From September 16th to 22nd there are several activities programmed in Lisbon and metropolitan area, in the scope of the European Mobility Week (EMW).
After two years of pandemic, the European Mobility Week (EMW) is back in full force for another edition. From September 16 to 22there are several initiatives you can enjoy in Lisbon, but also in Almada and Amadora, among other municipalities in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML). In this article, we tell you which events you can't miss.
European Mobility Week first appeared in 2002, after two years of successfully celebrating the European Car Free Day. This Day, celebrated annually on September 22nd, was created to raise awareness among the population and decision-makers about the growing problems related to car use in cities, such as air quality problems. In 2002, it was decided to materialize the initiative into a whole week, which is always celebrated between September 16th and 22nd, as part of the European Car Free Day.
Despite having lost dimension and impact over the years, at least in Portugal, the European Mobility Week comes with a reinforced program after two years of more timid programming. "Better Connections" is this year's motto and in the spotlight is cycling mobility, walking and also public transport.
The objective of the European Mobility Week is to promote a wide debate on the need for changes in behavior regarding mobility, through the implementation of several awareness campaigns for an efficient, comfortable, sustainable and organized mobility that makes life easier for the people of Lisbon and for those who visit us.
A day of cycling, why not?
📅 Day: Friday, September 16
🕑 Time: from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Lisbon
O Lisboa E-Novathe city's energy and environment agency, is invite all employees of companies and other organizations in Lisbon and Amadora to cycle on the first day of the European Mobility Weekwhich falls on a Friday. The initiative is called "A day of pedaling, why not?" and the entities interested are you can sign up here until lunchtime on the 15th. Then all that is needed is for each entity to organize internally and submit a photo with all the people who arrived by bicycle, to be eligible for prizes from the sponsors of the event.
There will also be a street action between 8:30 and 11:30 am at the intersection of Avenida da República and Avenida Duque D'Ávila with the objective of congratulating and encouraging the participants of "A day of pedaling, why not?" who pass through there and any other workers or students who commute by bike, and to draw the attention of motorists and the media to the issue of sustainable mobility.
More info about this initiative here.
As for FPCUB (Federação Portuguesa de Cicloturismo e Utilizadores de Bicicleta) is invite all companies and institutions based in Lisbon to encourage their employees to cycle to work on the European Car Free Day, on September 22nd. This initiative is a general invitation only, and there are no entries or prizes.
Telheiras in Movement
📅 Day: Friday, September 16
🕑 Time: from 4pm to 9:30pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Jardim Prof. António de Sousa Franco (Underground)
On the afternoon of September 16th, the Prof. Sousa Franco Garden and Telheiras Road, next to the subway station, will be filled with activities related to mobility. There will be a cycle workshop, activities with scooters and cargobikes, a trade fair, chess and handball competitions, actions on renewable energy, music, and much more.
Starting at 8 pm, there will be a open-air screening of the documentary Impossible Cities with the presence of director Ricardo Moreira, with a community picnic.
This initiative is promoted by Living in Telheiras and the Lumiar Parish Council.
Presentation of a study on air pollution and mortality in Portugal
📅 Day: Friday, September 16
🕑 Time: from 4 pm to 5:30 pm
📍 Location: Almada - Egas Moniz University Institute, Monte de Caparica
On the 16th, starting at 4 pm, there will be a public presentation of the results of a study on the impact of air pollution on population health at a national level, entitled "Air pollution and mortality in Portugal: quantitative assessment of the burden of disease associated with the environment using the AirQ+ model".
Almada was one of the municipalities included as an observation unit, and the results are now being revealed to the community at large.
The session is open to media, journalists, researchers, health authorities and local governmentand includes a debate on the contribution that scientific work can make to the definition and implementation of public health policies.
Amadora Metropolitan Tour
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: from 10 am to 1 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Rua da Penha de França, next to the Sappers Market
The Cyclotourism Group Stars of Amadora will promote, on September 17th, a relaxed ride to value the bicycle in the context of metropolitan urban mobility as a form of soft mobility and to reduce the ecological footprint in daily commuting. The route will depart from Amadora with brief passes through neighboring towns (Sintra, Lisbon, and Odivelas), and will have a length of about 42 km. The speed of the tour will be reduced so that everyone can participate at their own pace.
