Nova Terra Special [february 2007] On The Eu Supported Project 'connected Cities'

Nova Terra on the EU supported project ‘Connected Cities’ / February 2007

nova terra on the eu supported project ‘connected cities’ / february 2007

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editorial cohesion connected edges space and line high speed investments tramways in france – born again for urbanism towards a new mobility concept for cities covilhã: mobility in a mountain town

Nova Terra on the EU supported project

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‘Connected Cities’, February 2007.

http://connectedcities.eu Publisher

Nirov, The Hague, The Netherlands (www.nirov.nl)

Editorial Board

Jan Hein Boersma Evelien Brandes Huib Haccou

Frank van der Hoeven (issue editor)

Derek Middleton (English editing) Anne Schram

Michiel Smit (editor in chief) Athanasios Ziliaskopoulos (guest editor)

Graphic design

Studio Bau Winkel Print

Gewa, Arendonk, Belgium Correspondence

Nirov, Michiel Smit,

Postbox 30833, 2500 GV

The Hague, The Netherlands, [email protected]

Office support:

Helen Kokshoorn,

[email protected] ISSN

1570-0402

Editorial

3

Project part-financed

by the European Union

editorial cohesion

tramways in france – born again for urbanism

22

Frank van der Hoeven

Sophie Labbouz and Youssef Diab

Public transport and regional urban landscapes

The potential of cybercars

6

connected edges

Henrik Sander and Michael Koch

towards a new mobility concept for cities 27

Antonio Cunha, J. Varandas, Jorge Dias, Rui Rocha and Stefan van der Spek

A spatial survey for Stedenbaan 2010–2020 The content of this

publication reflects the views of the authors.

The Managing Authority is not liable for any use

that may be made of the information contained therein.

The South Wing of the Randstad

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space and line

Atelier Zuidvleugel

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32 covilhã: mobility in a mountain town

Jorge Humberto, Gaspar Gonçalves and Frank van der Hoeven

high speed investments

Detlef Golletz, Egon Walesch, Gösta Weber and Celine Chambron

Cover photo: Atocha station, Madrid (photo: Frank van der Hoeven, Rotterdam)

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 3

Editorial cohesion Objective 1

Convergence Regions

Objective 1

Phasing-out Regions

Phasing-out (till 31–12–2005)

Phasing-in Regions

Phasing-out (till 31–12–2006)

Competitiveness and

Employment Regions

Special programme

Objective 2 Objective 2 Objective 2 (partly) Phasing-out (till 31–12–2005) Phasing-out (partly) (till 31–12–2005)

Structural Funds 2004–2006: Areas eligible under Objectives 1 and 2

Structural Funds 2007–2013: Convergence and Regional Competitiveness Objectives

Frank van der Hoeven, TU Delft/ Faculty of Architecture,

cohesion of this part of the city, our street was paved with noise

Lead Partner Connected Cities, Photos: Frank van der Hoeven

reducing asphalt, two bicycle lanes were added, the pavement was resurfaced and some trees were planted. In mid September the

The Interreg Community Initiative is an integral part of Europe’s

residents held a street party to celebrate the reopening of the street.

regional policy. Interreg’s main objective is to strengthen economic

The European flag was prominently displayed as the backdrop for

and social cohesion. In pursuing this objective the European Union

the local musicians who entertained the party-goers. I would not

realised that it also has to consider the territorial dimension of

even be surprised if the musicians’ fees were eligible for European

cohesion. No clear and precise definition of territorial cohesion has yet

funding as part of the dissemination measures for the project.

been made, but as European regional policy focuses mainly on economic and social disparities, territorial cohesion may follow a similar path.

As the lead partner in an Interreg IIIC project, I could disseminate

This would put it on a course for easing the territorial disparities

the experience of the renovation of my street by adding a fact sheet

that exist between countries and regions as a way to contribute to

to the on-line guide to good practice on the connectedcities.eu

the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives. What will be the territorial

website. This would be appropriate because the renovation of the

consequences of Barroso’s call for a post-industrial revolution?

street (part of an Urban II Community Initiative project) clearly

As Interreg III comes to a close many of our partners are looking to the future. What will the new cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation programmes under the Interreg IV ‘European Territorial Cooperation’ objective bring us? In this editorial we look briefly at these policy shifts and try to assess how they relate to our current initiatives.

First and foremost, European regional policy promotes solidarity

the eu in your own street Not many people know about Interreg IIIC, Interreg III, the

combines sustainable mobility and urban development. Having

Community Initiatives, the European Regional Development Funds

added this ‘good practice’ to the website I could even claim in our next

(ERDF), or any of the Structural Funds and European regional policy

progress report to the Joint Technical Staff of Interreg IIIC West that

in general. These are not easy to explain to outsiders. Most of us

we had increased the effects of the Structural Funds programmes by

occasionally come across a construction sign with the blue EU logo

identifying another good practice related to the Structural Funds. It

with its fifteen yellow stars signalling an EU financial contribution

may sound bizarre, but, in a nutshell, this is basically what European

to the project. I came across one this summer in my own street.

regional policy is all about.

I moved to a new home in the Oude Noorden district of Rotterdam. Apparently, this district is one of the few ‘Objective 2’ pockets in

structural funds

the province of Zuid-Holland eligible to receive Structural Funds.

First and foremost, European regional policy promotes solidarity.

As part of the programme for improving the economic and social

The policy on reducing the disparities between regions and citizens

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 4

takes up about a third of the EU budget. It works mainly through

In the transition towards the new programming period (2007–2013)

four Structural Funds, one of which is the European Regional

three new objectives have taken the stage: convergence,

Development Fund. Besides the Structural Funds there are other

competitiveness and cooperation. The eligibility map has been

financial instruments, such as the Cohesion Fund.

drastically simplified. Interreg III will continue as Interreg IV, with the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives forming the main criteria

During the 2000–2006 period most of the Structural Funds were

for assessing projects.

spent on three objectives. Objective 1 helps regions lagging behind in their development. Objective 2 supports economic and social conversion in areas facing structural difficulties. Objective 3 is

territorial imbalances Awareness of a territorial component to European cohesion

about modernising training systems and promoting employment.

policies has grown over the last six years. As a result, territorial

Financial assistance from the Structural Funds under such objectives

cohesion has emerged as a new objective alongside economic and

is restricted to specific regions or areas. The result is a complex

social cohesion. ‘The concept of territorial cohesion extends beyond

tapestry of Objective 1 regions and Objective 2 areas, as can be seen

the notion of economic and social cohesion by both adding to this

on the eligibility map.

and reinforcing it. In policy terms, the objective is to help achieve a more balanced development by reducing existing disparities,

Besides Objectives 1, 2 and 3 and the Cohesion Funds, The Structural

avoiding territorial imbalances and by making both sectoral policies

Funds support four Community Initiatives: Interreg III, URBAN II,

which have a spatial impact and regional policy more coherent.

