With almost two decades of history, this European initiative looks towards an immediate future in which public health and the environment are not at odds with mobility. Will it be possible?
The European Union’s mobility agenda has a fixed date every September. Specifically, from 16 to 22 of that month, European Mobility Week is held, which since 2000 has sought to promote good practice in mobility. Sustainability as a goal is more relevant than ever, given the challenges our country faces in electromobility, for example. The 2019 edition has registered 2,298 cities and towns, as well as 2,292 actions across the EU. On its official website we can find the list of Spanish cities here.
The initiative urges towns and cities to commit to an event that encourages the use of public transport, but not only that: there is also room to schedule activities ranging from bike rides and walks to BMX and scooter displays, such as the one planned for this Saturday the 21st in the town of Alovera, in Guadalajara. Here are some examples of how EMW is unfolding in different parts of the country:
- Dos Hermanas (Seville) wants to involve schoolchildren in drills for rescuing road accident victims, and has announced a car-free day for Sunday.
- Madrid has joined the Week by organising a series of activities in its districts: road safety circuits with mini-motorbikes and mini-bikes (in Chamberí, on Sunday the 22nd), urban hiking (this weekend in Moncloa-Aravaca), a bicycle festival (in Usera, on Sunday the 22nd). And many more.
- Seville, for its part (and under the slogan “The city, without my car!”), is joining the campaign for the tenth year. It is doing so mainly with three events: the 8th Sustainable Mobility Fair, the fourth GreenFriday and Car-Free Day, which will close the week on Sunday the 22nd.
- On the islands there are activities as lovely as the night-time bike ride through the Ensanche district of Palma de Mallorca, on Friday the 20th. You can help spread the word using the hashtags #SemanaEuropeaDeLaMovilidad, #Movilidad or #EuropeanMobilityWeek.
- A Sunday with less smoke is what Valladolid is promising, announcing more than 40 activities throughout Mobility Week. We should not forget that one of the aims of the week is to increase social interaction between different communities and neighbourhoods.
- Catalonia’s involvement in EMW is beyond doubt, with more than 700 activities across the region, according to the Generalitat’s Department of Territory and Sustainability. The idea is to involve different institutions and address the need for a different kind of mobility, promoting more sustainable habits.