Want to Grow Car Sharing? Shift the Shared Mobility Mindset

“Sure, going car-free works if you’re a single twenty-something living downtown. But try doing that with two kids, a mountain of groceries, and a 1.5 km walk uphill—in the rain.”

That’s the reality check Dr. Stephanie Altemoeller faced when she and her family opted to go without a private car during a six-month stay in Vancouver—a real-world test of the shared mobility mindset in action. Stephanie, a senior leader at INVERS and a shared mobility expert, used the opportunity to live what she’s long advocated: that car-lite living isn’t just possible—it can be better.

And she’s not alone. From European suburbs to Culdesac Tempe—America’s first car-free neighborhood—families, couples, and commuters are trading private car ownership for something unexpected: freedom. The truth is, car-free and car-light living isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about asking better questions: What if “mobility” didn’t revolve around your driveway? What if convenience didn’t have to mean a personal vehicle?

Table of Contents

• The mindset barrier we don’t talk about enough
• What happens when you try
• Real people, real shifts
• Lessons for cities: build the ecosystem, not just the app
• Myth-busting takeaways
• Try first. Think differently second.

The mindset barrier we don’t talk about enough

Ask anyone why they don’t use car sharing or public transit more often, and chances are, they won’t cite infrastructure. They’ll say it’s just not convenient—or that owning a car is simply “easier.”

But beneath that answer is something deeper: a shared mobility mindset that hasn’t taken root yet.

“In both North America and Europe, getting a car at 18 feels like a rite of passage,” Stephanie explains. “Choosing a car-lite lifestyle feels like you’re going against the grain—almost like you’re breaking an unwritten rule.”

In her hometown of Neuss, Germany, Stephanie lives in what many would consider an urban zone—just 8 kilometers from Düsseldorf and 34 from Cologne. Yet, despite proximity to two major cities, a car is still practically non-negotiable. Public transit exists, yes—but it doesn’t serve the “last mile.” The bus near her home runs three times an hour—on a good day. Sometimes, it’s replaced by a “taxibus” you have to call in advance.

“So many families around us have three cars once their kids hit driving age,” she says. “It’s not that we haven’t considered alternatives. It’s that there just aren’t enough of them.”

This problem is more prevalent in the U.S. and Canada than in Europe even: when shared mobility options exist, the cultural assumption is that a car equals freedom. And breaking that belief system? That takes more than a new app or a sleek e-bike.

It takes a willingness to try—and an ecosystem that makes trying feel like a win.

What happens when you try

Stephanie Altemoeller didn’t just research the car-lite lifestyle—she lived it. For six months in Vancouver, she and her family made do without a private car, relying on public transit, shared mobility, and walking—even when it meant a 1.5 km uphill trek home in the rain.

“There were moments I definitely questioned it,” she admits. “Especially waiting for a bus that never showed up, or walking home in the dark on streets with no sidewalks.”

But then she’d ride the SkyTrain, zipping past bumper-to-bumper traffic, and feel reassured. “Looking down at all the congestion, I knew we were doing the right thing.”

Her family adapted. Groceries were done once a week, bundled into ride-hailing trips. Car sharing required setup hassles (translating driver’s records, verifying ID), but they made it work. The key wasn’t perfect infrastructure—it was planning, flexibility, and mindset.

This is what transportation planners often miss: the shared mobility mindset shift is as emotional as it is logistical. People don’t give up cars because of a marketing campaign—they do it when they try something new and it works.

Real people, real shifts

At Culdesac Tempe, the evidence is clear. In the heart of car-dependent Arizona, families are thriving without cars. “Our son can bike around safely—we don’t have to worry,” says Ignacio Delgadillo, who moved in with his wife and child after selling their home in the suburbs. “We’ve made more friends here in six months than we did in 15 years.”

Sheryl Murdock, another resident, puts it simply: “It’s completely changed how I think about living.”

Across both continents, a common thread has emerged: people didn’t wait for cities to get everything right. They just started trying. And that’s when mindsets began to shift.

Lessons for cities: build the ecosystem, not just the app

The data doesn’t lie—shared mobility works when cities back it up.

• In New York City, the $9 congestion fee dropped traffic in Manhattan by 7.5% in the first week.
• Paris banned most cars from the city center—and saw pollution, noise, and travel times drop.
• In Belgrade, public transit became free for all tax-paying residents in 2025, boosting ridership almost overnight.

What do these initiatives have in common? They all made it easier—or more attractive—for people to leave their cars behind. Some did it with restrictions. Others with affordability. The most powerful results came when both worked together.

