European Mobility Week
European Mobility Week came about as it was discovered that Europeans are very worried about pollution and urban mobility. In town, many people complain of a poor quality of life: air pollution, noise pollution and overcrowding.
And yet, with the number of cars on our roads rising and the increasing reliance on fossil fuels to meet growing energy demand, air pollution is fast becoming problem for urban citizens, which can lead to health problems.
Euopean Mobility Week began in 2002 with the aim of encouraging citizens to change their travel behaviour and shift to more sustainable modes of transport.
The central theme for this year’s European Mobility week is ‘Clean Air for All’ and local authorities from all over Europe and beyond organise activities for their citizens and test new sustainable transport measures which, if successful, often become permanent once the week is over.
This year’s campaign takes place at the same time as Walsall’s Travel to Work Differently week, from Tuesday 16 to Monday 22 September 2008. One of the highlights of the week is the In Town Without My Car Day, taking place on Monday 22 September.
The event is now a firmly established dates in the calendar of governments and local authorities across Europe. In Town Without My Car allows us to question what our town centre streets are really for, and whether we have got the balances right between the differing and often competing needs of street users.
Should our high streets and residential suburbs be designed to maximise throughput of motor traffic, or should the emphasis be on designing social spaces where people can enjoy shopping and other activities in relative peace and quiet and safety? In Town Without My Car gives us some quiet time to pause and reflect on these issues, and a tantalising glimpse of what our town centre streets could be like with less motor traffic.
For more information, please visit the European Mobility Week website
This page was last updated on 02 December 2009