From ”In town without my car!” ...
The former European Commissioner for Environment Margot Wallström established the Car Free Day as a European initiative in the year 2000. It serves as an opportunity for participating cities to show how matters related to the environment concern them.
For one day, local authorities can present their urban centres in a different light and implement key actions aiming at restricting motorised traffic in certain areas, encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport and raising awareness on the environmental impacts of citizens’ travel choice.
... to the European Mobility Week
Every year, since 2002, the European Mobility Week is organised from 16 to 22 September and is dedicated to sustainable mobility. The European Mobility Week gives the opportunity to initiate a wide range of activities and represents a platform for local authorities as well as organisations and associations to:
- promote their existing policies, initiatives and best practices related to sustainable urban mobility;
- contribute to raising citizens’ awareness on the damages that current urban mobility trends generate on the environment and the quality of life;
- establish performing partnerships with local stakeholders;
- be part of a Europe wide campaign, sharing a common goal and a common identity with other towns and cities;
- emphasize the local commitment towards sustainable urban transport policies; and
- launch new longer term policies and permanent measures.
Since few years, the campaign is also being organized in few non-European countries, such as Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, Colombia and Equator. It also receives a growing media attention all over the world (see the blog pot in The New York Times concerning the 2009’s campaign).
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