The concentration will take place at Avenida António Correia de Oliveira next to the Central Park, starting at 9 a.m.. The walk will be accompanied by traffic officers and an ambulance and a "broom" car. The organization has personal accident insurance for everyone who registers by the end of September 16.
Carris Museum's Classics Parade
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: from 11 am and then from 4 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Santo Amaro/Praça da Figueira
Carris' old streetcars and buses will take to the streets for a tour of the city. You can no longer sign up to ride in one of these classic vehicles, but you can go out on the street and wave to them. Among the many examples you will be able to see will be Tram 283, which ran on the tracks from 1902, and 444 (the "São Luís"), from 1901, with its straw seats and ornate wooden ceiling. There will be two parades: one at 11 am and another at 4 pm.
The route will start at the Carris Museum in Santo Amaro and follow the existing streetcar line to Praça da Figueiraand then in the opposite direction until Santo Amaro again. To see the parade, just show up on the street.
The day before, on the 16th, at 9 pm, the artist Bordalo II's tramcar will be inaugurated in Praça do Comércioa work made from a Carris bus that has the themes of mobility and sustainability underlying it.
A street to play in Penha
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: from 10 am to 6 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Rua da Penha de França, next to the Sappers Market
A Playstreet is returning to Penha de França. For one day, a section of Rua da Penha de França, next to the Sappers' Marketwill be closed to traffic and will be occupied by all children who want to play in it. There will be several unconventional objects that the little ones can explore using their imagination.
Meetings on Mobility in Benfica
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: from 10:30 am to 6 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Carlos Paredes Auditorium, Benfica
O Left Block will promote a mega meeting to discuss mobility in Benfica. According to the party, "there are urgent changes that are slow in coming, regarding the right to mobility, the use of urban space, and the response to the climate crisis. Bicycle paths, safety for pedestrians, elderly people or people with reduced mobility, reduction of traffic intensity, alternatives to the car, are issues that need more involvement from those who live here"..
The Meetings on Mobility in Benfica will take place on September 17th at the Carlos Paredes Auditorium with three different panels. We want to bring more people together on these issues, join voices, learn from the collectives and experts who have been involved in these issues to improve our action. At the end, there will be a bicycle ride through the parish.
Program
- 10h30 - Accessible Streets: Mobility for Everyone - with Sandra Nascimento (APSI), Diogo Martins (Centro de Vida Independente), Deolinda Martin (BE candidate for Amadora City Council in 2021) and Beatriz Gomes Dias (BE councilwoman for CML)
- 14h - Cars Again? Mobility Alternatives - with Rosa Félix (IST/U-Shift researcher), Rui Zink (ACA-M) and Isabel Pires (BE municipal deputy in AML)
- 15h30 - The Change We Want: Alert and Act - with Ricardo Ferreira (MUBi), Roberto Henriques (Climáximo) and Ricardo Moreira (BE and Impossible Cities).
- 5pm - bicycle ride through the parish
Mobility Fair
📅 Day: Sunday, September 18th
🕑 Time: from 10 am to 7 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Alameda Edgar Cardoso, near Parque Eduardo VII
The Lisbon City Hall will promote a Mobility Fair at Alameda Edgar Cardoso, next to Parque Eduardo VII. The municipality promises a a "big mobility party" that brings together several entities and partners from the sector and the cityThere will be activities such as transport operators, shared mobility companies and various associations. There will be actions to promote travel to and from the city by public transport, initiatives to try out scooters and bicycles, workshops to promote public participation, a handicraft market and food stalls. The event is aimed at the general public and especially families.
Lisbon Fancy Women Bike Ride
📅 Day: Sunday, September 18th
🕑 Time: from 2 pm on
📍 Location: Lisbon - Cais do Sodré, next to the GIRA station in the square
Women will gather again for the most "fancy" bike ride in town: the route will be the same as last year, along the waterfront. The meeting point will be in Cais do Sodré, near the GIRA stations, and the end point will be in the Belém area, where a picnic will be held. GIRAs are available both at the beginning and at the end of the route.
The Fancy Women Bike Ride is a free event which takes place annually in more than 100 cities around the world, always in September, for more than a decade. In Lisbon, it happens for the second consecutive time; in 2021, more than 100 women participated. This event is run by volunteers and aims to promote bicycle mobility for women.
To participate, just show up day alone or with friends and ride with us! You can bring speakers, towels, food, anything you want for the picnic at the end.