Leader+ and EQUAL. Interreg III was financed from the European

The concern is also to improve territorial integration and encourage

Regional Development Fund and its mission was the development

cooperation between regions.’2

of cross-border, interregional and transnational cooperation. Interreg IIIC is the interregional strand of the programme. ‘Cooperations

Discussion documents on regional policy mention a number of

under INTERREG IIIC shall give access to experience of other actors

territorial imbalances and the high concentration of economic

involved in regional development policy and create synergies

activity and population in the core area of the EU, referred to as the

between ‘best practice’ projects and the Structural Fund’s mainstream

‘European Pentagon’, the area between London, Hamburg, Munich,

programmes. The overall aim is to improve the effectiveness of

Milan and Paris. The European Pentagon covers less than one fifth

regional development policies and instruments through large-scale

of the EU15 land area, but contains over two fifths of its population

information exchange and sharing of experience (networks) in a

and accounts for almost half of its GDP and even three-quarters of

structured way.’1

EU party in a Rotterdam neighbourhood.

its expenditure on R&D. The concentration of people, wealth and

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 5

Maybe territorial disparities are not so bad after all

Illustration: Mietzeb, Rotterdam.

investments in the European Pentagon is not the only territorial

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), located in the

cohesion issue, though. The EU faces territorial imbalances in the

north-west corner of the European Pentagon, is investing much of its

distribution of towns and cities, marked disparities between and

energy in the HST network and the economic and social opportunities

within cities, intra-regional imbalances and regions with geographical

it offers. But the United Kingdom itself is reluctant to build a high

handicaps. All of these issues should be examined in the light of the

speed rail infrastructure outside the South East. At first glance, the

Lisbon and Gothenburg ambitions. Territorial development strategies

HST looks like something that typically belongs to the European

and policies have to be aligned to Borraso’s call for a post-industrial

Pentagon. Wrong again! Look at the HST network that Spain is building.

revolution.

But again we could question if this is the right approach. If the aim is to ease the stark differences between the European Pentagon and

The European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) warns in their on-line

the rest of the EU, it would seem to be a sound approach. But the

discussion paper on territorial cohesion that Europe might become

inhabitants of Toledo, whose regional train service has been replaced

a boring place if we try to systematically eradicate the differences

by the HST (AVE), are not at all happy about the steep price rises

between regions and places. The ECTP constitutes our Quality Team,

that came with it.

so we should take such warnings seriously. But what does this mean for our Guide to Good Practice?

The mountain town of Covilhã is one of the few partners that clearly suffers from a geographical handicap. The field demonstration of

connected cities Should we listen to the more sceptical view of Henrik Sander?

the cybernetic transportation system organised by IPN would seem to be a justifiable approach. But some doubts creep in here too.

The HafenCity Universität Hamburg, also rooted in the European

On average, the people of Covilhã spend fifteen minutes travelling

Pentagon, seems to be well aware of the territorial shortcomings

between their home and workplace. Living in the European Pentagon

of the Pentagon. Or should we applaud the Stedenbaan initiative,

is rather different. To travel home from work I can choose to travel

which tries to bring rail mobility to as many citizens as possible in

by car, take the train or use the cycle path in my street subsidised by

the province of Zuid-Holland?

the European Union. No matter which mode of transport I choose, during the rush hour my journey to and from work will take me

Sophie Labbouz (EIVP) shows that every self-respecting French town

about three times as long as the equivalent journeys made by the

is re-embracing the tram in the fight against congestion and pollution.

citizens of Covilhã. Maybe territorial disparities are not so bad after

What do we say to a partner city like Toledo that has set its mind on

all. And who knows, the ECTP may be right to make some of their

building its own tram system? Should Toledo draw on the French

criticisms.

experience? Or should we point out the territorial differences between French and Spanish cities? The steep hill on which Toledo’s city centre is located could be one such difference: trams cannot climb the steep slopes in the centre and would have to bypass it.

Notes 1

2

Source: www.interregc3.net Ibid

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 6

Public transport and regional urban landscapes

Connected Edges

Just as regional urban landscapes depend on public transport for their further development, an efficient public transport system itself depends on networks to connect regional urban landscapes. Connected edges are an integral part of connected cities. Against this background we can observe different trends and strategies, taking Germany as an example.

The German Autobahn near Essen. (photo: orange.edge, Essen)

Henrik Sander, HCU Hamburg, Department

During the period of industrialisation there

graininess of traditional urban structures

of Urban Planning

was a direct relationship between public

is being lost. This deconcentration affects

Michael Koch, orange.edge, Ruhr-Area

transport and urban development. The

not only the retail trade but schools and

expansion of Berlin by development

kindergartens too. As the distance people

Traffic infrastructure is one of the main

companies (Terreingesellschaften) was well

have to travel increase, so do the volumes

determinants of urban development.

coordinated with the development of the

of car traffic. Each business park on a highway

The mobility revolution brought about by

public transport network. The mobility

creates jobs, but if these business parks are

trains during the industrial revolution broke

patterns of the new citizens inevitably led

only linked to the public transport network

down the spatial boundaries of cities,

to high passenger frequencies on the public

by irregular bus services they do not

allowing totally new forms of urban growth.

transport network. In contemporary urban

automatically raise the demand for public

Cities like Berlin expanded into more

landscapes shaped by the individual mobility

transport, but generate more car traffic.

outlying areas, penetrating even further into

offered by the car, lifestyles, mobility patterns

the surrounding regions along the railway

and patterns of demand are becoming

lines. In the

extremely diverse, with serious implications

20 th

century the car enabled a

new scale of urban growth in more

for public transport.

diverse traffic patterns Apart from spatial fragmentation, traffic flows themselves are becoming more and more diverse. In the 1980s, traffic planning

dispersed suburbs, mainly in attractive landscapes between the main railway lines,

Changes in traffic patterns are not only

was still about managing traffic flows

stimulated by low real estate values and

influenced by the suburbanisation of housing,

characterised by commuter traffic and its

good traffic access.

but also by the suburbanisation of the retail

highly concentrated peaks. Today, commuter

industry, which is becoming increasingly

traffic in Germany only accounts for 20%

concentrated in fewer and bigger locations

of the total traffic volume, whereas leisure

in non-integrated areas. The small-scale

traffic accounts for 50%. Leisure traffic is

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 7

more diverse both spatially and temporally

a decline to 60 million inhabitants by 2050

and therefore even more car-based than

if there is no significant immigration.

commuter traffic, which itself is becoming

This demographic change itself will lead

less predictable due to shorter and more

to a dramatic decline in demand for public

flexible working times. The growing functional

transport, a trend that can already be seen

independence of suburbia creates stronger

in regions dominated by school traffic.

Since 1945 60% of all regional train services have been closed estate developments like the AirRailCenter Frankfurt and the conversion of the main

internal relationships in the outskirts of cities and increasing levels of tangential traffic flows

No conclusive answers have yet been put

station of the city of Leipzig into a major

that are more difficult to integrate into radial

forward on how public transport can face the

shopping mall. But despite investments in

public transport networks.

challenge of fragmented urban structures,

the ICE system, cuts are being made in

As for the radial based public network, in

demographic decline and increasingly

regional and local connections. In recent

Germany a discussion is taking place on the

individualised patterns of demand.

years many regional connections have been

‘renaissance of inner city districts’. The diverse

By definition, public transport depends on

cancelled and InterCity connections replaced

modes of transport available in the inner city

spatial density and more or less constant

by RegionalExpress lines. Since 1945 30% of the

are making it an ‘infrastructure home base’ for

traffic flows. The coverage of whole regions,

rail network, 60% of all regional train services

flexible working and suitable for the lifestyles

one of the prerequisites for the efficiency

and 43% of all stations have been closed.

