Several Car-Free Sundays Coming to Copenhagen
In the early 1970s, all Sundays in Copenhagen were car-free. Back then, it was due to the oil crisis caused by the war in the Middle East, but since then, it has been an ongoing political debate whether streets should be closed for cars regularly. Now, there may be several car-free Sundays on the way.
On Monday evening, a majority in the Technical and Environmental Committee of the Municipality of Copenhagen decided that it should be easier for the municipality’s local committees to introduce car-free Sundays in the future. This was confirmed by Knud Holt Nielsen from the Red-Green Alliance to TV 2 Kosmopol. “We have adopted guidelines that should make it easier for the local committees to organize events on these large areas where cars normally drive. It will be a new way to use the city,” says Knud Holt Nielsen.
In addition to the Red-Green Alliance, the majority behind the new agreement consists of the Social Democrats, the Socialist People’s Party (SF), the Alternative Party (Alternativet), and the Liberal Party (Venstre). There are already regular ‘car-free Sunday’ events in Nørrebro, where the local committees have organized car-free days as events for residents. It is not immediately clear what the new car-free days will cost.