Discovering A Neglected Backyard

NovaTerra Connected Cities / june 2006 / 4

Discovering a neglected backyard

Location of SRE in The Netherlands.

Eindhoven has always kept its eyes on Randstad Holland, content to be a Dutch ‘brainport’. But in an era of open borders the region now looks to Leuven (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany) for greater critical mass to compete on a European scale. For too long Eindhoven has ignored its ‘backyard’: the Belgian province of Limburg. Berry de Jong, SRE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands Frank van der Hoeven, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, The Netherlands + Connected Cities Illustrations: Frank van der Hoeven (unless indicated otherwise)

The Eindhoven region (700,000 inhabitants)

Forty per cent of private R&D investment in

the eindhoven-leuven-aachen triangle

is a major high-technology cluster. This

the Netherlands finds its way into the region.

(elat)

position is recognised in Dutch economic,

More recently, SRE has been working in the

innovation and planning policies with

The 21 municipal councils in the Eindhoven

Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Technology

designations like ‘Brainport Eindhoven’ and

region collaborate in the Eindhoven Regional

Triangle (ELAT) with Leuven and Aachen.

‘Top Technology Region’. The region is a

Partnership (SRE) to promote their common

Their proximity on a European scale gives the

‘technology and innovation hotspot’ with

interests. The SRE coordinates local

cities the additional mass they need to act as

strongly developed R&D activities. It has the

government activities in the field of spatial

a single region. The main goal of the ELAT

highest patent density in Europe and a top

planning, traffic and transport, housing, the

project is to develop and implement a joint

quality knowledge infrastructure. The

environment, recreation and tourism,

innovation strategy for the technology

leading regional clusters of mechatronics,

education, health, culture and social and

triangle, using ICT to tie in knowledge

automotive, medical and information

economic policy. The purpose is to bring

institutes, businesses and public authorities.

technology have prospered, while new

about balanced development across the

The strategy is to make the ELAT an

technologies such as embedded systems,

region. But to compete on European and

internationally recognised top region for

nanotechnology and life sciences are

global levels the region needs to create

technology and improve the economic

evolving alongside a dynamic cluster of

economies of scale and scope. If Eindhoven

climate. Transnational cooperation between

design, business development, education

collaborates with other regions it can create

Eindhoven, Leuven and Aachen means a

and creative industries. It is due to the

a critical mass in research, development and

larger knowledge base, a wider urban scale

Eindhoven region that Noord-Brabant is the

innovation.

and greater urban diversity. Because

only Dutch province to meet the EU goal of

specialised companies in the knowledge

spending at least 3.0% of gross domestic

economy need to cooperate to develop new

product (GDP) on research and development.

products, services, techniques and concepts,

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / june 2006 / 5

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ELAT placed between the Regions of Excellence taking part in the EU sponsored PAXIS

ELAT (including Liège): the regional distribution of high-tech industry,

programme (Pilot Action of Excellence on Innovative Start-ups).

knowledge institutes and major infrastructure.

The ELAT-project is still driven exclusively by economic initiatives, but it raises questions about the wider benefits of cross-border development direct contacts are needed for the exchange

national borders hampered the development

diamond shaped region includes the

of tacit knowledge. This network economy

of these regions, now the open borders and

Eindhoven area (SRE), the Leuven area

and acts more and more like an ecosystem

new economics offer opportunities for the

(eastern part of Flemish Brabant), the

and ELAT offers the opportunity for its

economic growth and spatial development of

Belgian province of Limburg, the Maastricht-

further development.

Eindhoven, Leuven and Aachen. But renewed

Aachen area and the Liège urban region.

regional growth will not automatically mould The relatively young ELAT project is still

these three regions into a single new urban

There is even a historic precedent for

driven exclusively by economic initiatives,

network. They need to strengthen their real-

including Liège in such a scheme. Between

but it raises questions about the wider

world ties as well.

1866 and the Second World War a direct rail link between Eindhoven and Liège did exist,

benefits of cross-border development. The regions of Eindhoven, Aachen and Leuven

connected cities

providing direct connections between

have always looked away from each other.

Making these physical links is the aim of the

Amsterdam and Liège three times a day.

The Eindhoven region has strong economic

Connected Cities project launched by the

It was shut down gradually during the

relations with the nearby Dutch city regions

SRE. The idea is to create a sustainable

second half of the century. Although the rails

of Tilburg, ’s-Hertogenbosch and Breda, and

connection between Eindhoven and Hasselt,

have gone, the routes are still there. Recently

with the Randstad (Amsterdam, The Hague,

the capital of the Belgian province of

they have re-emerged as key components in

Utrecht and Rotterdam). The Aachen region

Limburg. Hasselt lies in the very heart of

the Spartacus plan by the Belgian transport

traditionally looks to the Rhine-Ruhr area,

Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle and

authority De Lijn, an ambitious new plan to

and the Leuven region has links with the

could become an important public transport

improve the quality of public transport in the

Flemish Diamond (Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent).

hub connecting these cities. Liège cannot be

province of Limburg.

