Travel Smarter, Live Better - EU Mobility Week 2010
From 16 to 22 September 2010, hundreds of European towns and cities will participate in the ninth edition of European Mobility Week and invite their citizens to a wide range of activities promoting sustainable mobility. The 2010 campaign theme - “Travel Smarter, Live Better” - was selected as the focal theme for European Mobility Week 2010 in recognition of the detrimental effects that current urban transportation trends have on health, both for citizens and for the towns and cities in which they live.
European Mobility Week 2010 aims to get more European citizens living in urban areas to travel \smarter\ on foot, by bike and by public transport. By choosing these healthier and more sustainable modes of travel over the private car, citizens can positively influence their health and well-being, and also enhance the environment and quality of life in cities, to help them \live better\.Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for the Environment, stated: \Too many Europeans rely on their cars for both long and, more worryingly, for short journeys. This is a concern for many reasons: more driving means more accidents on the road and more air pollution. What’s more, greater car use means less exercise, a factor that has contributed to high levels of overweight people and obesity across Europe. The main theme of European Mobility Week 2010 - Travel Smarter, Live Better- is a wake up call to local authorities, to consider more the impact of travel policies on the urban environment and quality of life, and to help people make smarter, healthier travel choices\.Participating towns and cities are encouraged to sign the European Mobility Week Charter and register their activities at www.mobilityweek.eu. In addition, participating towns and cities meeting certain eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply for the European Mobility Week Award 2010. This prestigious accolade rewards those cities judged to have organised the most innovative EMW 2010 campaigns in terms of quality of activities linked to the annual theme and range of permanent measures implemented. The city of Gävle (Sweden) was the European Mobility Week 2009 Award Winner, with Leon (Spain) and Ivanić-Grad (Croatia) as joint runners-up.Interesting activities and events will also be organised in many CIVITAS cities. To find out more, consult our latest news or visit www.mobilityweek.eu/-Participating-cities.