Almada Velha without cars
📅 Day: Sunday, September 18th
🕑 Time: from 9 to 19 hours
📍 Location: Almada Velha
Several streets in Almada Velha, between 8am and 8pm, will be closed to cars. Only residents will be able to enter and leave with their own car in this area, you must ask for your own badge. A day to come and discover the oldest part of the city of Almada, with less cars, less traffic and more space and tranquility for people. And an extensive program of street activities and guided tours to enjoy with family and friends.
Throughout the day, there will be traditional games, street libraries, live music, chess games, a silk-screen printing workshop, a special cycle workshop, bike rides for all ages with Pedalar Sem Idade, classes and practice bike rides, an eco-market, introductory rugby games, a yoga class, theater, guided tours, and other activities.
You can see the full program here. Some highlights below.
Program Highlights
- Yoga Class - 10am, Jardim do Rio, Ginjal - start the day off right with a yoga class by the river, in communion with nature and with a stunning view. No registration required, just show up.
- Almada Green Street - all day, Rua Capitão Leitão - this eco-market that takes place on the last weekends of the month in Parque da Paz, will have a special mini edition on this day, in Almada Velha. Here we promote more sustainable forms of consumption and small projects, companies, artisans and local and regional brands that contribute, each in their own way, to create a better world. On September 23 and 24, the Almada Green Market will also take place in Parque da Paz.
- Pedaling Agelessly - All day long, Rua Capitão Leitão - two bicycles take people of any age on request for a ride through Almada Velha. No pedaling is required. This free activity is more directed to older people and people with reduced mobility, aiming to promote the fight against loneliness and social isolation.
- Almada Cycle Shop - all day long, Rua Capitão Leitão - come learn how to do the main repairs and maintenance operations on your bike, such as tuning brakes and gears, or repairing punctures. At the Cicloficina de Almada you can exchange parts and donate old bikes and used parts to be given a new life, on other bikes. This is a free, non-profit initiative, run by volunteers.
- Safe bike rides through Almada Velha - at 11am and 11:30am, Rua Capitão Leitão - there will be two rides so you can experience cycling in an urban context. A half-hour ride of low intensity level, which will start at 11am; for those who feel more comfortable, you can go on the 11:30 am ride, which will pass by the Jardim do Rio. This activity is free but registration is required until the 16th to [email protected].
- Workshop "Capital of Joy - 16h30, Jardim do Castelo - A street workshop where we develop the collective construction of a city in cardboard and colored papers. With the evolution of this model, a collective reflection is promoted about the uses of urban space and the creation of public outdoor spaces for individuals, communities, plants and animals. Each participant will be in charge of a set of elements for which they will try to find or create a quality space in the city. A free initiative for all ages by the cultural association O Mundo do Espectáculo.
- Concert with DarkSunn and DJ Set with SlimCutz - 17h, Jardim do Castelo - Come to Jardim do Castelo to enjoy the best view over the Tagus River and enjoy the best national hip hop music, with a concert by Darksunn and DJ Set by SlimCutz. Free entrance.
- Guided tours to Casa da Cerca for birdwatching (at 10am, limited enrollment to 20 participants for [email protected]), to the archaeological site of Quinta do Almaraz (at 10:30 a.m.; registration until two days before to [email protected]), to the Almada Museum - Covas de Pão (4:30pm), which reopens to the public with an exhibition about Almada's medieval roots, and to the Misericórdia Church of Almada (at 3pm; registration [email protected]).
Special Cycle Workshops
📅 Day: September 19, 20, 21 and 22
🕑 Time: from 6 PM to 9 PM
📍 Location: Lisbon - Anjos Cycle Shop
Cyclo workshops are community spaces where a group of volunteers help you repair your bike. You pay nothing and can use old parts that other users have left there. However, donations are always appreciated! Cycloficinas are, above all, events to help each other repair, tune, and answer questions on everything related to bicycles. You can see the complete list of cycle workshops here.
Cicloficina dos Anjos, considered Lisbon's largest and most mediatized cicloficina, will be open for several consecutive daysbetween Monday and Thursday, for those who want to learn how to repair their bike, drink a beer, and make new friends.
On Thursday the 22nd, Cicloficina dos Anjos will give way, in the same space, to FEMALEA workshop by and for all women (*women, transgender, non-binary people).
