World car-free day

“Give us a way to play, a bike and we will be happy” is the motto of Gil Penalosa the founder of the non-profit 8-80 Cities, an organization that proposes a new vision of urban space tailored to both those 8 years old and who has 80.

The World Without Car Day was born in Bogotà in 2000 with the initiative promoted by Penalosa called Ciclovias. This initiative involved the closure of 121 km of roads in the Colombian capital with the aim of creating a huge square. The absence of cars is a social glue that allows people to appropriate spaces to talk, get to know and play.

September 22 is World Car-Free Day. The initiative aims to spread greater awareness of the serious problem of climate change. A problem on which many people debate but for which very few are willing to change their habits.

This year the World Car Free Day will be celebrated in more than 1500 cities scattered in over 40 different countries and is preparing to become the most attended edition. In Italy it is a date marked in red in the calendar of the citizens of Milan and Genoa who will be able to live their cities in a greener way using alternative means of transport and taking possession of their streets with bicycles, skates and more.

Among the cities of the rest of the world that have joined are Brussels, Paris, Washington, Stockholm, Minsk but above all London. The British capital has set itself the goal of hosting the largest and most widespread World Car Free Day in history. The mayor has in fact launched an ecological Sunday with a very busy agenda of events. Guided walks, excursions, bike rides, a treasure hunt will be organized. In addition, playgrounds for children will be set up for September 22 only. The day will also be enlivened by a host of street artists. That of September 22nd will be a completely different London than usual.

Has your city joined? Would you like to tell us about your World Car-Free Day? Write to us at info@bivo.it.

P. S .: Of course we are aware that one day is not enough to solve the problem of global warming and that it is necessary for everyone to change their habits so that there is a real change. With Bivo we are trying to make a contribution, albeit small, in order to solve one of the serious environmental problems that the modern world is facing today: the inefficiency of the food model. Would you like to know more? See What is Bivo