On Monday, 17 November, during the municipal council meeting, Pieterjan Vanden Boer submitted the following motion:

The municipal council,

Considering that:

• Car-Free Sunday has, over the years, become an event eagerly awaited and appreciated by the people of Brussels;
• These days foster neighbourhood life through numerous citizen-led initiatives such as flea markets, street parties, discovery workshops, sports activities and guided tours;
• These days have a very positive impact on the environment and public health. Reduced car traffic has an immediate and measurable effect on air quality, and therefore on residents’ health, by lowering the emission of polluting substances. The reduction in noise levels linked to traffic is also beneficial to residents’ well-being;
• These days foster neighbourhood life through numerous citizen-led initiatives such as flea markets, street parties, discovery workshops, sports activities and guided tours;
• These moments strengthen social ties and allow a friendly and shared reappropriation of public space;
• Children, elderly people and persons with reduced mobility particularly benefit from these days, as they can move more freely and safely in public spaces;
• These days also offer a unique opportunity to promote and explore other forms of active and sustainable mobility (walking, cycling, scooters, public transport, shared mobility);
• Citizen surveys consistently show broad support for organising several car-free Sundays per year;

Requests:

• That the College of Mayor and Aldermen actively support regional initiatives aimed at increasing the number of car-free days organised each year in the Brussels-Capital Region;
• That, in consultation with the Mobility and Road Safety Advisory Council, neighbourhood committees and local associations, the possibility be examined of organising temporary car-free neighbourhoods at the municipal level, notably during school holidays, in order to offer residents breathing space and encourage conviviality;
• That, in this context, citizen, community and commercial initiatives contributing to the vitality and dynamism of neighbourhoods during these periods be encouraged.

No answer was given; the mayor promised us a full response at the December council… To be continued.