City Hall urges Londoners to ditch cars and “reclaim streets” on World Car Free Day
By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter
City Hall has urged Londoners to ditch their cars and “reclaim our streets” on World Car Free Day in September.
The global celebration will include events in neighbourhoods across London, with residents encouraged to apply to their council to temporarily close their streets to through traffic between September 20 and the day itself, on September 22.
Sadiq Khan’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman said: “We are delighted to once again be supporting the activation of play streets on Car Free Day, a unique opportunity to transform streets into playful and social spaces, where all members of the community can come together to scoot, bike, walk, space hop and socialise safely.
“I encourage all Londoners to join in the fun and reclaim our streets with this fantastic initiative, which supports our aim for a greener, fairer London for all.”
To mark the official launch of the new London Overground line names – which is due to happen in the autumn – Transport for London (TfL) is also encouraging residents in the nine boroughs through which the Windrush Line passes to hold carnival-inspired street parties to celebrate.
The Windrush Line is the new name for the route linking Clapham Junction and West Croydon with Highbury and Islington.
City Hall and TfL said that they are working to facilitate the day in partnership with London Play, an organisation which campaigns for the capital’s children to “have the space, time and freedom to play”.
London Play director Fiona Sutherland pointed out that London’s streets make up 80 per cent of public space in the capital.
She said: “Car Free Day is a great opportunity for Londoners to discover the joyful potential of the space outside their front doors, free of traffic for a few hours.
“Will they choose to simply share a cuppa with the neighbours? Race a spacehopper down the street? Play hopscotch? Or have a full-blown carnival-inspired street party?
“In all cases we guarantee that people will look at their streets differently, having witnessed how they can be transformed with fun for just a few hours.”
Pictured top: Space hopper races orgnaised by London Play for World Free Car day 2023 (Picture: London Play)