That's because there's no asphalt on the property.

It's no secret that the Phoenix area is hot — sometimes dangerously so in the summers. So Culdesac was built to keep pedestrians cool without asphalt — a road material that gets hotter in the sun.

In the residential areas, the walkways are narrow.

Culdesac intentionally placed the buildings close together to create as much shade as possible.

The buildings' color is also no accident. Culdesac chose white because it reflects sunlight rather than absorbs it.

Between residential buildings, there are courtyards with grills, tables, hammocks, and firepits.

More than half of the entire property is open, landscaped space.

Culdesac has apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom floor plans.

Culdesac currently has 172 units. More will open in the fall, and the neighborhood will eventually have 760 units.

Studios start at $1,300 a month, one-bedrooms are $1,400, two-bedrooms are $2,100, and three-bedrooms are $2,900 a month.

On the outer rim of Culdesac, there's a bike shop with tune-up services.

Archer's Bike Shop sells manual and electric bikes. And Culdesac residents get complementary services and product discounts.

Culdesac seems like a place where people can not only live car-free but also get to know their neighbors.

After my visit to Culdesac, I chatted with Brad Biehl, a 24-year-old resident from Colombus, Ohio. Biehl has lived in the neighborhood for six months. He said one of the best parts of living there is the sense of community.

"We're usually in environments where we walk from our door to our car and from the car into the place," Biehl said. "But here, to go anywhere, I usually pass at least two or three of my neighbors, even when I'm just walking to the light rail right around the corner."

Biehl added that he's optimistic about the future of Culdesac when more residents and retailers come in.

"While there are still not a ton of people here yet, there's way more going on than I would've expected there to be," he told BI. "The number of serendipitous interactions that have taken place with the limited number of residents makes me super excited for what people will experience here."

Read the original article on Business Insider