28 June - 1 July: Towards Carfree Cities Conference IX - How do we get there?

The ninth Towards Carfree Cities conference is coming to the UK for the first time to York from Monday 28 June to Thursday 1 July 2010.

Find out more information and see the full programme at: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/programme_full.php

Friends of the Earth are holding a workshop on Tuesday 29th (10.45-12.15) planning for Car Free Day in September and we'll be at the Street Party on Bishopthorpe Rd on Thursday.

About this year's conference

We invite you to join us for this international gathering of experts, practitioners and campaigners dedicated to promoting sustainable and equitable alternatives to the motor car. The focus is on strategy, collaboration and exchange, assisting the practical work of conference participants, from organising carfree days to planning the carfree cities of the future.

This year's conference, "How Do We Get There?", will focus on bringing carfree communities to life, considering a range of strategies from temporary events to permanent road space reallocation to European models of new carfree development. We plan to carry out a real street conversion during the conference!

We will also learn from and seek inspiration from the past, by looking at how the medieval pedestrian city was organised spatially, and how these principles could be applied to future settlements. The key challenges of fostering political and public acceptability for car reduction measures will be examined, including an exploration of the conditions under which people willingly give up the car in exchange for the benefits of living in traffic-free environments.

The conference, hosted by Carfree UK and its local partners, will be held within the walls of medieval York at the Priory Street Centre, a short walk from the railway station.Even

Main events

Monday 28 June: Welcome
Day 1: will introduce the conference theme through presentations and workshops, and also introduce delegates to the City of York with a walking tour in the medieval city centre.
Evening: Carfree Pub Crawl, attempting to follow the York Overground Pub Map, start location: Meet 8 pm at the fountain

Tuesday 29 June: Open Day
All events on Tuesday will be open to entry (by voluntary donation) for members of the public.
Evening: Carfree Film Night at City Screen Picturehouse, 20:30; Donations

Wednesday, 30 June: Open Space
Wednesday morning will be given over to 'open space' discussions, in which the delegates will themselves come up with twelve topics for open discussion.

Thursday, 1 July: Professionals' Day
Thursday's presentations and workshops will be accessible to all but are aimed in particular towards planners, developers, architects and professionals in fields related to transport and urban planning
Evening: Bishopthorpe Rd Street Party, 18.30-22.00, Community event with food and entertainment