AN INTERNATIONAL conference aimed at promoting car- free cities will be coming to York next year.
The Towards Carfree Cities conference is being staged in the UK for the first time in its 13-year history, with organisers selecting the Priory Street Centre as its venue.
The annual event will take place from June 28 to July 1, following a successful bid from local campaigners.
Up to 200 academics, city planners and activists from all over the world will take part, and York residents are also invited.
The global gathering aims to develop practical alternatives to car-dependent lifestyles, offering cutting-edge, radical thinking in transport policy and car-free development.
The conferences, run by the World Carfree Network, based in the Czech capital, Prague, have take place in cities including Lyon, Berlin, Istanbul and the Colombian capital Bogotá.
Local members of the not-for-profit national organisation Carfree UK produced the winning conference bid, and will host the event.
Steve Melia, co-ordinator of Carfree UK, said: “We’re delighted that the conference is coming to Britain for the first time.
“Car-free neighbourhoods are moving up the agenda in the UK, with the launch of the new carfree association for London, and increasing interest from local and national Government.
“This will be a great opportunity to learn from places all over the world, where neighbourhoods free from the curse of traffic pollution, danger, noise and congestion are planned or already in existence.”
York residents will be invited to a “public day” during the conference, where keynote speakers will give talks on current topics of interest to a local audience, and there will also be a public film night.
Randall Ghent, one of the local organisers behind the bid, said: “We’re really pleased to be hosting this here in York.
“We hope to put car-free development on the agenda, and eventually see it in reality at sites such as York Central.
“Imagine the appeal to parents – not having to worry about their children being exposed to the constant danger of car traffic.”