Their traditional ‘backyard’ is relatively

excluded from this transport network, as a

underdeveloped. Whereas in the past, the

single look at the map confirms. The resulting

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / june 2006 / 6

The Spartacus regiotram lines extended into the Eindhoven region an Noord-Limburg (Lommel).

Linking public transport networks is just a small first step, but it could be a breakthrough in the cross-border thinking that Europe is all about

more than eight times as many. Hasselt became a model for many other towns throughout Belgium. The ‘free’ public transport initiative was the brainchild of Hasselt’s mayor Steve Stevaert, who went on to become Flemish Minister of Mobility and Spatial Planning and in 2005 regional spartacus regional transport initiative

network in Limburg. And it is no academic

governor of Limburg. Public transport in

Like many other European regions Limburg

exercise, or one of those mobility plans that

Limburg clearly has solid political backing.

possesses a rudimentary rail network, which

regions love to develop but fail to realise.

In the case of Spartacus there is also a sense

provides connections to the cities of Antwerp,

The Spartacus plan rests on solid ground: it is

of urgency. The regional and national public

Brussels and Liège. These connections are

explicitly mentioned in the Flemish coalition

transport services in the province are in a

relatively slow and infrequent and make a

agreement and the necessary funds have

poor state and it is widely acknowledged

very modest contribution to the modal split.

been secured.

that something has to be done. It helps that Spartacus is not a mega project absorbing

There are no connections with the neighbouring Dutch provinces Limburg and

At first glance Limburg might seem an odd

billions of euros, but requires a rather

Noord-Brabant (Maastricht, Eindhoven).

place for innovations in public transport.

modest investment in the infrastructure

The Belgian province of Limburg (800,000

of between 150 and 200 million euros.

In recent years De Lijn Limburg has pursued a

inhabitants) lacks most of the ‘urban’

An additional 10 million euros per year are

successful strategy for attracting new

characteristics experts would consider

needed to operate the network.

passengers. They have made deals with the

necessary for developing a successful public

local authorities in several towns and cities

transport network. The urban area is very

The Spartacus plan proposes a network of

to provide ‘free’ public transport for all their

dispersed and densities rather low. But in

improved rail links with the larger cities in

inhabitants or selected target groups. Local

1997 the regional capital Hasselt launched a

Belgium, supported by regional light rail and

bus lines in particular have been used more

unique experiment with ‘free’ public

regional connections. Public transport hubs

intensively. But it has not stimulated the use

transport. It resulted in a significant increase

tie this network together. In essence,

of public transport over longer distances.

in the use of local buses. Whereas in January

Spartacus consists of four main components:

This is what the Spartacus plan sets out to

1997 only 32,000 passengers used the bus in

1

achieve. It involves no less than a

Limburg’s capital, in January 1998 the

connections with Brussels, Antwerp, Liège

restructuring of the entire public transport

number of passengers had risen to 269,000,

and Leuven. Frequent and direct services

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De Lijn plans to upgrade existing rail

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / june 2006 / 7

High Tech Campus Eindhoven, in future serviced by Spartacus? (source: High Tech Campus Eindhoven)

will eliminate the need to transfer and cut

bridge the remaining half. The Connected

between Limburg (the neglected

travel time significantly.

Cities network organised several expert

backyard) and the ELAT cities.

2 Spartacus proposes the introduction of

meetings and workshops on this task, which

2 The scales of operation have to be

regional light rail, or regiotram. Most of

generated a step-by-step approach that

determined. Initial studies show that the

these regiotram connections use railway

offers a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to

travel time between Eindhoven and

lines that were closed during the second

make an adequate response that bridges the

Hasselt can be kept close to 60 minutes.

half of the twentieth century. Large

gap. The SRE would have to determine with

In that case the link can serve all

stretches of these routes are now used as

De Lijn Limburg how the link between

necessary scales: inter-regional, regional

cycle paths. The Limburg regional plan

Eindhoven and Hasselt affects the position

and intra-regional. Although this seems

identified such routes as lines that can be

of the Noord Limburg public transport hub.

contrary to generally accepted wisdom, in

converted back to rail with only relatively

The advanced public transport system

this case public transport services on all

light investment. Three regiotram lines

developed for the Eindhoven region over the

scales are lacking in this border area and

connecting Maastricht, Maasmechelen

last ten years is not a regiotram, as in Belgian

introducing one system will provide a

and Noord Limburg are proposed. The

Limburg, but the Phileas Bus Rapid Transit

significant improvement on all scales.

