film evening with the association Auto*Mat

A documentary film evening about sustainable traffic.

London: The Price of Traffic

Based on the economic principle of demand management, London’s introduction of a traffic congestion charge challenges the 20th century notion that cities should be designed around cars, and asks drivers to pay for access to public roads and parking spaces. Thanks to visionary municipal leaders like former Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron, this plan is the core of a sweeping push to transform London into a transit-efficient and pedestrian-friendly megacity in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. This film shows as a result of this charge, the city is still undergoing rapid growth, but minus the traffic gridlock.

The Art & Science of Renzo Piano

World-class architect Renzo Piano draws on nature to create a structure that defines a natural history museum for the 21st century. Combining Piano's signature transparency design with a green roof evoking its surroundings, San Francisco's new California Academy of Sciences provides a model for sustainability, and sets a benchmark for how people use, operate and interact with public buildings. The documentary traces Piano’s work and shows how his inspiration can act as a model for other buildings using sustainable design.

Paris: Vélo Liberté

This film examines Paris’ ambitious public-private Vélib’ bike initiative, which encourages residents to forgo cars for bikes and public transportation, as a sustainable way to travel within the city. In the process, we see how the program has fostered a unique popular culture, complete with its own language, jokes and pick-up lines. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has undoubtedly taken heart: Its success has inspired cities like Rome, San Francisco and London to begin adopting similar programs of their own.

The discussion with experts on the sustainable transport will follow the screening. The partner of the screening is the civic association Auto-Mat.