Mobility in Marvila: presentation of a study
📅 Day: Tuesday, September 20
🕑 Time: from 2:30pm to 5:00pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Municipal Library of Marvila
The association Gingada will present a participative study on mobility in Marvila with funding from the Lisbon City Hall BIP/ZIP program. The study will be presented by its authors, Inês Vieira and Henrique Chaves. Inserted in a set of intervention actions in the territory, the study included the survey and treatment of pre-existing information and the preparation of a survey to characterize the population and its mobility dynamics, focusing on the bicycling.
The meeting will also include a presentation by CML's Mobility Studies and Planning team about projects planned for the city and also with a presentation by Sérgio Pinheiro, representing Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML)on plans at the AML level. Finally, there will be a round table with Ana Pereira, from the cooperative BicyclingBernardo Campos Pereira, from the agency Lisboa E-Novaand Giovanni Allegretti, from Center for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra.
The event will take place in the auditorium of the Marvila Library, in Lisbon, starting at 2:30 pm, and will be open to all interested people.
OnMobility Conference Amadora
📅 Day: Tuesday, September 20
🕑 Time: from 10am to 6:30pm
📍 Location: Amadora - Recreios da Amadora (Avenida Santos Mattos)
Amadora's City Hall will promote a mobility conference on September 20th, which will be held in a hybrid format: face-to-face and online. To participate, you need to register for free. It will take place at the Recreios da Amadora cultural space and is divided into two sessions: in the morning, "Listening to the Citizens"; in the afternoon, "Listening to the Experts".
In the first panel, the debate will include the participation of prominent representatives of Amadora's civil society, among them Pedro Franco, intendente of Amadora PSPand Luís Carvalho, from Amadora Civil Protectionwho will identify needs and share some ideas for the positive evolution of mobility in the county.
The afternoon session will feature four representatives of the various transport sectors, to discuss their views on measures and solutions to be adopted for effective intermodal integration. Participants: Cristina Dourado (from Viação Alvorada/Fertagus), Marina Ferreira (from TTSL), Juan Caballero (from the Eurocities), Luís Figueiredo (from Cooltra), José Manuel Viegas (from TIS), Tiago Braga (from Porto Metro), Rui Lopo (from TML) and Inês Sarti Pascoal (from MUBi).
Seminar on the impact of highway investment
📅 Day: Wednesday, September 21st
🕑 Time: from 2:30 pm to 6 pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Lisbon Urban Information Center (CIUL)
Public investment policies in land transport over the last 50 years have contributed to an unsustainable territorial organization model with high socio-economic and environmental impacts, some very difficult to reverse in the medium term.
Eurostat data for 2020 reveals that Portugal has the third longest freeway length per capita in the EU27. If in 1986, the year of accession to the then EEC, Portugal had one of the lowest allocations of freeways among European countries, with about 200 km, since then the network has grown rapidly. By the year 2000 the density of the network had already surpassed that of countries like Germany and the Netherlands, for example, reaching a peak in 2014 with 3065 kms. Portugal is still the only country in continental Europe with a network of freeways larger than the rail network.
But what were the impacts on the territory of all this investment? Researchers from the TiTuSS project - Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Transport Network Expansion and its Effects on the Urban System -, coordinated by the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (ISEG) and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), have analyzed the territorial impacts of freeways in Portugal.
Learn about the main results of the project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) at a seminar to be held at the Lisbon Urban Information Center (CIUL) on September 21st at 2:30 PM. The seminar will discuss and reflect on the role of the transportation system in the territorial sustainability of the economic development model, also counting with presentations from other speakers who will talk about the dynamics of urban expansion in the LMA and the role of transportation policies.
Free session, subject to pre-registration.
Almada 2030 Climate Plan
📅 Day: Wednesday, September 21st
🕑 Time: from 9am to 12:30pm
📍 Location: Almada - Romeu Correia Municipal Forum (Sala Pablo Neruda)
In this meeting, which will be broadcast online, it will be presented the Climate Plan that Almada intends to develop, namely what is being outlined in order to meet the ambitious targets, but vital to achieve, in terms of emission reductions at local and European level by 2030. Several local and regional experiences of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects will also be shared, including successful experiences where climate and mobility act hand in hand for the quality of life in cities.
To participate, you must register via e-mail [email protected].
