Traffic-free Sundays on Regent Street in July

For a glimpse of a car-free London, take a trip down to Regent’s Streets on any Sunday in July. The usual traffic choked streets, will make way for street food festivals, group exercise sessions, a 50 metre catwalk and garden installations.

Nina Allwood has some stunning pictures from the 2014 event, which gives you an idea of what to expect.

The idea of car free Sundays is popular around the world, from Bogota’s weekly Ciclovía, to New York’s annual Summer Street initiative and Bristol’s Make Sunday Special. It would of course be fantastic to see something more regular arrive in central London. There has been some talk from London Mayor Boris Johnson that he would like to see this happen, but as yet there hasn’t been any action to make it a reality.

There won’t be any cycling permitted on the streets, but there will be additional bike parking provided by Cycle Hoop and workshops from the Cycle Roadshow.

Here’s a quick overview of the events planned:

• 5th of July – Garden Party – Live music, dance performances, face-painting and a luscious green lawn. Regent St will be transformed in to a tranquil garden.
• 12th of July – Health Kick – With the 10K London Run powering through the street, Sunday 12th has a health and fitness theme. Live music.
• 19th of July – Fashion Festival – A 50m popup catwalk will feature some of the most innovative designs from Regent Street’s premium retailers
• 26th of July – Culture Club – It’s all about arts and culture on the final Sunday of July with live art installations.

Also worth noting in the area is the yearly Carnaby Street Eat taking place on Saturday the 11th of July, from 12p to 7pm featuring live cooking demos and special taster offers.