Portland Goes Car-Free, For a While

"Six miles of public thoroughfare in Portland will be shut entirely to traffic in the hopes people show up on foot and by bike to mingle, dance, shop and dine. Read: no cars allowed, but mass transit routes through the area will remain open to pack 'em in."

"This bold experiment, modeled after a popular street shutdown in Bogota, Colombia, is timed to a conference starting today in Portland where hundreds of planners from around the world converge to discuss how they can create cities with no cars."

"Modeled on the large-scale weekly effort in Bogota, in which more than 70 miles of roads are closed, Sunday Parkways in Portland will shut down streets from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to conduct events aimed at promoting health, community connectedness, and biking and walking."

"At three parks along the route, neighborhood groups and local businesses will offer dance lessons, live music, yoga demonstrations, bike workshops and food booths."