Car-free Sundays may be introduced in Denmark

This proposal seeks to reserve the streets for pedestrians and cyclists

The Danish Minister of Transport Benny Engelbrecht has proposed the introduction of car-free Sundays. With an amendment to the Traffic Act, this proposal will give municipalities the right to determine where cars would be able to drive on Sundays.

It follows then that the streets in Danish cities would be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists as vehicles will either be diverted or remain parked. According to the local newspaper JydskeVestkysten, this idea was proposed with Denmark’s largest cities in mind, namely Copenhagen and Aarhus.

A different experience of urban space

“We want to give the cities an opportunity to be able to give a different Sunday life and utilize the urban space in new ways. We can see that there have been initiatives in Copenhagen with side streets and other things. We give the opportunity to make a hybrid, where cars drive every day, and on Sundays you use the street in a different way,” Engelbrecht reportedly stated.

The Minister of Transport further highlighted the importance of local desire and interest in this plan. That is, he noted that car-free Sundays will be pointless if residents do not want to use the streets for walking or cycling. Nevertheless, Engelbrecht strongly believes that Aarhus and Copenhagen will support the idea and show the greatest interest in being able to “recapture the urban space”.

Car-free Sundays will offer residents a new and interesting experience of the space in which they live. More importantly, the introduction of a car-free day will reduce pollution and therefore massively contribute to the protection of our environment.

For this proposal to become a reality, the Minister of Transport must first discuss this plan with other parties in the Parliament. If the introduction of car-free Sundays gains the necessary support, it can be realised by the autumn of this year.