Web conference
Friday, 4. September 2020, 18:00 – 19:30
Children cycling in the street, pedestrians having a pleasant city stroll, and people spending time enjoying green spaces – these are just some of the scenes our cities could look forward to if they had fewer cars.
Our cities are suffering from both air pollution and the sheer amount of space cars take up. However, many people, especially commuters from the surrounding area, are reliant on their cars simply because of a lack of alternative modes of transport. This is the result of a misguided traffic and housing policy stretching back decades, that has unilaterally championed cars and the urban sprawl.
In response to the coronavirus crisis, pop-up cycle lanes have sprung up in many cities, showing just what is possible if the political will is there.
Drawing inspiration from Berlin’s Changing Cities and Madrid’s Ecologistas en Acción initiatives promoting a transport revolution, as well as those advocated by German party DIE LINKE (The Left) in Berlin and Spanish left-wing party Podemos in Madrid, our conference aims to discuss how to achieve a ‚city for all‘ where no one has to face the scourges of air pollution and traffic chaos and where everyone can get from A to B safely and easily by bike or public transport.
In 2016, Changing Cities successfully pushed for a Bicycle Referendum in Berlin. Meanwhile, in Madrid, Ecologistas en Acción have launched an urgent appeal to maintain the car-free zone in the centre of the city. This event seeks to stimulate a discussion with you about the following questions: How can alliances supporting car-free cities or cities with low levels of car use be strengthened? What is happening with the implementation of the Berlin Mobility Act? What challenges face Madrid now that the conservatives have taken charge of the city’s government? How can mobility be guaranteed for everyone, regardless of their financial situation? Where can policymakers make changes and improvements, and where do they need to do so? And what can other initiatives promoting a transport revolution learn from Ecologistas en Acción and Changing Cities?
Speakers:
- Francisco Javier Cañadas, Podemos representative in the Madrid Assembly
- Nuria Blázquez, Ecologistas en Acción, Madrid
- Denis Petri, Changing Cities, Berlin
- Kristian Ronneburg, DIE LINKE representative in the Berlin House of Representatives
Moderator: Manuela Kropp, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Brussels Office
We look forward to discussing with you!
Interpreting will be provided into English, German and Spanish. This will be a web conference. You will be sent a link after registering.
(Bild: jan zuppinger / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0 )
