Conference on Towards Carfree Cities: York

Spent some of last week in the fine city of York, at the Conference, Towards Carfree Cities IX, an international gathering run by the Carfree movement. It featured a mix of academics, activists, acolytes and aspirants (drop me an email if you’d like a copy of my presentation). There were many interesting speakers and workshops and an excellent range of activities and excursions.  Which was how I found myself on one of York’s many cycle-ways, heading out of town over the Millennium Bridge. This is an elegant structure, a pleasing way to get from one side of the River Ouse to the other.  More than that, it’s not just a way of crossing the river, but the bridge is fitted with a long bench on one side - on which people can sit and sprawl, watching the bikes, pedestrians and river flow by. And further along the cycleway there is an installation in the form of this and several similar signs  – handy for any passing extra-terrestrial who has mislaid their map of the universe.