LONDON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced Thursday that 20 kilometers of streets will be completely closed to traffic on the British capital's biggest ever car-free day.
Tower Bridge, London Bridge and the City of London will be included in the closures on Sept. 22.
Khan made the announcement to mark this year's Clean Air Day, which falls on Thursday, saying the focus will be to get Londoners to "reimagine" their city car-free, while walking, cycling and exploring London.
It forms part of the mayor's work to encourage Londoners to cycle, walk and use public transport to help improve air pollution and reduce car emissions, said City Hall.
Hundreds of activities will take place across more than 20km of closed streets in central London, spanning an area the size of nearly 200 football pitches in length.
Eighteen London boroughs will also organize events including bike rides, skate ramps and pop-up playgrounds, plus live music and street performances, sports and games.
There will also be guided walking routes with trails and treasure hunts around the City of London and Southwark, plus food markets, art installations, and health and wellbeing activities.
Car Free Day is marked across the world, with Khan saying he hopes over 150,000 Londoners will join in London's events.
Khan said: "I encourage as many Londoners as possible to join in the fun and see the city from a different perspective. I will continue to work with those boroughs who are forward-looking and want to think differently about how to use road space."
City Hall said the event will help encourage the change in behaviour needed to meet the mayor's ambitious target of 80 percent of all journeys to be taken via sustainable modes of transport by 2041, compared to 63 percent today.
"Air pollution is one of the biggest health emergencies of our generation, with more than two million Londoners living in areas that exceed legal limits for NO2, including more than 400,000 children under the age of 18," said a City Hall spokesperson.
More than 50 percent of London's toxic air pollution is caused by vehicles, but a recent Transport for London (TfL) survey found that almost one in two Londoners did not realize vehicles were the main cause of air pollution, although three in four Londoners were worried about the health impact.
