Many of the activities during this European Mobility Week will focus on cycling, but there will also be talk of the future of cities, with fewer cars and more space for people.
From September 16 to 22, we are once again celebrating the European Mobility Week and there are many activities to enjoy, most of which are related to cycling - but not only. We share some of these activities, our recommendations for a week about mobility but also sustainability.
Many of the activities during this European Mobility Week will focus on cycling, but there will also be talk of the future of cities, with fewer cars and more space for people.
Friday 15th
Rua Luís de Camões 82 | Alcântara, Lisbon
Park(ing) Day began in 2005 as a project by Rebar, an American art and design studio, with the aim of claim public space and express the need for open spaces in an area mostly occupied by cars. The team converted a paid parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since then, Park(ing) Day has evolved into a a global movement driven by organizations and companies from all over the world. This year, it arrives in Lisbon through a collaboration between the BGI accelerator and EIT Urban Mobility.
On September 15, between 9am and 7.30pm, a parking space on Rua Luís de Camões (number 82), in Alcântara, will be transformed into a space of inspiration and creativity open to the public. Throughout the day, in this parking space, you'll find an "instant literature" workshop (at 10), a neighborhood picnic (at 12), an urban agriculture workshop (at 17), a free community bicycle workshop (at 18) and musical moments, among other activities. More information here.
Days 16 and 17, Saturday and Sunday
CCB, Lisbon
It's called City of Zero and it's the second edition of an event that aims to demonstrate what it would be like to live in an effectively sustainable and inclusive city. Workshops, talks, debates, showcookingsworkshops and a market, selling more sustainable brands, will occupy a space with a total of 3,500 square meters at the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), in a "mini-city" created from scratch, which aims to show the best that is being done in our country when it comes to social and environmental sustainability.
There is also a swap market (for books, plants and clothes), second-hand sales and several repair shops (for shoes, clothes, small appliances and bicycles). For children and families, there are workshops and workshops, among other activities, and a restaurant area for full meals. The "City of Zero" takes place on September 16 and 17 and will run from 10 am to 10 pm. The event is petfriendlyAdmission is free. But you should reserve a seat for the various sessions - you can do it here.
The full program is here:
Sunday 17th
Sete Rios (station), Lisbon
The Fancy Women Bike Ride is a calm, inclusive and enjoyable bike ride that aims to encourage greater diversity in the use of this means of transport. After two editions in Lisbon, which took place on the riverside cycle pathThis year, the event is changing location. The route starts at Sete Rios train station (meeting point at 5pm) and will pass through Praça de Espanha, Avenida de Berna and Avenida da República, and finish in Campo Grande. It will be 4 km, with no climbs. Those who don't have a bike have the option of renting a GIRA, or renting one from any bike store, or even asking friends. The Fancy Women Bike Ride will take place on September 17, a Sunday, in Lisbon and simultaneously in other cities around the world.
Days 16 and 17, Saturday and Sunday
Lisbon metropolitan area
There's no need for special clothing or physical preparation. It's a calm ride that's accessible to everyone. On September 16 and 17, Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML), through its Navegante brand, is once again promoting a bike tour of the Lisbon metropolitan area. On the 16th (Saturday), the tour will take place on the South Bank; on the 17th (Sunday), it will be the turn of the North Bank. On each of the banks, there will be departures from each of the municipalities and the arrival will be at a common point: in the case of the South Bank, it will be Parque da Vila, in Quinta do Conde, Sesimbra; in the case of the North Bank, it will be Praça do Comércio, in Lisbon.
You don't need to register to take part, but one (free) registration gives you access to two insurances, one for personal accidents and the other for civil liability. Registrations must be made by Thursday 14th through of this form (South Bank) or of this form (North Bank). You can use public transport to get to your starting point by bicycle, whether it's the CP and Fertagus trains or the TTSL river connections, where there are plans to increase the number of places available for bicycles.
You can see the routes and other information here.
Days 16 and 17, Saturday and Sunday
Campo de Ourique, Lisbon
The Campo de Ourique "superblock" has been underway. Until September 17, the Jardim da Parada will be extended to the façades of the buildings, increasing the public space for people to enjoy from 5.4 to 9.7 thousand square meters - without doing any work, just banning car traffic and parking. For nine days, the streets and the 90 or so parking spaces around the garden will be occupied by the terraces of the establishments in the area and a series of family activities. You can read more here and enjoy the last days of the "superquarter" at the weekend.
From 16 to 22, Saturday to Friday
Restauradores, Lisbon
During European Mobility Week, the following will be in operation a pop-up cycle path between Praça dos Restauradores and the end of Rossio, near Rua da Prata and Rua dos Sapateiros. The cycle path will be installed in the early hours of the 16th and removed on the 22nd, and is the result of a collaboration between Lisbon City Council and the city's environment and energy agency, Lisboa E-Nova. The 300-something meter stretch is to celebrate European Mobility Week and also Lisbon's participation in the BICI - Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure program. With BICI, Lisbon will receive 400,000 dollars to improve school connections through active mobility and the connectivity of the city's cycling network; the aim is to connect 20 schools and 20,000 students through safe cycle paths. On the 20th, at 3 p.m., all people who travel by bicycle and others stakeholders are invited to join the celebration that will take place in Rua da Prata.
Friday 22nd
Lisbon and Amadora
What if you cycled to work or school for a day? On September 22, the environment and energy agency Lisboa E-Nova is challenging all companies and schools in Lisbon to try out the bicycle as a means of transportation. The initiative is called A Day of Cycling, Why Not? and it works like this: companies or schools register and then, on the 22nd, they invite their employees and communities to go cycling. Companies from the municipalities of Lisbon and Amadora can take part.
