Towards Carfree Cities IX - Full Programme

• "Beyond the Car - Streets as Places" presentation by Daniel Mourek and David Murphy (Czech Environmental Partnership, Prague and Brno)
• "Putting People First in Car-borne Communities: Exploring the Challenges and Sharing Solutions" presentation by Richard Smith (Living Streets, Newcastle upon Tyne)

• "DIY Streets" presentation and workshop by Katherine Rooney and Liz Smith (Liveable Neighbourhoods Team, Sustrans, Bristol)

• "Porto: Planning for People, Not Cars" by John Bartlett (Smart Transport Solutions Pty Ltd, Australia)
• "Including Children in the Redevelopment of Bam, Iran" by Omid Rismanchian (Edinburgh College of Art)

• "Milton Keynes - The Carfree City That Nearly Was" by Anzir Boodoo (Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds)
• "Melbourne's Bicycle Boom" by Elliot Fishman (Institute for Sensible Transport, Australia)

• Welcome from the conference organisers

• Walking tour of York, led by Dr Andreas Heinemeyer (Stockholm Environment Institute, York)

• "Cycling City York: Three Years of Positive Change" by Graham Titchener (Cycling City Programme, City of York Council)
• "Tackling Traffic in Africa: the TEST Network" by Dr Gary Haq (TEST Network Co-ordinator, Stockholm Environment Institute, York)
• "The Bike Rescue Project and the Hub Station" by Bernie Cullen (Bike Rescue, York)

Carfree actions as a catalyst for carfree development and conversions
European Mobility Week offers the chance to test steps towards carfree development, such as reducing parking space or pedestrianising streets, to demonstrate their benefits and to promote them as a permanent solution
Presentations:

• "Good Practice from European Mobility Week" by Rory McMullan (PTRC and ACT Travelwise, London)
• "Carfree Actions as Catalyst for Carfree Development - Rasen am Ring in Vienna and PARK(ing) Day in Munich" by Günter Emberger (Technical University, Vienna)
• "Strategies towards large-scale carfree areas" by Günter Emberger and Franz Skala (Institute for Ecological Urban Development, Vienna)
• "Superblocks: An Instrument for Improvement of Open Spaces" by Günter Emberger (Technical University, Vienna)

• Walking tour of York (repeated), led by Dr Andreas Heinemeyer (Stockholm Environment Institute, York)

• Presentation by Simon Field (ITDP, Hamburg)
• Panel discussion covering the arguments used by both sustainable transport campaigners and the motoring lobby. An introduction to counter-greenwashing. Panel members: Milan Borić (Yugo Cycling Campaign, Belgrade), Mari Jüssi (Stockholm Environment Institute, Tallinn), Simon Field (ITDP, Hamburg), Matt Wilson (Bicycology, UK)

European-level activities to promote strategies towards large-scale carfree areas
The objective is to realise urban structures ensuring accessibility without the need for and presence of private cars: this allows those who do not own cars to enjoy the benefits of carfree living. How can this be achieved?
Discussion in groups of about 10 people
Conveners: Günter Emberger (Technical University, Vienna), Franz Skala (Institute for Ecological Urban Development, Vienna)

• Welcome from Councillor Andrew Waller (Council Leader, City of York Council)
• "The Quick and The Dead: A History of the Pedestrian" by Dr Barbara Schmucki (Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History, University of York)
• "A Vision of Carfree Cities for the 21st Century" by J.H. Crawford (author of Carfree Cities and Carfree Design Manual)

• "Designing a Zero-Carbon Transport System: Action Speaks Louder than Words" by Professor John Whitelegg (Liverpool John Moores University and Stockholm Environment Institute)
• Dialogue with the three keynote speakers (panel discussion)

• "York Carfree Day 2010" led by Friends of the Earth York

• "Club of Carfree People of Switzerland: Our First Five Years" by Beat von Scarpatetti (Club der Autofreien der Schweiz and University of Basel, Switzerland)
• "The 95% Carfree City" and "Sustainability versus Resiliency" by Chris Bingham (Ecotownz.co.uk)
• "A Design for Russia's First Carfree Development" by Vadim Makeev (Zodchi Ltd Architects, Tula, Russia)