of the knowledge-based society. But this

of main lines, can hardly be assured. At the

To provide a flexible connection to the regions,

trend cannot wipe out the social and spatial

same time, subsidies for public transport

Deutsche Bahn is offering more car-based

developments of the last 100 years. Future

are declining and are already leading to

services like Park+Ride and agreements

urban development will be characterised by

price rises and line closures.

with car sharing companies, and has been expanding its car parking space at stations

the simultaneity of centrifugal and centripetal forces, as well as by a complex diversity of

contraction of the rail network

since 2005. The newly founded DB BahnPark

Deutsche Bahn is concentrating on the

individual working and living patterns. demographic decline

company will develop and operate multi-

ICE high speed train, which provides fast

storey car parks close to the main stations.

connections between major cities, for example

Pursuing this strategy to its logical conclusion

Hamburg-Berlin and Munich-Cologne.

will lead to a point where the coverage of

will have only minor impacts on public

Deutsche Bahn is also building new

regions is abandoned in favour of

transport because of the long-term dominant

intersections. The new train station at

concentrating on the main lines that can

demographic trend. The Federal Statistical

Frankfurt Airport, for example, now has more

be operated efficiently, supported by highly

Office predicts a decline in German population

high speed ICE connections than the main

developed station areas. Car-based services

from about 83 million now to 75 million in

station in the city. The major stations are being

such as Park+Ride, car parks or car-sharing

2050 (figure one). The Institut für

upgraded and developed under a ‘renaissance

arrangements will then take over the

Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) is even predicting

of train stations’ strategy, including real

connections to the regions. A highly developed

The ‘renaissance of inner city districts’

paratransit system would make this scenario

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a serious proposition. the city of short distances In response to the growth of regional urban landscapes the German government developed an urban planning strategy called ‘the city of short distances’. This concept is based on the pattern of the historical European city with mixed of housing, employment, retail and other uses. This type of concept can be







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implemented successfully in traditional medium-sized cites like Freiburg with an attractive urban fabric. Between 1982 and 1999, the modal share of public transport in Freiburg was raised from 15% to 26%, while the share of car traffic declined by 4%. This has made Freiburg more attractive, but it also

Figure 1: Demographic development of Germany. (source: Statistisches Bundesamt, Bonn, 2003)

made housing in the city more expensive

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 8

dynamic centres – due to rising oil prices and the demographic trend. Instead, there will be a process in which regional urban landscapes will ‘settle down’. The trend towards singleperson households and a continuing demand for housing will lead to a more homogeneous distribution of the population density. This process of inner suburbanisation on a

AirRailcenter, Frankfurt. (source: Deutsche Bahn AG)

regional scale cannot be countered by the and speeded up the movement of residents

a contradiction in itself: density is not what

concept of the city of short distances, nor can

into the suburbs. Paradoxically, the successful

people are looking for when moving to the

it be reversed by concentrating development

implementation of the strategy is generating

edge, whereas public transport needs a certain

around points on the main railway lines,

growing traffic problems despite the traffic

density to remain economically viable:

as Deutsche Bahn is doing. However, the

management measurements. Moreover, as

– 1,000–1,500 residents within a walking

process of inner suburbanisation offers

an attractive centre for the region Freiburg has to cope with increasing commuter traffic.

distance of 300 meters to bus stop – 3,000 residents within a walking distance of 400 meters to a light rail station

New urban developments like Rieselfeld in Freiburg are also part of the strategy of short

– 4,000 residents within a walking distance of 500 metres to a regional station

quality public transport links realised at an

settlements and traffic structures more efficiently. This process will not be based on large-scale urban development projects, but on several small-scale measures for optimising regional urban landscapes and

distances. This new district, providing homes for 12,000 residents and 1,000 jobs, with high

the opportunity of connecting existing

inner suburbanisation It can be assumed that regional urban

their infrastructures. The classic approach within this context is

early stage of the development, is a prominent

landscapes will not continue to grow

densification on brownfield sites, which needs

showcase for a successful mix of functions.

significantly - with the exception of some

to be planned in relation to public transport

But most new urban developments suffer from the basic problem that a historic mix of functions is missing. Contemporary economic and social conditions make it almost impossible to create such a mix, and even where mixed-use developments can be created, diverse lifestyles and mobility patterns do not automatically mean that residents use public transport. And if public transport connections are only provided at a later stage of development or the level of service provision is too low, car-oriented mobility patterns emerge that are difficult to change later. The fragmented political/administrative structure of regional urban landscapes makes it difficult to realise the ‘city of short distances’. The logic of short distances is neither a sufficient reflection of urban reality, nor is it a fully developed planning tool under contemporary conditions of urban development. This logic may work in traditional inner city districts, but these are only a small part of the urban system in relation to the dynamic and fast-growing urban edges. Urban density in these spaces, for example at public transport stations, is

Freiburg Rieselfeld: 12,000 residents, 1,000 jobs. (source: Stadt Freiburg)

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 9

Karlsruhe Stadtbahn: integration of local and regional rail systems; passenger numbers increased six fold. (source: www.karlsruhe.de)

so that public transport at the edges does

points, a reduction in travelling times and good

park was connected to the nearest S-Bahn

not follow on the heels of suburbanisation.

connections to other modes of transportation.

station by a hanging monorail, or ‘sky train’.

Ruhrauenpark on the southern edge of the

Saarbrücken, Chemnitz, Zwickau and other

The sky train cut the travel time to the main

city of Bochum is a good example of

towns now operate similar systems. Some

station to 15 minutes. Further extensions of

coordinated urban and traffic planning within

municipalities have even begun to concentrate

the sky train are planned.

the context of existing urban structures.

their urban development along these lines.

The development of around 600 housing units

The development of business estates is

In suburban areas, paratransit systems are

on the site of a former freight depot offered

rarely coordinated with public transport

often used if bus lines cannot be run

the opportunity to extend an existing light

planning. Office parks or shopping centres

economically. These are mainly used as a

rail line, not only to serve the housing

on greenfield sites, with their spacious car

substitute in times of low demand and today

development but also to connect to a nearby

parks, are almost synonymous with the

are isolated systems with quite complicated

railway museum.

Americanisation of European cities.

logistics. But these substitutes could

The integration of these sites into public

potentially serve bigger regions without

The Karlsruher Modell is another example of

transport systems, however, is a precondition

creating long travel times due to transfer

the opportunities that the optimisation of

for a public transport system that covers a

problems. The system is adaptable and can

existing infrastructure offers on a regional

whole region. Nevertheless, the inclusion of

cope with different mobility patterns with

these sites in the planning process is difficult:

variable destinations such as commuting or

developed a system called Stadtbahn that

in contrast to housing developments, years

leisure traffic. This, however, would require

allowed Deutsche Bahn tracks to be used by

can pass between planning and final

a massive service with efficient technology

light rail vehicles to connect the city efficiently

realisation. Nevertheless, such sites can be

and corresponding advertisements to boost

and economically with the region. Passenger

effectively integrated into public transport

acceptance, something that has not yet been

numbers increased six fold. Today, 100 light

networks at a later stage. The Dortmund

done. Jerry Schneider calculated that 10,000

rail vehicles operate on 470 km of railway

technology park near the university has

taxi-buses could replace the entire bus system

tracks. The basic principle behind this success

been under development since 1985 and

story is a combination of low investment and

today houses 235 companies with around

operating costs, a reduced number of transfer

8,400 employees. In 2003 the technology

scale.1 In the early 1990s the city of Karlsruhe

in London, and offer a door-to-door service.2

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 10

10,000 taxi-buses could replace the entire bus system in London, and offer a door-to-door service renaissance of stations The aforementioned ‘renaissance of train stations’ has some spectacular showcases, like the 30,000 m 2 shopping centre within

medium term the local authority is planning a Bike+Ride station and a café as additional services. In Harburg, a southern district of the city of Hamburg, the station has been

Leipzig main station, developed by Germany’s

transformed into a ‘cultural station’ providing

leading shopping centre construction and

additional amenities. The former first class

management company ECE. But the example

lounge is now home to the local art society

of the shopping centre cannot be used for

and regular exhibitions of contemporary

the functional and ‘psychological’ upgrading

artists are held in 300 m2 of exhibition space.

of small and medium-sized stations.

