New York City

• Reliable public transportation makes New York City ideal for car-free living.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  New York City's extensive subway system has more than 2 billion riders each year and consists of 468 stations, which is more than any other transit system in the world. This, together with rapid transit bus lines and commuter trains to New Jersey, Long Island and the north, make it easy to navigate this city without a car. Lack of reasonably priced parking and chaotic traffic are also good reasons to walk or choose public transportation. A huge choice of shops, entertainment and facilities in communities throughout the city also mean that you never have to go far to find what you want.
  
  

Chicago, Illinois

• Chicago has extensive bus and train services.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The nation's second largest public transit system serves metropolitan Chicago and 40 neighboring communities, providing some 1.64 million rides on an average weekday. The Chicago Transit Authority offers 140 bus routes and 242 miles of rapid "L" train routes. The City of Chicago is proud of its downtown pedestrian walking system, which it calls the "Pedway." Underground tunnels and overhead bridges provide more than five miles of pedestrian walkways in the Central Business District, which is particularly appreciated by pedestrians during the cold winter months.
  
  

Ann Arbor, Michigan

• Ann Arbor is an ideal base for commuters into Detroit.Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  While public transportation and a wealth of amenities make New York City and Chicago ideal for car-free living, the high cost of living and factors such as crime can make them undesirable. While the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is only 28 square miles in size, this compact community that includes the University of Michigan offers an extensive public bus service that serves the 114,000 residents, many of whom are students. Regular trains and buses also ferry commuters between Ann Arbor and Detroit, some 43 miles away.
  
  

Portland, Oregon

• City planners are striving to discourage car use in Portland.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  The north-south running Willamette River essentially divides Portland into an east side and west side that are laid out in an easy-to-navigate grid. Trimet Transportation operates 52 miles of light rail services and buses around the region, and Portland State University, RiverPlace and all the region's cultural attractions are conveniently linked by Trimet's streetcar service. City planners have also provided ample bike lanes and paths in the region to promote Portland as a cyclist friendly city. Urban planners and environmentalists were so impressed with Portland's efforts to minimize car travel in the city that the international organization "Towards Carfree Cities" held its 2008 conference there.