This week the European Mobility Week is celebrated, aimed at raising awareness, both among political leaders and citizens, about the negative consequences of the irrational use of the car in the city. Central Madrid, the Superblocks, the Almendra Peatonal de Pontevedra, Vitoria, Paris, Amsterdam… more and more cities are determined to eliminate cars and reconquer space for pedestrians.

This trend is not accidental. Reports based on the deterioration of air quality indicate that air pollution causes the premature death of more than 400,000 people a year in the European Union, making it a major problem. It has also been shown that streets with more pedestrian facilities increase their value by 7.5%, and that people who are used to walking tend to spend 40% more in neighborhood shops.

In this transition to a car-free city, women play an exemplary role as they opt for shared transport, are more environmentally aware and better plan their trips. The ClosinGap study indicates that women generate 9% fewer CO emissions< sub>2 a day than men, which translates into savings of €93 million a year in the State if men traveled like women.

Below, we leave you some cases of best practices of measures aimed at reducing polluting emissions from cars in Europe and a low cost guide to improve sustainable mobility in urban environments.

London: seeks to be the most walkable city in the world. The objective for the year 2041 is that 80% of the trips in the city are made on foot, by bicycle or public transport. 2,400 million euros will be allocated to recondition streets and sidewalks, improve signage and optimize the public transport network.

Oslo: The rulers of the Norwegian capital have paid attention to the data that indicates that in the central almonds of the cities the volume of cars looking for parking at a given moment can rise to 30%. Oslo City Hall solution? Hit some of the busiest streets and say goodbye to parking lots.

Central Madrid: It is the Low Emissions Zone in Europe that reduces the most pollution. Thanks to this measure, a 32% reduction in nitrogen dioxide in the air has been achieved since its commissioning.