Rome's mayor Ignazio Marino has declared a traffic-free "Notte bianca", dedicated to the city's cyclists and pedestrians, on the night between 16 and 17 May next year.

Private vehicles, including scooters and motorbikes, will be banned from circulating within the city's green belt (the area inside the GRA ringroad) during the night.

The mayor, a keen cyclist himself, says the event will give people "a chance to enjoy the city by foot, by bicycle or by public transport”, and predicted it would attract cyclists from all over Europe.

Marino made the announcement as part of the city's participation in European Mobility Week which runs until 22 September.