Culdesac is an especially bold experiment because of its unlikely location: Tempe, a suburb within greater Phoenix, Arizona. This sprawling metropolitan area is cursed with an inadequate public transportation system, which means residents practically need to own a car to get around. So, when Culdesac’s first residents arrived in 2023, many sceptics wondered how a neighbourhood that doesn’t permit private vehicles could survive in such a car-dependent place.
The key is to be “car free, but mobility rich”, says Parolek. The 17-acre mixed-use neighbourhood comes complete with eateries, shops, a Korean convenience store, a doctor’s office, a dog park, a pool, a gym and a coworking space – meaning locals are steps away from many amenities.
For visitors, the light rail stops right outside, linking the neighbourhood to downtown Phoenix and the airport. Self-driving electric Waymo robotaxis shuttle people further afield, while Archer’s Bikes rents e-bikes for exploring Tempe Town Lake or the Desert Botanical Garden.
The prospect of shrinking her carbon footprint by living car-light is what inspired Murdock to move to Culdesac while earning her postdoctoral degree in ocean sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU). The light rail whisks her to work at ASU in 10 minutes and to supermarkets in about the same time. She can pedal her e-bike around Tempe, a designated Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community. If she needs to go farther afield, she rents one of Culdesac’s handful of shared electric cars for $5 an hour. “Being in Culdesac has taught me that I much prefer the concept of the 15-minute city,” she says. “I don’t want to have to get in my car to do everything.”
Culdesac connects directly to the light rail, giving travelers easy access to the wider Phoenix area
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