The initiative, launched in 2000, was originally known as "The City Without My Car". From 2002 onwards, this proposal was integrated into what is now known as "European Mobility Week". European Mobility Week is held from 16-22 September each year to promote sustainable mobility and encourage the development of good practices and permanent mobility measures. The key day this week is 22 September, known as "Car Free Day", which consists in reserving one or more areas of the municipality for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.
Different activities are organised around this day to promote public transport and the recovery of spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.
Raising public awareness
European Mobility Week is an initiative aimed at raising awareness among European policy makers and citizens of the negative health and environmental consequences of excessive car use in cities. It is also a reminder of the benefits of using sustainable transport such as cycling and walking. Within this framework, European Mobility Week aims to contribute to the search for new solutions to reduce transport problems through the exchange of experiences between the different towns participating in it at European level.
The main pillars of this year's campaign will be:
- People
- Places
- Policies and plans
- Transport of goods.
The initiative aims to spread the word about the benefits of using sustainable modes of transport.
For this year's edition, registration for towns to take part in European Mobility Week is open until 15 September.
Spain has led the way in taking part in European Mobility Week since its inception in 2000. Last year, of the 3,184 towns that joined the initiative, 463 were Spanish. Likewise, of the 8,293 permanent measures submitted, 1,800 belonged to Spanish towns.
Past editions of European Mobility Week have been very well received by civil society, social organisations, institutions and companies, which have joined the activities related to sustainable mobility to raise awareness among citizens about the benefits of choosing non-polluting modes of transport. During 2021, 343 good practices were carried out in Spain, with 199 participating entities.
Non official translation