October 20, 2021 - Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, with a population of around 300,000, has been car-free for over a decade. In 2007 the city published “Vision 2025”, an incredibly thorough set of proposals for a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable city reports Vice.

Central to Ljubljana’s proposal for creating an environmentally responsible metropolis was turning the city centre into a car-free zone along with improvements to both cycling networks and public transport. In 2016, the European Commission crowned Ljubljana the continent’s green capital.

While the scheme wasn’t always so well-received and there were several debates the mayor at the time, Zoran Jankovic, didn’t back down and gradually residents adapted, swapping cars for bikes or public transport. The city introduced “Kavalir”, a small fleet of electric vehicles that were free to use.

Read the full article here which originally appeared on VICE France.