• "Space and Experience, Part I: Space" - Explore public space and its uses with games by Leeds-based public space and performance group Make-Pla(y)ce, with Anzir Boodoo (Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds), Dr Chiara Tornaghi (Department of Geography, University of Leeds) and Francesca Panella (performance artist)

• "The Psychology of Car Dependence" and "The Urban Bus Experience" by Professor Steve Stradling (Edinburgh Napier University)
• Panel discussion on the psychology of car dependence, with Professor Steve Stradling (Edinburgh Napier University), Dr Gary Haq (Stockholm Environment Institute) and Karin Sandqvist (University of Stockholm); chaired by Anna Semlyen (author, Cutting Your Car Use, York)
• Choice of small group discussions or workshop led by Carlos Pardo (ITDP, Bogota, Colombia)

• "Space and Experience, Part II: Experience" - Turn the way you experience the city on its head with psychogeography, using the techniques of dérive (drift) and détournement (overturning) on a walk with a difference!, with Anzir Boodoo (Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds), with assistance from Make-Pla(y)ce and Leeds Psychogeography Group

• "Mind Shift, Mode Shift: A Lifestyle Approach To Reducing Car Ownership and Use, Using Behavioural Economics" by Stephen Young (Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton Business School)
• Panel discussion on strategies to overcome car dependence, with previous speakers plus Pascal van den Noort (Velo Mondial, The Netherlands); chaired by Anna Semlyen (author, Cutting Your Car Use, York)
• Small group discussions on strategies to overcome car dependence
• Reports and conclusions from discussions

• Open Space is a way of organising a conference or meeting so that there is maximum participation, self-management, energy and focus. Open Space meetings allow everyone to discuss the issues that are most important to them. At the beginning of the session, the facilitators (Randall Ghent and Anna Semlyen) will ask people to propose discussion topics. Twelve topics are proposed in total. These become twelve separate half-hour discussions.

• Participants of the 21st Ecotopia Biketour will discuss their plans and processes before pedalling off the following day. They'll be cycling through England to Wales, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and on to Cologne, Germany, where they plan to arrive on 31 August.

• Discussions 1-6 identified in the Open Space introduction will take place simultaneously in designated break-out spaces. Participants decide which discussion groups to take part in, according to their interests. Discussions are led by the people who identified the topic, or someone else in the group if they prefer. Volunteer reporters take notes which form the basis of reports to the plenary.

• "The Zero Commute Option: Planning for and Supporting Home-based and Flexible Working" by Andy Lake (Smart Work Network, Flexibility.co.uk)

• Discussions 7-12 identified in the Open Space introduction will take place, following the same process described above. The only rule of Open Space is the "Law of Two Feet". This encourages people to move groups if they find they are in a discussion to which they cannot contribute.

• Each of the 12 discussion groups briefly reports back to the plenary. Notes from each discussion are posted on a wall for viewing. Over lunch, written comments may be added by others. Time and space in the afternoon is available for discussion groups to continue their work.

• "Reducing Car Use with Car Clubs" by Simon Parker (Carplus, Leeds)

• "Greening the Urban Landscape" by Justin Hyatt (Hungarian Young Greens, Budapest)

• "Personal Rapid Transit: The Future Public Transit for Carfree Cities" by Joerg Schweizer (University of Bologna, Italy)
• "Can Technology Save Us?" with Joerg Schweizer, Simon Field (freelance transport planner, Carfree UK), Milan Borić (Yugo Cycling Campaign, Belgrade), others

• "Contribution of Cycling to Poverty Alleviation and Social Inclusion" by Andrew Murray Wheeldon (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
• "Designing Walkable Environments: The Impacts of Urban Form on Pedestrian Perception" by Anzir Boodoo (Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds)

• "The European Greenways Programme" presentation by Daniel Mourek (Czech Environmental Partnership, Prague)
• "Integrating Carfree Developments with Rural Areas and the Natural Environment" workshop by Ralph Smyth (Campaign to Protect Rural England)

• option 1: "Visualising a Carfree Quarter" - outdoor carfree planning exercise with J.H. Crawford (finishes 17:30)
• option 2: "Cycling Excursion - Greenway to Green Belt" - Ride on York's links to its natural surroundings with Ralph Smyth (Campaign to Protect Rural England). Includes tea break - bring your own cake to share! (finishes 17:30, with option to return at 15:00)