Vancouver’s SkyTrain is a strong backbone—but as Stephanie experienced, service can drop off quickly beyond the urban core. “Living in Burnaby meant no shared cars or bikes nearby,” she explains. “That 1.5 km ‘last mile’ made a big difference.”

This is where Europe shines. In cities like Amsterdam, mobility hubs bring everything—car sharing, bikesharing, and public transit—together in one spot. These aren’t just transit add-ons. They’re visibility boosters. They normalize shared mobility in everyday life.

And they work. Cities like:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands: GWL-Terrein, developed in 1998 on a 6-hectare former industrial site, is one of Europe’s largest car-free housing communities. With just 0.2 parking spaces per residence and car access limited to the perimeter, the design prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists, and public life.
• Barcelona, Spain – The city launched the “superblock” concept in 2016 to reclaim urban space from cars. The project turned clusters of nine city blocks into urban green spaces, playgrounds, and community areas, cutting air pollution by 30% and transforming urban life street by street.

These aren’t perfect models—they’re blueprints. Proofs that when infrastructure aligns with intent, behavior changes. Even in car-centric North America, bold new models are emerging.

For instance, Culdesac Tempe didn’t wait for policy to catch up—it built a private, walkable community next to light rail, offering access to e-bikes, scooter sharing, rideshare credits, and a monthly metro pass. The result? More freedom, fewer emissions, and no need for a personal car.

It’s not just livable—it’s thriving. And it’s proof that when convenience is on your side, the car becomes optional. Stephanie puts it best: “The true power lies in combining both—make private car use less attractive, and shared mobility more convenient. That’s when people really start to shift.”

Myth-busting takeaways

Let’s set the record straight. Because, despite growing support for shared mobility, the myths about car-free living reveal just how misunderstood the shared mobility mindset still is.

“Car-free is only for singles downtown.”

It’s a common belief that car-free living is only realistic for young, single professionals living in the city center. But that’s no longer true. For example, GWL-Terrein boasts an impressive 80% non-motorized mode share, 14% public transit use, and a car ownership rate of just 190 cars per 1,000 residents.

“It’s impossible in the suburbs.”

Many assume shared mobility only works in dense cities. But places like Vauban in Germany have proven otherwise. This suburban-style neighborhood was designed for people, not parking. Car ownership is discouraged, and public transport is integrated. And in Oslo, the city removed more than 700 downtown parking spots—and retail thrived. The problem isn’t suburbia—it’s design priorities.

“People don’t actually want this.”

The demand is there—but people are waiting for systems that make opting out of car ownership frictionless. 2023 Transport Canada study found that 38% of urban Canadians would give up their car—if mobility alternatives were more seamless. In Vauban, residents average just 0.3 cars per household. At Culdesac, over 90% of residents don’t own a car. People aren’t unwilling—they just need better options.

“Going car-free is always cheaper.”

Not necessarily. Ride-hailing, delivery fees, and subscriptions can add up. But the real value of a car-lite lifestyle is broader: time saved, stress reduced, and access reimagined. Think of the hours spent scheduling oil changes, dealing with repairs, chasing down insurance quotes, or waiting at the garage. Without a private car, that time and mental load disappears—replaced by the simplicity of using what you need, when you need it.

“People need to be convinced.”

No—they need the opportunity to try. As Stephanie says, “Nothing is more convincing than personal experience.” Once someone has a positive interaction with shared mobility—whether that’s using an e-bike, hopping on a clean and efficient rapid transit train, or car sharing for the first time—the mindset starts to shift naturally.

As Stephanie puts it: “People raise their eyebrows when you say you don’t own a car—as if you’re either a radical environmentalist or just nuts. But once you try it, your whole mindset shifts.”

Try first. Think differently second.

You don’t need to ban cars overnight. But you do need to ask yourself: how often do I drive just because it’s easy?

Stephanie has a challenge for anyone curious about going car-lite,“put your car on a peer-to-peer sharing platform for six months. Let others rent it—and see what happens.”

This isn’t just a theoretical exercise. It’s a real-life mobility experiment. By listing your vehicle, you’ll be forced to make intentional decisions about when you actually need it. You’ll explore alternative modes like transit, biking, or ride-hailing—maybe for the first time. And you’ll experience the reality of not having instant access to a private car.

“What you’ll likely discover,” Stephanie says, “is that your car goes from being this sacred object of personal freedom to something more practical—just a tool that can be shared, like a lawn mower with a neighbor.”

It’s a shared mobility mindset shift through lived experience. And it’s one of the most effective ways to challenge your assumptions—and unlock new mobility habits.