Mobility Council in Lier is ambitious with Car-Free Sunday
For the past five years, the city of Lier has organised a Car-Free Sunday each time. The Mobility Council of Lier works closely with the city to make it a blissful day without cars every time, with thousands of pedestrians and trappers and lots of healthy air. We asked Lieve Snoeckx, president of the Mobility Council, how they approach the day and what their ambitions are for the future with the Lier Car-Free Sunday.
Does the Car Free Sunday in Lier have a long tradition?
This year is the fifth edition in a row that we draw with the Mobility Council. Before that, the city also organised several Car-Free Sundays. So you can call it a tradition, and we are proud of that.
With the Mobility Council, you are the driving force behind the Car-Free Sunday in Lier. How does that work ?
The Mobility Council is indeed the driving force, but we get a lot of support from the city. For example, it provides posters that we distribute in the city centre from mid-August. And we also work well with the mobility department. Through De Peperbus, Lier's city magazine, we are launching several calls to residents to participate or organise activities. On the Lier website, by the way, we have our own page. There, too, we call on people to organise activities. And from July onwards, we will gradually fill that web page with all kinds of activities and a handy overview map.
For you,whatis the strength of a Car Free Sunday?
A Car-Free Sunday brings together a lot of targets from the Mobility Council's ambition statement. The emphasis is really on the space that is freed up and can be filled by something other than cars. It certainly doesn't have to be a big or spectacular event. Where possible, we also make a link with another activity, such as the Urban Trail in Lier in 2023 and the Lierse Vlaaikenswandeling in 2024.
Any opportunity for Lier residents to experience their street or neighbourhood in a different way is won. We started small, but with each subsequent edition, the car-free area has gradually grown a little bigger. Meanwhile, a certain inner area of the city is completely car-free.
How do you approach it practically?
We send several mailings to all Lierse associations. Meanwhile, there are a number of regulars who participate every year. Since 2024, there is more support from the city services, which also promote and call for activities to be organised during Car-Free Sunday. That does work nicely. The police provide a signage plan. And on the day itself, they also provide limited supervision. This good cooperation behind the scenes is crucial to give everyone a carefree, happy car-free day.
What else do you want to achieve with Car Free Sunday?
That Winternachten people realise that a city with fewer (or no) cars offers endless opportunities for residents and visitors to use the freed-up public space more actively. I, and many others with me, are constantly amazed at how much space is freed up when cars are not driven or parked. That makes people think, and that effect also works in the longer term. We remain ambitious: We should definitely succeed in getting the entire city inside the fortresses car-free for one day. That gives us the energy to keep going and continue the tradition in Lier for many years to come.
Want to know more about organising a Car-Free Sunday?
Our campaign expert, Sanne Vanderstraeten, tells you all about it.
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