• "Taking to the streets" presentation from Alison Chisholm (Oxford Brookes University), Dave Horton and Griet Scheldeman (Lancaster University)
• Workshop hosted by researchers from University of Lancaster, University of Leeds and University College London, led by Dave Horton and Griet Scheldeman (Lancaster)

• "We Love our Bikes! Getting Children Out of Cars and onto Bikes – for Life!" by Vicki Hill (Sustrans, York) - A colourful outline of some of Sustrans' most successful children's cycling projects such as Bike It and Beauty and the Bike with interactive workshop and expert advice on how to change the travel culture at a school near you.

• Guided tour of National Railway Museum

• Networking meeting for UK activists, organised by Carfree UK

• Bicycology's pedal-powered cinema

• Welcome
• "The Health and Environmental Benefits of Reducing Car Use: Low- and Zero-Car Scenarios in London and Delhi" by James Woodcock (Lecturer, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)
• "To Bring it all Together in the Real World: Walking and Cycling, Public Transport and the Role of Car-Sharing - The Bremen Experience" by Michael Glotz-Richter (Senator for Environment, Building, Traffic and Europe - City of Bremen, Germany)

• "Exisiting Carfree Developments in Europe: An Overview" presentation by Markus Heller (architect, Berlin)
• "Carfree, Low Car: What's the Difference?" presentation by Dr Steve Melia (Senior Lecturer, University of West of England; Co-ordinator, Carfree UK) and Simon Field (World Carfree Network), followed by discussion

• Workshop hosted by The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK)

• "Bicycle Integration with Public Transport - Best Practice Examples" by Elliot Fishman (Institute for Sensible Transport, Australia)
• "Sustainable Mobility Planning and Innovation for European Cities: The CIVITAS MIMOSA, SPICYCLES and Velo.Info Projects" by Pascal van den Noort (Velo Mondial, The Netherlands)
• "Conflict Minimisation Between Pedestrians and Cyclists on Shared Paths" by Elliot Fishman (Institute for Sensible Transport, Australia)
• "Improving Cycling Mobility in Hilly Cities with Folding Bikes" by Massimiliano Amirfeiz (Green Mobility, Italy)

• Half-day meeting for anyone interested in organising carfree local/national events from 16-22 September

Lunch

• "Towards the X Conference" - the announcement of the location of next year's conference host city: Guadalajara in Mexico. Presentation by Felipe Reyes, Jesús Soto and Étienne von Bertrab, Ciudad para todos

• Bicycle Tour - York's Cycling Infrastructure

• Workshop for everyone interested in building carfree, with Dr Jan Scheurer (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia), Markus Heller (architect, Berlin) and J.H. Crawford (author of Carfree Cities and Carfree Design Manual)

• Workshop hosted by Geoff Gardner (Managing Consultant, ATKINS)

• Half-day meeting for anyone interested in organising carfree local/national events from 16-22 September

• Bicycle Tour - York's Cycling Infrastructure (repeated)

• Workshop led by Professor John Whitelegg (Liverpool John Moores University and Stockholm Environment Institute)

• Presentation by Steve Melia
• An opportunity to network with transport and planning academics from around the world; led by Dr Steve Melia (Senior Lecturer, University of West of England; Co-ordinator, Carfree UK)

1. Introduction to World Carfree Network
2. Review of the year: projects, membership, successes and challenges
3. Introduction to facilitation and the decision-making process
4. Financial situation
5. Proposal for a new membership category: Institutional Members
6. Restructuring
7. Lunch
8. Strategic planning
9. Election of Steering Committee and Advisory Board members
10. Any other business

Study tour to Tyneside

We will travel via the scenic Durham Coast Railway to Sunderland, changing there to observe and travel on the Tyne & Wear Metro light rail system to Newcastle. In Newcastle we will compare and contrast the classical Georgian facades of Grainger Town, the rehabilitated Quayside area and the Byker Wall development of the 1970s.

There will also be an opportunity to visit the Metro control centre at South Gosforth.

Please note that the number of places is limited - please sign up when you arrive at the conference.

With the kind support of Grand Central and Nexus.