Campaign for car-free neighbourhoods launching in Lambeth (From Your Local Guardian)

Campaign for car-free neighbourhoods launching in Lambeth

5:20pm Monday 24th August 2009 in Streatham

The launch of an organisation looking to create car-free neighbourhoods in the capital is taking place at Lambeth town hall next month.

The Carfree Association believe there is a considerable untapped demand for networks of streets to which cars have no access.

A launch meeting is due to take place on Monday, September 14, at 7.30pm.

Steve Melia, co-ordinator of Carfree UK, said: “Carfree neighbourhoods are about freedom of choice and quality of life.

"If you give up your car, you should be able to give up the traffic that comes with it.

"We are not an extreme anti-car organisation, rather we recognise that people need cars in some situations, and accept that people should have the choice to own a car and live on a street open to traffic.

"We want Londoners to have the same freedom of choice available to the citizens of Freiburg, Amsterdam, Vienna, Cologne and many other European cities.

"Even if you don’t want to live in a carfree neighbourhood, you should realise that everyone’s quality of life will benefit from their creation.”

Koy Thomson, chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign, added: “If there is any city in Britain where living carfree could really take off, it is London, particularly central London.

"Many don’t own a car, for others it is a burdensome habit, and for most cycling is the fastest, cheapest, most convenient option.”

Visit london.carfree.org.uk.

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