TEMPE — A unique community, encouraging people to walk, bike or take public transit just opened in Tempe.
Taking the light rail is common for Tom Filla now that he lives at “Culdesac Tempe.”
“The whole walkability and being able to use the public transit around is really nice,” Filla said.
He told ABC15 he specifically moved to the apartment community located near McClintock Drive and Apache Boulevard because of the walkability.
The owners of Culdesac say it’s a “five-minute city,” and that it’s the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch.
“We are building for people rather than cars,” said Erin Boyd, the government and external affairs lead for Culdesac.
The first building for the community opened up just recently. Residents living there take just a few steps away from a restaurant. Soon, though, they’ll also have a coffee shop, bike repair shop and grocery store.
“Being able to go downstairs instead of going across town, it’s going to be wonderful,” Filla said.
Every resident living at Culdesac Tempe will get an electric bike along with discounts with Lyft. They can also take electric scooters that are stationed throughout the complex. Residents will also have unlimited rides on the light rail.
While there is a parking lot on-site, it’s not for the people who live there. It’s for visitors to their restaurants and all the other goods they’ll have.
“From a sustainability perspective, this is really important,” Boyd said, adding that reducing the use of cars will help the environment.
Should anyone need a car for big grocery trips or just run across town or to visit anyone, the complex does electric cars available for rent.
“When thinking about Culdesac Tempe, this has huge potential to change the way we build in the U.S.,” Boyd said. “Right now when you walk outside your front door, you see a parking lot, you’re in an apartment building, you rush to your elevator and you go down and try to avoid your neighbors. Right now, what we’re building is a way to connect with your neighbors instead.”
Boyd added they do food trucks and community events to help connect neighbors, which Filla said is why he also enjoys the complex.
“It’s hard meeting people as you grow up and so to have a community built around that is really cool,” Filla added.
While the community is still under construction with more buildings opening up throughout the years, they plan to finish all 750+ units in 2025.
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