Finally, if you want to take part in the competition and win prizes, all you have to do is take a photo of the team cycling and send it to Lisboa E-Nova; that photo will be up for a vote on the agency's Instagram. Etween 8am and 10.30am, there will be entertainment and giveaways at the intersection of Avenida da República and Avenida Duque d'Ávila. You can read Bernardo Campos Pereira's chronicle (Lisboa E-Nova) about the initiative in 2022.
From 22, all day
Costa da Caparica, Almada
A Costa da Caparica will be the epicenter of European Mobility Week in the municipality of Almadaand a series of initiatives to reflect on the promotion of public space, with fewer cars and more space for people. Under the motto "Streets Alive", on September 22, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., at Praça da Liberdade, there will be a conference on the possibilities of adapting and transforming the streets to meet society's current challenges. The session will also present some projects underway or planned for the Almada area. The session will feature, among other speakers, the experts Daniel Casas Valle (urban planner at Urban Dynamics and president of the association Future Design of Streets) e Rute Nieto (architect/urban planner at Gehl Architects).
In the afternoon, between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., the two experts will give a workshop to explain some of the ideas discussed at the conference in practice. Can we understand streets as spaces that articulate social enjoyment, nature and mobility in a balanced way? This workshop is aimed at all those who work in or want to help think about new ways of designing and projecting streets, extending to the areas of architecture, engineering, urbanism, ecology, sociology, among others, as well as anyone interested in the subject. The conference is open and all you have to do is turn up; for the workshop, you have to register by the 20th at [email protected].
The celebration of European Mobility Week in Costa da Caparica will kick off on the weekend of September 16 and 17 in the surroundings of the Municipal Market. Here, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., there will be guaranteed fun for kids and adults alike, with traditional Portuguese games to get to know or remember, but also games brought by the Brincapé project, or even a game of chess on a giant board. On the 17th, there will also be a cargo bike testing laboratoryThese can be a mobility option for transporting children, the weekly shopping for the house or even your favorite dog. In Praça da Liberdade, at the Almada Town Hall stand, a survey will be running throughout the weekend for you to give your opinions and ideas on how the old area of Costa da Caparica, around the Municipal Market, can be made more people-friendly, have better mobility and a more qualified public space.
On Saturday, there will be events at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. two "urban drawing" workshops given by the Urban Sketchers collective. In these practical workshops, you'll be able to share your ideas for a more organized, efficient and people-friendly street... but in a more original and creative way. You'll learn the principles of urban design and use them to materialize your proposals for improving the public space. Each participant will receive a notebook, but should bring a black pen and coloring material (colored pencils, markers or watercolors). You can sign up by e-mailing [email protected]However, if there are still places, you can sign up on site. The morning workshop will be given by João Catarino and the afternoon by Mário Linhares. On Sunday, some of the drawings will be on display. On Sunday, too, it will take place in the same square, between 17:00 and 18:30, a talk with experts in community intervention and public space; Diogo Salvador (Estuário Coletivo), Joana Pitanga (urban intervention artist) and Sandra Fernandes (Gonçalo da Silveira Foundation) will share their experience of working in these areas and bring ideas and inspiration for the future of our streets.
You can see the full program for Costa da Caparica and Almada below or on the Almada City Council website.
From the 23rd, Saturday
Between Santo Amaro and Algés, Lisbon/Oeiras
To commemorate the anniversary of the creation of Carris, on September 23, 2023, the Carris Museum will hold the 2023 Classics Parade, departing from Santo Amaro station at 10:30 am and 4 pm. The route of the Classics Parade 2023 will be between Santo Amaro Station and Algés, reminiscent of the old Ribamar, the destination of the first American cars and the first streetcars to leave Santo Amaro. Several old streetcars, which are locked away in the Museum all year round, will be parading, as well as two buses from the last century. To take part in the parade, you need to buy a ticket, which costs €10 for adults or €5 for children under 18. Children up to the age of three, carried on their parents' laps, do not pay for a ticket. Entries can be made by e-mailing [email protected]on a first-come, first-served basis. Alternatively, you can watch the parade on the street. More information here.
From Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th
Several municipalities in the Lisbon metropolitan area
Kidical Mass is a global movement that seeks to respond to and give visibility to the need and desire of children and adults to use active modes in their daily commute (cycling, walking, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc.), demanding the improvement of cycling infrastructure and the pacification of streets, especially in school surroundings. The event has been taking place in Lisbon and other Portuguese cities since 2022, was repeated in May this year and is now taking place again, right at the end of European Mobility Week, between September 22 and 24 in a town near you.
Check out the calendar for the Lisbon metropolitan area:
| County | Date | Meeting Point |
|---|---|---|
| Amadora (Alfragide) | 22nd, 6pm | EB2,3 Almeida Garrett |
| Almada | Day 24, 5 p.m. | Cacilhas Fire Brigade |
| Barreiro | 24th, 3pm | Swimming pool (Av. Bento Gonçalves) |
| Cascais | 23rd, 16h30 | Pinhal (parking lot), near Bairro da Torre (Carcavelos) |
| Lisbon | Day 24, 10:30 a.m. | Praça de Espanha / Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles Park |
| Loures (Bobadela and Santa Iria da Azóia) | Day 24, 10:30 a.m. | Jardim Central da Bobadela or EB1 Sta. Iria/Ecoparque S. João da Talha |
| Mafra | 23rd, 4pm | Mafra National Palace (South Tower) |
| Oeiras | 23rd, 10:30 a.m. | Oeiras Station (in front of the kiosk) |
| Setubal | Day 24, 5 p.m. | Bonfim Garden |
| Sintra (Colares) | 23rd, 5pm | Praia das Maçãs Market |
All other locations and dates can be found at here.
