To live better lives without cars

"In 2007, a newly elected mayor presented a project to transform his city center into a pedestrian area. But many citizens opposed it 🙅

"What if business revenues go down? What if travel times increase? What if we can’t get around anymore?" Yet the mayor did not give up 💪

He organised a series of public events, involving citizens in the transformation of the city center, and even went so far as to meet individually with those who opposed the project, taking their concerns seriously.

🚲 In this way, the mayor ensured that residents had everything they needed to live better lives without cars: bridges, electric shuttles, new bike lanes, bike-sharing, and even a park-and-ride service that allowed people to leave their cars outside the city and use public transport to reach the center. The result? 👇

Ten years later, 97% of residents opposed reopening the city center to car traffic. Why?

Because their quality of life had significantly improved. And not only thanks to cleaner air and less stressful commutes, but also due to the economic benefits that boosted local businesses 💰

Oh, almost forgot: this city is not Amsterdam. It is Ljubljana 🇸🇮

And yes, the mayor was re-elected."

Translated from: Bikeitalia. “Nel 2007, un sindaco appena eletto presentò un progetto…” LinkedIn, October 2025.

Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bikeitalia