First Background What do you suggest? Supporting materials available thus far First Background Immediately after the widely reported achievements of the 24 February Car Free Day in Bogotá, we received a communication from Carbusters in Prague, suggesting that we all get together and see what might be done in order to organise a World Car Free Day that would try to respond to the so-called Bogotá Challenge. This led an exchange of correspondence which you can find reproduced here on a selective basis under "Letters" and which might make interesting reading for anyone who wishes to understand how this proposed @World Day differs from some of the other plans being made in various places, including not only the planned European Car Free Day for this year of 22 September but also a number of other projects which are in various stages of evolution in cities around the world. The hallmark of the car free day movement, as we understand it, lies in a creative combination of thoroughness of preparation, variety of approaches, and critical mass. Beyond this, under this forum at least we tend to favor strongly CFD proposals that follow the more ambitious approach which we have seen thus far only in a tiny minority of all the projects to date, including of course most recently and on the largest and most instructive scale in Bogotá. A major goal of the @World program is to incite and support plans and projects that will be organised not only by cities and administrations, but by smaller groupings as ell, including specific neighborhoods, affinity groups, employers, labor unions, schools and virtually anyone else who thinks it's a good idea and does not feel that it is necessary to wait for the approval of the usual political and administrative channels in order to do good and do well What do you suggest? Should we get together in an active international effort to organize and publicize a @World Car Free Day on Thursday, September 21, 2000? What about the idea of organizing a Car Free Day on the 21st (or any other day you want) not only for your city, but for your neighbourhood, group, or perhaps only for yourself and your family? What about getting your organization or group to sign on as a sponsor or supporter of this great concept, so that the world will understand that this is not just marginal thinking. There are no firm plans as yet, but there are discussions and the beginnings of a process, an open process in which you are invited to participate now. (See the "First Letters" section for some of the more general thinking and background on this.) And there are arguments, pro and con, including briefly... Pro: All the reasons why a Car Free Day is a good idea in the first place. . . The advantages associated with a Thursday approach (as opposed to organizing such a day on a weekend or a day adjacent to a weekend, both of which entail very real limitations and problems.) A push for greater independence from government channels and the lobbies which have been known to influence them in matters which relate to cars and cities. The @World program builds on more than a dozen years of reflection and materials, including those available through this and the cooperating Web sites and programs. The fact that we intend to push hard (should we?) for a much more activist approach than that which has been taken by the 1998/99 demonstrations in France and Italy (which in our view have not led to the desired and achievable permanent results because of their relatively low levels of ambition in most places). The fully open nature of the proposed program, which invites variety, creates opportunities for effective cross-project communications, exchange and cross-learning, and fully geared to cooperation with all other programs, including the planned European Day on the 22nd. The fact that it targets other places and groups, and not just municipalities led by local government. Because this open approach is likely to encourage grater variety of response and much more visibility of results (including frank coverage of negative as well as positive learning experiences). Con: Might not this effort represent unnecessary and disruptive competition with the European Car Free Day program of 22 September? By targeting a single World day, might it not possibly reduce incentive for places and groups to organise days which better suit them in terms of timing and convenience. We note that some of the proposed participants are suggesting some rather aggressive publicity and action programs. Might not this be a problem? Wouldn't it be better if everyone just left all this in the hands of the experts and the competent authorities? Let us know what you think, you advise, and what you may be ready to do. Back to top Supporting materials available thus far The body of materials and contact contained in the @World site. The original Thursday proposal The example of the Bogota Car Free Day of 24 February 2000 and its many lessons. The "Brainstorm" guidelines that are being gradually built up here through this cooperative process. Information as available on the proposed European Day through their new Web site The Library, Links and communications modules which are available here through the @World Forum What about getting your organization or group to sign on as a sponsor or supporter of our concept, so that the world will understand that this is not just marginalia. 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