Noord Limburg line includes the option to

system, which uses dedicated traffic lanes

A link that bridges the distance between

reach into the Eindhoven region.

and futuristic vehicles. Somehow these

Eindhoven and Hasselt in 60 minutes will

systems, regiotram and Phileas, have to be

provide reduced travel times on long and

knitted together.

short journeys. It will improve the

3 Where passenger volume is modest, regional bus lines are proposed.

connection Eindhoven-Brussels, Hasselt-

Significant reductions in travel time are connecting elat

Amsterdam, Eindhoven-Leuven, Eindhoven-

All in all these are not easy questions to

Hasselt, Eindhoven-Noord Limburg, and

development of a number of public

answer. The steps to be taken in this process

even Eindhoven-Valkenswaard.

transport hubs where all these systems

are nevertheless straightforward:

meet and connect, including Hasselt,

1

foreseen. 4 Finally, the Spartacus plan includes the

3 The desirable and possible connections

SRE needs a vision that provides a context

should be determined. Working with a

for the sustainable link between

trunk line with branches offers a flexible

Eindhoven and Hasselt. The Eindhoven-

solution that fits the Limburg context.

For the time being Spartacus will reach into

Leuven-Aachen Triangle (Liège included)

This trunk line runs straight from

Noord Limburg, covering more than half the

can provide just that. The Eindhoven-

Eindhoven to Hasselt, with as few detours

distance between Hasselt and Eindhoven.

Hasselt link should be instrumental in

as possible to keep travel time close to

The question is whether Eindhoven can

strengthening the real world ties

60 minutes. The trunk can branch off in

Genk, Maasmechelen and Noord Limburg.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / june 2006 / 8

Masterplan for Lommel, set to accommodate 40,000 to 50,000 inhabitants. (source: gemeente Lommel, Belgium)

Somehow these systems, regiotram and Phileas, have to be knitted together Stedelijke drager Woonkern Woondorp Woonpark Woonlint Stedelijke open ruimte Te reserveren woonuitbreidingsgebied Erkende woninggroep Te verwijderen woninggroep Te verdichten knooppunt / centrumgebied Suggestie tot selectie van heide-heuvel als één woonkern Suggestie tot selectie als woonkern Uit te rusten regionaal bedrijventerrein Bouwrijp bedrijventerrein Bestaande industriezone KMO-zone (na gebruik te herbestemmen) (Toekomstig) Zandontginning Reservegebied grootschalige stedelijke ontwikkeling Stedelijke boulevard Kernwinkelgebied

Zoekzone overslagactiviteiten Station Suggestie toplocatie kleinhandel Zone voor specifieke voorzieningen Gebied met overwegend natuurfunctie Grootschalig bos-, natuur- of heiecomplex Toeristisch-recreatieve voorziening Toeristisch-recreatieve voorziening in groen kader Zoekzone uitbreiding toeristisch-recreatieve voorziening Beekvallei Open ruimte-verbinding Natuurverbinding Bufferstrook Primaire weg I Secundaire weg II (suggestie) Secundaire weg III (suggestie) Tracé n769 in onderzoek Lokale weg I Lokale weg II

Noord Limburg towards Lommel, a city

focus on the possibility of these systems

step towards a network that strengthens the

that is expanding to 40 – 50,000

sharing one and the same track between

real world ties between Eindhoven, Aachen,

inhabitants.

Eindhoven and Noord Limburg (Lommel).

Leuven and Liège and their central backyard.

4 Locating the Noord Limburg transport

Both regiotram and Phileas use guided

Linking public transport networks is just a

hub and related urban development

vehicles. If regiotram and Phileas can be

small first step, but it could be a

requires careful consideration in

combined, it would make ELAT the first

breakthrough in the cross border thinking

weighing up the different alternatives.

testing ground in the world for comparing

that Europe is all about.

This will take some time. From the

Bus Rapid Transit with Light Rail on a one

perspective of ELAT the capacity of the

to one basis. The results may surprise us.

Z

hub to provide space for the next university, technology institute, research

real world ties

campus or technology cluster should be

Arriving from two rather different

examined.

backgrounds, the Dutch region of Eindhoven

5 The overall routing of the line is in part

and the Belgian province of Limburg are

pre-determined by the existing and past

looking for ways to connect to each others

rail infrastructure.

region’s by advanced public transport.

6 The final choice of system (regiotram or Phileas) is a tricky one. Further work could

NovaTerra_special_jg6#2.indd 8

Establishing a sustainable link between Eindhoven and Hasselt could become a first

14-06-2006 17:09:09