A jazz club has been based at the station since

The integration of these stations into the

2004, making the station a lively place even

urban environment is much more complicated

at night.

because shopping centres cannot be run economically in such stations. No specialised

All these different strategies are reactions

development companies have yet emerged

to the two central challenges facing public

for small and medium-sized stations. How can

transport: an ongoing suburbanisation and

these stations once again be integrated into

a declining population. Both trends lead to

public life? Ticket machines and architectural

declining population densities, casting doubt

restoration alone are not sufficient to increase

on the long-term viability of traditional public

taxi and train will have to become elements

their appeal.

transport systems. The gap between urban

in an integrated mobility system based on

development and public transport can only

new forms of infrastructure, such as

There are some examples of how stations can

partly be bridged by traditional concepts of

information networks and nodes.

be upgraded in relation to local demands,

line-based public transport systems. Public

The challenge is to fully integrate the various

mostly initiated by local authorities.

transport needs to adapt to suburbanisation

modes of transport, overcoming the

The municipality of Bönen in North Rhine

and the diversity of space as well as to

stereotyped thinking of public transport

Westphalia transformed its station into a

declining densities and the individualisation

versus individual transport, both on the supply

Bürgerbahnhof (Citizen Station). The main

of society on a regional scale. The rigid

side as well as the demand side. In essence,

communal services are no longer provided

boundaries between different modes of

this means an efficient main line network

at the town hall but at the station. In the

transport will disappear in future: car, bus,

with flexible connections to the regions,

Leipzig main station: 30,000 m2 shopping centre.

(source: ECE Projektmanagement)

with car-sharing or taxi-buses replacing the traditional line-based public transport. Such a system would be able to connect urban edges by reacting to individual lifestyles as well as the more equal distribution of traffic flows over time. But as the strategies are not coordinated – paratransit in particular is rarely a vision for the future, but more a substitute for periods of low demand – it is doubtful whether in the long run public transport will be able to connect the edges or disappear from the edges. Notes 1

2

See: www.karlsruher-modell.de See: www.taxibus.org.uk

Reactions to: [email protected] Suburbia. (photo: Henrik Sander)

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A spatial survey for Stedenbaan 2010–2020 The South Wing of the Randstad

Space and line

Western European cities are tending to spread and coalesce into lower density urban regions. As new centralities emerge within these urban fields, public transport systems will have to evolve from monocentric hierarchical structures into multinodal homogeneous networks. The Stedenbaan project in the South Wing of Randstad Holland can make a major contribution to the emergence of such a regional public transport network and support the spatial development of the region.

Atelier Zuidvleugel, Commissioned by the Stedenbaan Spatial Development Committee

Spatial transformations along the Stedenbaan.

The Zuidvleugel, literally translated as the ‘South Wing’ of the Randstad,

The ‘Space and Line’ spatial survey is one of a series of studies

is being transformed from a series of separate urban regions into a

examining several aspects of the Stedenbaan project. The survey

single cohesive metropolitan area with a heightened level of interaction

provides an overview of present and future spatial conditions in the

between functions. The regional road network and public transport

station areas along the Stedenbaan line and reveals the opportunities

system have not kept pace with these changes and are unable to meet

for their development. The study also shows the benefits of coordinating

the growing demand for transport. In 2004, the Bestuurlijk Platform

development in the 47 station areas. Many of these areas are not

Zuidvleugel (South Wing Administrative Platform, a partnership of the

intensively used at present but most are built up, the main uses being

local and regional authorities in the area and Zuid-Holland provincial

housing, employment and mixed-use functions. The Stedenbaan project

council) decided to take a critical look at the mismatch between the

will include development of greenfield areas but will also certainly

dynamics of urbanisation and transport development. The Stedenbaan

involve redefining the existing urban area with a view to greatly

project was launched in response to these developments and combines

improving accessibility.

two strategies: – The creation of a high-frequency public transport system on the existing national rail network – A regionally coordinated urban development programme based around the stations on the rail network This ‘dual-purpose strategy’ rests on the assumption that transportation

The survey was carried out in three stages, examining (a) what developments are feasible in terms of quantity, (b) what developments are most promising, and (c) what local developments are desirable in terms of their contribution to the objectives for the South Wing region as a whole.

and spatial development influence each other. A powerful planning instrument can be created by identifying the various links between

feasible

urban development and the infrastructure network and exposing their

As a first step, an inventory was made of the areas within the

development potentials. Not only will this improve overall accessibility

spheres of influence of the Stedenbaan stations that will undergo

in the South Wing, it will also be a crucial element in formulating a

change between 2010 and 2020. This inventory was based on plans

growth strategy for the region based on integrated urban and network

drawn up by local and regional authorities, and hence provides a

development. This will have an important impact on the economic

widely accepted picture of the future development space around

development and physical appearance of this metropolitan region,

the stations.

as well as its environmental, social and cultural potential.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 12

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The zones within a 1,200 metre radius of the Stedenbaan stations have a combined area of 18,000 hectares, or about a quarter of the urbanised area of the South Wing. About 20% of this area – as large as the towns of Delft and Voorschoten together – will be subject to development between 2010 and 2020. The local authorities have

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designated many of the station areas as housing or mixed-use zones. Employment zones are also projected, mainly in the form of business sites rather than single-use office parks. The initial results of this inventory indicate that the targets for new

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uses set by the stakeholders can be met. If the land is developed at the average densities already found along the Stedenbaan line, the area around the stations will be able to accommodate more than 40,000 dwellings and 1,000,000 m2 GFA of office space. Besides

clarifying a feasible development programme, this first step provided an overview of ongoing and projected spatial transformations along the line, a crucial basis for the exchange of ideas in a development

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project consisting of several dispersed but interconnected locations.

Size of the spatial transformations.

promising

The station areas often correspond closely to one particular typology.

The dual-purpose strategy is based on developing a traffic and

For example, Rotterdam Central closely matches the ‘city centre’

transport concept in combination with a spatial development strategy.

typology, while Schiedam Kethel is more like the ‘rural’ typology.

However, this integrated urban and network development is not just

However, station areas can have a combination of indicators that

a simple equation for delivering a given number of journeys and more

correspond to two or more different potentialities. The results of this

intensive land use. Mobility networks influence a variety of spatial

analysis show the existing potentialities of the stations on the strength

characteristics, such as the size of cities and towns, the intensity of

of their position in the network and their spatial characteristics.

functions, the degree of mixed use and the decentralisation of

They also show what characteristics of the network or the station area

activities. In turn, spatial characteristics influence the development

must be changed in order to encourage a particular development.

and use of networks. desirable The second step of the survey consisted of an inventory of the existing

The integrated planning of urban development and network

relations between the areas and networks along the Stedenbaan line.

development can make use of the interactions between them not only

These relations were determined using a set of indicators which

to ensure better access within the South Wing, but also to make a broad

describe the positions of the stations within the network and the

impact on the economic development, the social and cultural potential

characteristics of the surrounding areas that will be influenced by

and the physical appearance of this metropolitan area. For instance,

the network: (a) the degree of access by public transport and (b) by

urban sprawl and fragmentation of the landscape are caused partly

car, (c) local housing and employment densities, and (d) the degree

by the growth of high-speed traffic. The low density this creates in

of mixed use. Drawing on existing knowledge about how spatial and

turn reduces the support base for services and so generates even more

network development influence each other, nine potential developments

traffic. Higher densities will make public transport viable and good

were outlined for typical situations found along the Stedenbaan.

multimodal access is an important characteristic and prerequisite for

These nine potentialities can be seen as ‘Stedenbaan typologies’.

attractive and sustainable mixed-use areas.

They describe developments that are promising since they are

The coalition of public parties involved in Stedenbaan – over twenty

inspired by the impacts of the transport network on specific areas

local authorities, five regional alliances, one provincial council and

and vice versa. The nine ‘Stedenbaan typologies’ are described briefly

central government – have set a broad range of goals for the future

on page 13.

development of the area. Furthermore, commercial and semi-public organisations are also becoming interested in a supraregional

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 13

stedenbaan typologies

Cities of the Future: easily accessible and

Randstad Hubs: not intensively used areas,

Rural Areas: spaces in the middle of the

dense housing areas; can gradually expand

but highly accessible by road and local public

landscape for low density housing

into mixed-use developments with their

transport; excellent places for experimental

development and recreational use.

own identity.

new employment and mixed-use areas.

Small Towns: new housing sites close to

Business Sites: extensively used areas along

Creative Cities: urban centres accessible by

the small towns that can expand into

the motorway to be turned into intensively

every mode of transport, well suited to new

autonomous, compact, lively, multifaceted

used employment zones.

urban-type dwellings and creative

communities set in the countryside.

Supraregional Crossroads: areas linked to

workplaces.

Outskirts of Cities: restructuring areas on

one of the major motorway intersections in

City Centres: key sites, well served by every

the quiet, spacious and green edges of the

the South Wing; highly suitable for

mode of public transport but less accessible

cities; these qualities are consolidated,

developing services with a supraregional

by car; will have to be better designed for

enhanced and used.

function.

users of public transport.

approach to local development owing to the fact that a variety

The developments which are promising because they are supported

of environments responds better to a variety of market demands.

by the existing networks and areas (the potentialities) contribute to

Unsurprisingly, there are conflicts between some of the objectives

higher-level goals in varying degrees. The three scenarios have been

of the various stakeholders in the region and between the different

drawn up to reflect different aims. In each scenario the potentialities

administrative levels (local, regional, provincial and national).

are assigned to the stations differently because they contribute to

Following the inventory of development sites in the Stedenbaan

the relevant aim to a greater or lesser degree. The scenarios are

station areas and the review of the potentialities, the last stage

outlined hereafter.

of the ‘Space and Line’ study explored possible aspirations for the The Densification scenario

Stedenbaan project. Three scenarios were used to assess how these

This scenario is in line with the National Spatial Strategy, which

potentialities can be exploited to achieve the goals at the supraregional

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Plans for the 47 station areas involved in Stedenbaan.

The South Wing Network scenario In this scenario the metropolis is not defined as a single urban

transport and not in places where it is also likely to generate a good deal of vehicular traffic.

planning concept, but as a coherent programmatic whole. The scenario offers maximum diversity of services and locations within

The outcomes of the modelled scenarios show that in all scenarios

given temporal and spatial constraints. The quality of the location is

the quantitative goals for new housing and employment uses are

based on accessibility and on the sites designated for housing,

met. In the Densification scenario the amount of new housing in

recreation and employment. The main goal within this scenario is

dense urban environments goes far beyond the projected market

the formation of networks.

demand. This scenario also demonstrates that when densification is the prime goal it leads to the development of a one-sided offer

The Sustainability scenario The aim of this scenario is sustainable development. Great value is

of working environments. The South Wing Network scenario delivers a lower volume of development in terms of square metres of floor

placed on the potentialities for densification in existing urban areas,

space, but a broad variety of both housing and employment

for mixed-use, and hence more sustainable, development, and

environments. It also makes the biggest contribution towards the

which preserve the typical landscape. These potentialities support

development of an emerging regional transport network. However,

densification only where it will generate passengers for public

the high proportion of development with supraregional functions will

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 15

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generate additional traffic. The positive effects of the Sustainability

culture and development control powers are devolved to regional and

scenario can be seen in the outcomes for the environment and the

particularly local authorities. Apart from a few major infrastructure

preservation of open landscape. As expected, this scenario generates

and urban projects of national importance, most urban and

the least amount of car traffic.

infrastructure developments that exceed the boundaries of a single local authority have to be initiated, developed, coordinated or managed

from potentials to concrete ambitions Emerging metropolitan regions require not only new forms of

by regional authorities or coalitions of local authorities (either statutory or informal arrangements; the South Wing Administrative

transport but also new methods of spatial planning. Because

Platform is an example), and often in partnership with developers

interaction within the region transcends traditional planning

and other stakeholders. Such initiatives often have to be developed

boundaries it raises a number of questions, such as: Which

through a complex process of agenda-setting and negotiation.

developments should be planned and managed at the regional level? How much coordination between all parties involved (public

The ‘Space and Line’ survey by the South Wing Studio contributes to

authorities and market players alike) is necessary? Which quality

the ongoing development of the Stedenbaan project and the South

standards should be set and enforced at higher levels? And how can

Wing as a whole. The first and foremost task of the survey was to put

all this be organised and managed? Currently, in the Dutch planning

the Stedenbaan project onto the regional planning agenda. The idea

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 16

2URALß!REAS 3MALLß4OWNS /UTSKIRTSßOFß#ITIES #ITIESßOFßTHEß&UTURE "USINESSß3ITES 2ANDSTADß(UBS #REATIVEß#ITIES #ITYß#ENTRES 3UPRAREGIONALß#ROSSROADSß

is that synergy and commitment can be stimulated by giving all the parties, both public and private, access to the same information and basic understanding. The parties involved do not always have to make hard-and-fast undertakings, but can work in a situation in which plans and development programmes are continually coordinated, refined and realigned. The stakeholders will work in a network structure whose components are flexible and can respond to new developments. A sound, flexible process will be vital for a project that encompasses the metropolitan area of South Holland, involves a wide variety of actors and will take half a generation to complete. Secondly the study assesses the merits of the project not only for the 47 individual station locations but for the entire South Wing. It aims to provide a broad understanding of what can be achieved

The Densification

at the regional level by a large-scale project such as Stedenbaan:

scenario.

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the satisfaction of market and transport demands within the region, the creation of a variety of complementary living and working environments that offer a wide choice and flexibility to meet changes in market demands, and development that is environmentally and socially sustainable. These qualities are based on the existing potentialities found along the Stedenbaan line. The present agreements between the leading partners in the Stedenbaan project draw on the dual-purpose strategy only for the purpose achieving their most direct goals: to generate more travellers and accommodate major housing and employment developments. But integrated urban and network development can also be a strong catalyst for developing and enhancing the qualities of a metropolitan region. The purpose of the ‘Space and Line’ survey was to explore and describe more ambitious aspirations for the Stedenbaan project. The results demonstrate that a much wider range of objectives can be met.

The South Wing

Network scenario.

about atelier zuidvleugel

2URALß!REAS 3MALLß4OWNS /UTSKIRTSßOFß#ITIES #ITIESßOFßTHEß&UTURE "USINESSß3ITES 2ANDSTADß(UBS #REATIVEß#ITIES #ITYß#ENTRES 3UPRAREGIONALß#ROSSROADSß

Zuid-Holland provincial council established the Atelier Zuidvleugel (South Wing Studio) in May 2005. The studio is supported by the municipalities of Rotterdam and The Hague, the Bestuurlijk Platform Zuidvleugel (the South Wing Administrative Platform), the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) and the Habiforum and Transumo research programmes, who are now co-owners of the project. The studio was set up to study the evolution of the network city in the Randstad, the conurbation in the west of the Netherlands. It focuses on the effects of the increasingly complex and widespread social and economic interactions on the spatial development of the South Wing, the southern part of the Randstad.

Reactions to: [email protected]

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The Sustainability

scenario.

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 17

One of the biggest challenges facing the European Union is to provide its citizens with a sustainable and competitive alternative to road and air traffic. Gösta Weber, project coordinator for HST4i, explains how two European investment projects – HST4i and HSTconnect – will increase the value of the High Speed Train (HST) network across North West Europe.

High speed investments The HST Partnership.

Detlef Golletz, Egon Walesch, Gösta Weber

Lille make them attractive to surrounding

Since their inception in 2002/3, the HST4i

and Celine Chambron South East England

regions, such as the Belgian border region

and HSTconnect projects have become more

Development Agency (SEEDA), Guildford, UK

of Leiedal. These regions are starting to form

relevant than ever. The steep rise in energy

economic clusters with the HST network as

prices, especially crude oil, together with

At its outset, the international High Speed

initial attractor. In return, strong and attractive

conflict and political instability in some of

Train (HST) Network in Europe was conceived

HST hubs pave the way for better services

the major oil producing regions, have brought

to connect the major European capitals like

and further enlargement of the HST network.

the potential risks of Europe’s heavy reliance on oil and natural gas into sharper focus.

London and Paris. Since then the network has grown so that today the HST network in North

The HST projects facilitate this process on

The connected geopolitical dangers, as

West Europe gives not only major European

different levels. First of all by co-funding

well as the direct and indirect costs of this

cities like Brussels, Frankfurt and Amsterdam

regional investments that improve the

dependency, are enormous.

the opportunity to profit from this sustainable

accessibility of the HST network; secondly,

form of public transport, but also other

by bringing decision makers from different

The transport sector is already one of the

European regions along the HST network.

regions and different countries together to

biggest consumers of petrol and consumption

The regions in close proximity to the HST

discuss and develop common economic and

is set to grow in future, according to most

network see it as an opportunity to link their

spatial strategies; and last but by no means

forecasts. Rail, however, is one of the most

regional economies to global hubs like London

least, by raising awareness on a European and

energy-efficient transport modes. It is still

and Paris and also to jointly achieve critical

national level for the needs and aspirations

growing as a market (though slower than

economic mass. For example, the advanced

of the HST regions and the potential of the

other transport modes) and has the potential

HST infrastructure of regional HST hubs like

HST infrastructure.

to significantly increase its passenger and

Y

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 18

freight mileage year after year. The HST

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) –

European regions. For example, the low

Partnership was established to invest in

Thames Gateway Strategic Executive, Greater

capacity of South East England’s ports

creating a higher value European HST

London Authority (GLA)

causes congestion and storage problems at French harbours.

network to satisfy the transport needs of European citizens in the most efficient, reliable and sustainable way as possible. partnerships

south east england – transport bottleneck The South East England Development

SEEDA Chairman, James E Brathwaite CBE,

Agency (SEEDA) is one of nine regional

describes in his introduction to the new

development agencies in the UK. SEEDA

Regional Economic Strategy (RES) 2006–2016

is responsible for the social and economic

how critical better infrastructure is for the

international partnerships consisting of

development of South East England. Together

future of the region: ’Scenarios for the future

25 investment and strategic partners from

with London, the region is the powerhouse

demonstrate the extent of the challenge.

the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany,

of the UK economy. South East England’s

Without transforming both business

France and the Netherlands. With the

share of the UK’s annual Gross Domestic

innovation and the infrastructure of this

assistance of its European partners, the

Product is 15.7%, London’s is 16.4%.

region to meet 21st Century expectations

The HST projects are being driven by

South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) – the lead partner – was able to secure European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) co-funding for an investment package of € 48 million for the two projects (HST4i: € 29 M, HSTconnect: € 19 M). The projects allowed the partners to secure substantial, otherwise unavailable, funding for their regional transport infrastructure. In many cases, ERDF funding facilitated further funding opportunities. On a political level, the partners use the projects to raise awareness of their regional infrastructure needs. The partners of the HST projects by country are: Belgium Investment Partners (Cities and municipalities) Leiedal Intercommunale, Liege Strategic Partners (Regions)

SEEDA’s infrastructure projects.

Region of West-Flanders Germany Investment Partners

Due to its geographical position, South East

we may face a tipping point in the most

(Cities and municipalities) Aachen

England has strong links to its European

prosperous parts. Congestion, skills shortages

France Investment Partners

neighbours France, Belgium, the Netherlands

and reducing quality of life could turn our

(Cities and municipalities) Lille-Armentieres

and Germany. Additionally, the South East is

competitive advantages into blocks to future

Strategic Partners (Regions)

the gateway to continental Europe for all

prosperity.’

Conseil Nord / Pas de Calais

other UK regions, thus its infrastructure has

The Netherlands Investment Partners

trans-regional importance.

The main infrastructure aims of the RES are very similar to other European regions.

(Cities and Municipalities) The Hague, Heerlen Strategic Partners (Regions) Parkstad Limburg

Along with London, South East England is one

Improving the accessibility of major transport

United Kingdom Investment Partners

of Europe’s biggest transport bottlenecks.

hubs like Gatwick airport or Southampton

(Cities and municipalities) Ashford, Cross River

The Channel Tunnel Rail Link is probably the

port are aims that can be found in regions

Partnership, Dover, Ebbsfleet, Hastings,

best known infrastructure project tackling

all over Europe. It is interesting, however,

Reading, Stratford

this problem. But the region is not only a

that beside Milton Keynes, the major growth

Strategic Partners South East England

bottleneck in terms of passenger transport.

areas of the region are along the only UK

Regional Assembly (SEERA), Government Office

Ports, roads, airports and freight corridors

HST line, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL)

for the South East (GOSE), Transport for London

all have restricted capacities, impacting

into London.

(TfL), Government Office for London (GOL),

negatively on other UK and neighbouring

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 19

There are two reasons for this. Unlike other

restricted hinterland transport capacity

and sustainable transport modes, real-time

European regions today, the South East already

already limits the operation of French and

and continuous travel information,

faces capacity restrictions on all modes of

Belgian ports.

integrated ticketing, etc. The attractiveness

transport, whether rail, road or air. This is something that the whole of Europe does not

and accessibility of the existing European eu policy

HST network is improved by investing in

face yet, but will have to in the coming years.

The HST projects implement the aims of

Development opportunities in the region are

the Lisbon and Gothenburg Agenda, the 3rd

systems, trans-border rail services, and the

already restricted and this is why SEEDA will

Cohesion Report and the revised Transport

regeneration of stations and high density

focus on capacity management mechanisms

White Paper 2001. They focus particularly

station developments.

like distance-based road charging. The CTRL, on

on linking insufficiently connected systems:

the other hand, is one of the few new transport

spatial planning, economic planning, the HST

infrastructures in the region which offers new

network and regional transport are seen as

transport capacity not only in the form of

one entity. The assumption is that by better

are still constricted by national borders, as

international HST trains but, more important

integration of existing systems, relatively

structures, laws, regulations, responsibilities

to the immediate future, in the form of

low financial expenditure and better usage

and stakeholders change abruptly at these

domestic High Speed Train shuttles. This

of existing infrastructure, a high socio-

European borders, but this situation does

allows the UK government to promote much

economic added value can be realised.

not reflect the way of life and the mobility

the linkage to existing regional mobility

achievements Regional mobility and economic cycles

needs of European citizens. SEEDA, through

needed urban development next to the HST The projects concentrate on the weakest

the HST partnership, brings these different

points of the European travel chain e.g.

groups together via international workshops

The ports in South East England exemplify

cross-border rail services, transfer between

like the HST Station Development Workshop

how increasingly interdependent European

travel modes, the interdependence of the

in Utrecht, October 2005, to facilitate focused

regional economies are. Not only are

public realm, station developments and

exchange of knowledge and experience. On

Portsmouth, Southampton and Dover global

local businesses, industrial estates and

the ground, the HST partnership implements

access points for the whole UK, but their

public transport, suburban settlements

trans-border investments, thus overcoming

stations in Stratford, Ebbsfleet and Ashford.

Strong and attractive HST hubs pave the way for better services

Stratford – Main Urban Integration Route.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 20

and ameliorating existing obstacles. Collected experiences are regularly fed back to the whole HST partnership in quarterly project meetings and are reflected in the three HST Studies. From the collective HST experience and lessons learned, success factors applicable to all elements of a sustainable European

Until now planning has been strongly limited by borders of communities, provinces and countries

travel chain are emerging, as follows: Character

to show EU politicians and programme

will serve both international and domestic

What is special about this place?

representatives how their political objectives

passengers and is due to open in 2007.

How is this reflected in my surroundings?

are carried out, e.g. at the HST Mid-Term

The Stratford City development partners

Continuity and Enclosure

Event on the 8th November 2006 in Brussels.

and London and Continental Railways (LCR)

Do I feel safe? Can I read the borders of

The aim is a feedback loop between policy

have been given planning consent for a

the space I am in? Do I have the feeling

and delivery.

major mixed-use development. This will

london olympics 2012

leisure development, 4,800 residential units,

of arrival? Do the borders of the space lead me on my way? Conviviality Do I feel welcome? Is the service attractive? Ease of movement

Stratford is a very good example of the

consist of 175,000 million m 2 of retail and 450,000 m2 of office space and up to 2,000

development potential the HST hubs offer.

hotel bedrooms. Over 30,000 new jobs are

Furthermore, is it an example for the urban

planned.

Is it easy to change places?

integration work of HST4i. Stratford, in East

Can I find and choose my way from A to B?

London, is an urban centre with a resident

Both stations will serve the Olympic Park.

Legibility

population of 200,000. Its location between

High quality transport access to the Olympic

Do I always know where I am and where

Central London, Essex and East Anglia has

sites in Stratford and surrounding areas

my destination is?

led to it becoming a strategic transport

formed a pivotal part of London’s successful

interchange. It will also be the principal site

bid for the Olympic Games and Paralympic

Are there perceived or real barriers keeping

for the Olympic village for the 2012 London

Games in 2012. The development of Stratford’s

me from using services and the public realm?

Olympic Games. It lies within the Thames

stations is a crucial element of the 2012

Accessibility

Games transport strategy, and the Olympics Organisation Committee is aiming for an 80% public transport share for the games. There will be no on-site parking at the Olympic Park site. For the duration of the games themselves no international trains will stop at Stratford International – instead High Speed shuttles will arrive every three minutes from King’s Cross / St. Pancras. At Ebbsfleet international travellers will be able to change onto the Olympic shuttle, and 5,000 park and ride spaces will be provided. Kortrijk Station: HSTconnect investment.

With co-funding from Interreg IIIB, the London Partner studies and know-how of the 25 HST

Gateway Objective 2 economic area, one of

Borough of Newham will invest in a key

project partners from five EU countries have

the priority growth areas designated by the

integration route, one which will link Stratford

been collected, evaluated and underpinned

UK government for future development.

rail lands, Stratford international and regional stations with the existing Stratford town

by three scientific papers: the HST Spatial Planning & Transport Policy Study, the HST

Immediately north of Stratford rail station lie

centre. The London Borough of Newham will

Impact Study and the HST Connectivity Study.

79 hectares of developable brownfield land.

focus the ERDF resources on the public realm

These are important in order to formulate

Work is currently underway on this site to

in and around Meridian Square, which is right

common problems and perspectives. The

construct an international station as part of

at the centre of this key urban integration

essence of these is used by the partnership

the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). The station

route. The square is the forecourt to Stratford

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 21

importance for the EU. The Stern report published in the UK on 30 October 2006 for the first time puts a staggering price tag on the impacts of climate change. European expansion and further cohesion of the single European market is creating more traffic – traffic connected to the necessary economic growth of the European community. How to realise growth with minimised traffic needs and minimised environmental impact will stay at the heart of the HST partnership. The partnership has requested that SEEDA advance the partnership by developing new projects. This development process will include expansion and a new focus of the partnership. The spatial expansion of the partnership will

Intercommunale Leiedal.

include further work on cross-border train regional station and a gateway to the Stratford

responsible for the social and economical

services. Eindhoven as HSTconnect partner,

rail land development on the one side and

development of twelve local municipalities

for example, has a strong interest in better

Stratford city centre on the other.

with 280,000 inhabitants. For several years the

rail links to Germany. This could include a

Intercommunale Leiedal has focused on better

direct link to the HST hub Aachen and further

Meridian Square will also be heavily impacted

connections to Lille, which is the regional centre

on to Köln/Bonn airport. The Parkstad-Limburg

by the development link that will bridge

as well as the nearest access point to the

region, in cooperation with the cross-border

the Great Eastern main line. This rail barrier

European high speed train network. Jointly,

business park Avantis and German partners,

currently divides Stratford rail lands, with

HST4i and HSTconnect are investing €6 million

wants to link the business park to the German

the international station to the north and

(and an ERDF share of €3 million) into the

and Dutch rail network. This would be a good

Stratford town centre, the regional station

upgrading of the stations at Wevelgem,

example of how economic development can

and the bus station to the south.

