LONDON — Horns blaring, tires screeching and miles of traffic — these are the hallmarks of busy cities the world over.

But that is changing in Europe as some urban areas take steps to regulate and reduce the number of cars as they aim to improve both the environment and quality of life.

Oslo's Vice Mayor for Urban Development Hanna Marcussen Roy Tjomsland

Oslo is perhaps the furthest ahead with plans to restrict private cars within a half-mile radius of its city center. It expects to eliminate all 700 of its on-street parking spaces by the end of the year and is slowly closing streets across that area to traffic.

“It’s a paradigm shift from planning the city for cars to planning for people,” Oslo’s Vice Mayor for Urban Development Hanna Marcussen told NBC News.

The move away from cars is accompanied by plans to build new bike lanes, revitalize public areas and further develop public transportation, paid for with fees from a toll ring around Oslo.

Streets in the inner-city zone will be accessible by car only for emergency vehicles, deliveries and those with disabilities or other specific requirements.

The limits come as new European Union emissions targets are set to take effect in 2020. Oslo is aiming to cut emissions by 50 percent from its 1990 level by 2020, and to be a zero-emitting city by 2030.

Air pollution was estimated to be responsible for around 391,000 deaths in the E.U. in 2015. Around 75 percent of Europeans live in urban areas, so improving air quality would have a big public health impact.