Every Sunday, Guadalajara shuts down its streets to let cyclists, pedestrians and other residents enjoy car-free conditions, in an event known as Via RecreActiva. Photo by supernova.gdl.mx.
8-80 Cities, a Canadian nonprofit (formerly known as Walk & Bike for Life), is hosting a three-day “study tour” of Guadalajara, Mexico on March 13-15, 2010 to show municipal leaders from around the world how to start their own Car Free Sunday programs, made popular in cities like Bogota, New York City and San Francisco.
The theme of the study tour is “Steps Toward a Car Free Sunday.” The organizers will show participants — including mayors, city staff, community leaders and academics — some best practices of Guadalajara’s Via RecreActiva, a weekly event that bans cars from the streets to allow cyclists, pedestrians and other residents to enjoy the city with less congestion, noise and air pollution. (The event is one of the highlighted activities of the World Health Organization’s 1000 Cities 1000 Lives campaign, which we’ve written about here.) Study tour registration costs USD $600, which includes study tour materials, transportation, bike rental, hotel accommodations and food. For more details, download the official study tour brochure (PDF). Watch this video to see what Via RecreActiva is all about:
