text: It is uncommon in the U.S. for a whole town of people to "give up" their cars, let alone pay $40,000 for a parking space and a house.  In Vauban,Germany, this "smart planning" movement was introduced to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of cars in the area.  "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way," said Heidrun Walter, a mother of two and media trainer.  70 percent of families living in Vauban do not own cars and walk or ride bikes to reach their destinations.  The town is not completely "car free," there is a main thoroughfare that runs from downtown Freiburg.  Considering the town was only built about ten years ago, they are helping our environment in a big way.