Car dependency is a pattern in urban planning that occurs when infrastructure favors automobiles over other modes of transport, such as public transport, bicycles, and walking. Car dependency is associated with higher transport pollution than transport systems that treat all transportation modes equally.
Car infrastructure is often paid for by governments from general taxes rather than gasoline taxes or mandated by governments. For instance, many cities have minimum parking requirements for new housing, which in practice requires developers to "subsidize" drivers. In some places, bicycles and rickshaws are banned from using road space, and pedestrian use of road space has been criminalized in many jurisdictions (see jaywalking) since the early 20th century. The road lobby plays an important role in maintaining car dependency, arguing that car infrastructure is good for economic growth.