A major new survey has revealed that Brits believe London will be the world’s first car-free city and this will happen by 2050.

And following the results of the survey an AI artist was specially commissioned to create images of what our capital could look like in just over 25 years.

Iconic landmarks and thoroughfares that have dominated London’s geography for centuries have changed forever. Streets have been pedestrianised, trees now dominate the skyline as commuters and tourists find more eco-friendly means of transport.

From London’s humble beginnings 2000 years ago, from Roman settlements and redesigns following the Great Fire the capital has evolved to adapt to modern needs. However the introduction of the car just over 100 years ago has had a huge impact on our city’s layout.

Ahead of Car Free Day (Friday, September 22) bike subscription service Swapfiets asked Brits where and when they think the world’s first car-less city will be and, importantly, how they think it would look.

The survey of 2,000 people found that Brits think we’ll see the first car-less city as soon as 2050, and that the UK will beat the likes of China, Saudi Arabia and Europe to it. London ranked as the most likely city in the world to go car-less, followed by Amsterdam, Tokyo, Copenhagen and Beijing.

But what would replace the popular mode of transport? More than half (55%) of Brits think that bikes and e-bikes are most likely to replace cars, whilst a quarter (23%) think scooters will see their heyday. 8 million Brits (12%) think segways could become more commonplace, and 10% even think that we’ll have travelators and hover boards to help pedestrians to get around faster.

This city of the future would have a positive impact on the environment, massively decreasing CO2 emissions. In fact, if all 2.6 million registered cars in London were swapped for a Swapfiets bike, 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 could be avoided each year. That’s the equivalent of 125,000 double-decker London buses, 110,000 Big Ben bells, over 700 London Eye’s and almost 3.3 billion pints of beer.

Brits think car-less cities will be much more liveable when asked how they think they will look. There will be less roads but more green spaces and trees (41%), more cycling and pedestrianised zones (40%) and lots more street dining (24%). Brits would also expect to see new landmarks, more commemorative statues and more sporting facilities.

Using these findings futurist Dan Sodergren teamed-up with AI artists to visualise what some of Europe’s most prominent cities could look like if they went car-less, including London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris and Berlin.

Dan Sodergren, futurist, said: “Like many, I dream of a future less dependent on automobiles.

“This societal shift promises not only to better our environment but also to redefine our urban spaces—think walkable pedestrian zones, extensive cycling paths, and an influx of green spaces to aid in the battle against climate change.

“While the road to this idyllic future might be challenging, the rewards promise to be bountiful. Armed with technology, we must resiliently undertake this transformative journey starting as soon as possible. We needn’t aim for a world entirely without cars, but one significantly leaner on them, and we owe it to the next generations to make this happen.