text: Vauban, Germany is a community that has given up their cars. The streets are car-free -- except for the where the tram runs. The residents might hear a car motor from the distance, and that is only when the pleasant sounds of wandering children and bicycle riders are not blocking out that noise. The people of this community live their lives healthier and with less stress from getting more excercise. "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way," says a media trainer and mother of two living in Vauban.