Program
- 9:15am - opening with the Municipal Director of Urban Development, Paulo Pais
- 9h30 - presentations:
- (15min) - Healthy Streets | André Neves, Transport for London (online)
- (15min) - Sustainable mobility: Almada City Council (CMA) in European projects | Margarida Coelho, CMA
- (15min) - Logistics in pedestrian zones: the case of Maribor | Municipality of Maribor, Slovenia (online, in English without translation)
- (15min) - National Strategy for Cycling Active Mobility | Sofia Bento, IMT - Institute of Mobility and Transport (online)
- (15min) - Metropolitan Cycling Network and Smarthubs project | Sérgio Pinheiro, TML - Lisbon Metropolitan Transports
- (25min) - questions and answers
- 11h30 - Almada 2030 Climate Plan - with Duarte d'Araújo Mata and Alexandra Castro, from CMA
- (15min) - One more Plan? What is the Almada 2030 Climate Plan for?
- (25min) - Interactive Climate Quiz with the participants
- (10min) - Almada 2030 Climate Plan: why do we need you?
- 12:20pm - closing with CMA President Inês de Medeiros
Other events
Looking for some more suggestions? Here are more events from SEM.
"Faz Tua A Rua", in Amadora
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: starting at 8 am
📍 Location: Amadora - Avenida António Correia de Oliveira
In a call for a city that belongs more to people and less to cars, the Amadora City Hall will promote the initiative "Make the Street Yours" at Avenida António Correia de Oliveira. O The section of this avenue between Rua Rainha D. Leonor and Rua Theys Willemse will be closed to automobile circulation so that you can participate in different scheduled activities.
One of these activities is a peddy paper. Dedicated to teams of three, this tour will take place on a route that will pass through some of the municipality's places of interest, where participants will have to answer questions on observation and sustainability, among others. There will also be some tasks to be done along the way, in a fun and relaxed way. The starting point will be precisely at Avenida Correia de Oliveira (Central Park), at 2:30 pm. Registration is free but required.
Around Almada Museums
📅 Day: Saturday, September 17th
🕑 Time: from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
📍 Location: Almada - Almada Museum/City House
Come with your bike and join the second edition of this bike tour through some of the main museums in the city of Almada. The route starts and ends at the same point and includes guided tours at each of the points to be visited. The meeting point will be at Casa da Cidade, and the ride will continue through Cinjal, Museu Naval, Covas do Pão, the pedestrian part of Rua Capitão Leitão and will end at Casa da Cidade, in a course of about 10 km.
Registration is required by e-mail [email protected]The activity, which has the support of Cicloficina de Almada, is limited to 20 participants.
Ride "Cyclable Lisbon
📅 Day: Sunday, September 18th
🕑 Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
📍 Location: Lisbon - Adão Barata Park
The FPCUB (Federação Portuguesa de Cicloturismo e Utilizadores de Bicicleta) is organizing a informal bike tour in the city with the objective of promoting the use of bicycles and Lisbon's bicycle paths. The usual Cyclable Lisbon is held annually in the framework of the European Mobility Week. To participate, just register for free and show up with a bicycle at the Torreão Poente do Terreiro do Paço.
Cycling schools in Loures
📅 Day: Thursday, September 22
🕑 Time: in the morning
📍 Location: Loures - Adão Barata Park
The City of Loures will promote the initiative "Go to school... pedaling"which will involve different schools in the municipality. Around 70 children will ride their bicycles, accompanied by the police, between Parque Adão Barata and the Paços do Concelho, where they will be welcomed by the Mayor, Ricardo Leão, as well as by the security forces (Municipal Police, PSP and GNR), Civil Protection of Loures and the Loures Voluntary Firemen.
National Bicycle Mobility Award
📅 Day: Tuesday, September 20
🕑 Time: from 4:30pm to 6pm
📍 Location: Lisbon - Orlando Ribeiro Municipal Library, Telheiras
Created in 2006, the National Bicycle Mobility Award aims to publicly recognize the contribution of certain entities or individuals who have promoted the use of bicycles in its multiple aspectsby creating or improving conditions and facilities in Portugal and/or by publicizing initiatives that encourage the use of this non-motorized mode of transportation.
The National Bicycle Mobility Award is an initiative of FPCUB (Portuguese Federation of Cycletourism and Bicycle Users).
