Streets for Everyone: Car-Free Day in Aranđelovac

For several hours, a city street in Aranđelovac made room for learning, play, socialising and community activities, freed from motor traffic.

As part of European Mobility Week, a section of Knjaza Miloša Street in central Aranđelovac, between Jadranska and Vojvode Putnika streets, was transformed for an afternoon into a space for children, pedestrians, cyclists and social activities. The Car-Free Day was organised by the Centre for Urban Mobility – Next Mobility Lab as part of the project “Mobility for Everyone: Safer, Greener and More Inclusive Mobility – European Mobility Week 2026 in Aranđelovac”, with the support of the European Union and the Municipality of Aranđelovac.

Through educational and fun activities, children learned about road safety, the rules for pedestrians and cyclists, and the responsible use of e-scooters. At a cycling skills course, they practised navigating situations they encounter on the streets every day, including traffic signs, traffic lights and obstacles. Through drawing and conversation, they also shared how they imagine their city and what they would change to make its streets safer and more pleasant.

“We wanted to use this event to show that safe and sustainable mobility starts at the local level. When we give children the opportunity to learn about traffic through play, while also giving them a chance to say what they would like their city to look like, we take an important step towards streets that are safer and more pleasant for everyone,” said Ivana Marjanović from the Centre for Urban Mobility – Next Mobility Lab.

The Car-Free Day also offered an opportunity to demonstrate how public space can look when it is designed more around people and less around cars. Instead of traffic and parking, the street became a place for play, learning and socialising for several hours – reflecting the message at the heart of this year’s European Mobility Week: “Mobility for Everyone”.

Launched by the European Commission in 2002, European Mobility Week has grown into one of the world’s largest initiatives promoting sustainable urban mobility. Last year, more than 2,700 cities in 45 countries took part in the campaign. The campaign also places greater emphasis on intergenerational fairness, bringing generations together through simple and universal ways of getting around: cycling and walking.