‘Part of Bogota’s soul’: how Colombia fired up the car-free movement

Cyclists ride on a street during a weekly car-free day in Bogota on Dec 12. (Image: Pablo Vera/AFP)

Fri, 27 Dec 2024

By Clare ByrneFifty years ago, a 28-year-old Colombian with a bushy beard, flares and vintage Raleigh bicycle led a revolution on the streets of Bogota.Architect Jaime Ortiz Marino got permission to shut down a section of roads and — with 5,000 other two-wheeler radicals — pedalled down the middle of the street on Dec 15, 1974, in protest over car culture.The world's first Open Streets event quickly grew into a weekly fixture named “Ciclovia” that has spawned dozens of imitations in cities worldwide.“This is th...

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