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Pontevedra, Spain declares its entire urban area a "reduced traffic zone"
By prioritising residents over private vehicles, a Spanish municipality has overcome some of the biggest challenges facing Europe’s cities.
To improve air quality for citizens and reduce carbon emissions, the decree recommends measures such as restricting access for more polluting vehicles based on their environmental label and introducing traffic-restricted areas where entry charges apply. Nevertheless, since Pontevedra was already fully complying with the air quality parameters laid out in the national Law 7/2021 on Climate Change, the city council decided to take a much more ambitious step: declaring the entire urban area (about 490 hectares) as a “reduced traffic zone”. When asked why he thinks Pontevedra’s policies have succeeded, the mayor points to several factors: clear communication and education about the city’s goals, networking “with the most proactive and dynamic people in town”, carrying out participatory processes, and the decision not to ban cars outright.
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