The Mayor, TfL and London Play encourage communities to reimagine streets on September 22 in different ways for play and active travel to mark Car Free Day…reports Asian Lite News
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Transport for London (TfL) and London Play are encouraging Londoners to transform their streets into spaces for playful celebration and street parties on Car Free Day in September.
Local streets across London will be open for play between Friday 20 September and Sunday 22 September as they become play streets for the day, enabling thousands of Londoners to play, walk, cycle and spend time with their neighbours. London hosted its largest Car Free Day celebrations in 2019, which saw thousands of people enjoy traffic-free streets in central London as well as hundreds of local streets across the capital. Since the pandemic, Car Free Day events have been focused on local neighbourhoods, and continue to offer a fantastic opportunity for people to enjoy their streets in new ways.
London Play is inviting the capital’s residents to swap their cars for space hoppers and transform their streets into temporary spaces for play and social gatherings. The annual event is on Sunday 22 September. It coincides with the official launch of the London Overground line which runs between Highbury & Islington and West Croydon being named the Windrush line, happening in autumn. TfL is working with London Play to encourage residents in the nine boroughs it passes through to hold carnival-inspired street parties to celebrate. One lucky neighbourhood will also win their own mini-carnival event including an on-street ‘Karnival Kart’ building workshop and parade, party games and carnival wing making.
Hackney Council is getting into the carnival spirit as well as the Hackney Carnival returns following a five-year absence on Sunday 22 September. Locals will be able to enjoy a free a family-focused street parade featuring Hackney’s loyal legacy carnival groups that celebrate the borough’s diverse communities. The daytime event will showcase eye-catching floats and vibrant colourful costumes that celebrate the diversity of carnival culture.
Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “The Mayor and I are committed to enabling even more Londoners to incorporate walking and cycling into their daily lives. 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.”
Fiona Sutherland, Director of London Play, said: “London Play is delighted to be working with TfL and City Hall to inspire more creative uses of London’s streets, which make up 80 per cent of public space in the capital. 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.”
Emma Strain, Customer Director at Transport for London, said: “Whether people are playing hopscotch or socialising with friends and neighbours, we hope that people across the capital take advantage of Car Free Day in September. Customers travelling on what will become the London Overground Windrush line this autumn, will see stations joining the celebrations.”
Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney: “Hackney Council is very proud to support Car Free Day. This is a fantastic initiative that promotes healthier lifestyles, a cleaner environment, and aligns with our commitment to creating a greener, healthier borough.
“We can’t wait to take to the streets this September to join residents for our family-friendly Hackney Carnival and celebrate our community’s rich diversity. By reducing traffic and encouraging alternative modes of transport, we can create safer, more vibrant streets on which everyone can enjoy this year’s parade.”
Once Londoners have enjoyed the experience of seeing their street in a new light – as valuable community space – it is hoped that many will go on to apply for regular play street sessions. This will contribute to tackling isolation and improving mental health in London’s communities, improving air quality, reducing road danger and inspiring more Londoners of all ages to get active as part of their daily lives through walking and cycling.
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