Harelbeke, Menen, Kortrijk and Waregem,

be achieved without additional traffic impact.

serving this cross-border service. Furthermore, crossing borders Besides urban investments like Stratford,

HST funds two background studies on inner-

There is further need to increase the

regional integration and on economic impact.

attractiveness of train travel and to align major infrastructure investments like HST

the HST partnership also invests in regional HST feedering services, for example from the

Interim results show an increase in passenger

with urban development. In the new Interreg

Belgian Leiedal region into Lille, France. Lille

numbers on the Kortrijk-Lille line due to the

funding period, the City of Aachen wants to

is another major European urban centre, with

improved stations and stations environments.

expand its HST project involvement. HST4i has

a population of 200,000. The conurbation,

Developing the train transport system as a

already contributed €1.9 million to Aachen’s

which includes the cities Roubaix, Tourcoing

spine in the urban network, linked to a major

station forecourt. Aachen now wants to create

and the satellite town Villeneuve-d’Ascq, has

transport node across the border (Lille), is an

a new entrance opening the station to the

1.1 million (1999) inhabitants, making it the

innovative approach to planning. Until now

neglected southern part of the city, creating

fourth biggest French metropolitan area and

planning has been strongly limited by borders

better urban through connections and

the regional centre of Nord / Pas de Calais.

of communities, provinces and countries.

development opportunities along the southern

Euralille station gives the region direct access

There is no tradition in planning for ‘borderless’

side of the railway lines. This is a good example

to the European HST network. Lille regional

urban networks.

of how economic opportunities can be opened up without the need for more mechanised

station is situated near to Euralille. Together, the two stations represent a transport hub of pan-European significance.

future The results of the HST Studies and the

traffic and at the same time upgrading the urban realm.

lessons learned by our investment partners On the fringe of the Lille conurbation, on the

lay the foundation for devising new projects

Belgian side of the border, lies the province

for the EU funding period 2007–2013. We are

of West-Vlaanderen. The HST project partner

convinced that the problems the HST projects

is the Intercommunale Leiedal, which is

are tackling will remain of paramount

Project websites www.hst4i.net

www.hstconnect.net

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 22

Tramways in France – born again for urbanism

Trams are making a comeback in French towns to combat the stranglehold of the car and the pollution it causes. Tramways are enjoying increasing recognition not only in France, but also throughout Europe and the world because of their environmental benefits and their potential for providing a backbone for urbanism. Sophie Labbouz, City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP) Youssef Diab, University of Marne-la-Vallée (UMLV), France

A tramway in Paris, quai du Louvre, 1916.

Photos: Sophie Labbouz (unless indicated otherwise) The first tramway in France was built in the Loire department in 1837

once animal traction was replaced by electrical traction in the 1880s

and was 15 km long. In 1853, a line called ‘the American railway’ was

and running costs decreased. The numbers of lines and passengers

built for the universal exhibition in Paris. Trams were subsequently

multiplied rapidly: trams became the main form of urban transport,

introduced into many French and European cities because they were

with 71 lines in Marseille, 38 in Bordeaux, 26 in Toulouse and 286 km

faster and more comfortable than the omnibus. Trams really took off

of railway scattered in the city of Lyon and its suburbs.

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 23

From the 1950s, buses became a serious rival for the tramways because of improved engine technology and the fact that they do not require an expensive infrastructure. The public authorities decided to invest in road infrastructure for cars and buses, which were viewed as a sign of progress. The tramway networks were neither maintained nor modernised and became discredited in the public’s eye. Tram vehicles seemed old, noisy and uncomfortable and people preferred to take the bus. The tramways were dismantled in most French cities during the 1950, leaving just three networks operating, in SaintEtienne, Marseille and Lille. Following the 1973 oil crisis and in the face of growing urban congestion, mobility policies changed and public transport lines were extended. A new tramway was tested in the city of Nantes, but although the project was brought to a successful conclusion,

Tramway in Strasbourg.

considerable modification was required to win over sceptical local inhabitants and satisfy changed political requirements. The new modern tramway came into service in 1985 and runs in special lanes segregated from car traffic. Grenoble, Strasbourg, Lyon, Rouen, Montpellier and Saint-Etienne have subsequently followed the example set by Nantes.

The tramway is a good compromise between the metro and the bus advantages The tramway is a good compromise between the metro and the bus: it is cheaper than the former and has a higher capacity than the latter. From the transport point of view, tramways are ideally suited

Nancy.

to medium-sized towns, for which a metro system is too expensive but which have need of good public transport services.

quiet, which is a much appreciated bonus because city dwellers find noise pollution to be one of the hardest forms of pollution to endure.

Trams are much more efficient than buses for several reasons. The first is the speed and, above all, the regularity of services. Thanks to

One of the most important advantages of tramways is the functional

the segregated lanes and the priority given to public transport at

link they make between transport and urbanism. The introduction of

traffic lights, trams are largely unaffected by the hazards of the urban

tramways into the urban fabric presents an opportunity for the local

environment. Secondly, the construction of new tram lines is linked

authority to reconsider the layout of public spaces and the urban

to restricted parking and car access to the town centre. Car parks are

landscape in general. Urban spaces can be designed to give priority to

built near tram stops in the suburbs to encourage motorists to take

pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, with wide pavements and

public transport rather than drive into town.

pedestrian precincts, especially in the town centre where it is pleasant to walk. The urban landscape associated with the tramway

Because trams are powered by electricity they are much more

can thus be used to increase the value of the areas through which

environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel vehicles. With air

they run: paving materials can be changed, trees planted and grass is

pollution in the cities a real problem and as sustainable development

often laid on the tramway. The image of the town is often governed

becomes increasingly important, this is another factor in favour of

by the success of the tramway project and so all the detailing is

trams. Thanks to the electric traction and the rails, trams are very

designed with a view to making life more pleasant for the residents.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 24

For example, the street furniture, tramway and stops are usually

tramway network, the city council chose the second option and on

designed by famous architects and are specific to the city.

21 December 2003 the tram was operational again in the city. The modern network has three lines: line A carries 55,000 passengers

Tramways influence the development of the urban structure and the

each day, line B carries 60,000 per day and line C 20,000 per day.

urban fabric. By providing rapid links from the suburbs to the town

On average, the tram services account for 53% of Bordeaux’s public

centre, tramways can open up disadvantaged districts for

transport network frequentation.

development. Shops along the route benefit and real estate values and rental values increase as well. It is hard to measure the real

The philosophy underlying the network is to increase the value of all

impact of the tramway because of the time taken for the

the areas served by building new pavements, roads and urban spaces.

construction and the influence of other developments on these data.

Besides the technical requirements, aesthetic quality was the major

The city is really transformed when once the tram arrives.

consideration in the choice of urban furniture and materials. Elisabeth de Portzamparc’s design is highly specific to the Bordeaux

bordeaux The developments in Bordeaux are a good example of the

tramway. Castings, paving stones and granite kerbs were blended with grass and green elements throughout the layout. The urban

situation throughout France. In 1946 the tram network consisted of

furniture (stations, public seats, bins, etc.) has been created using a

38 lines and more than 200 km of tracks, but by 1958 all the lines were

mix of cast iron, glass and wood and is in perfect harmony with the

closed. After a long deliberation on whether to build a metro or a

urban heritage.

Montpellier. (photo: Raymond Linssen, The Hague, the Netherlands)

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 25

Two improvements deserve a special mention. The first is the renovation of all the facades along the quays at Garonne. During the construction of the tramway the city council made the owners of the buildings the façades, restoring their white colour and giving back the quays their old charm. The second is a technical innovation.

Between urban centres the tram can also operate like a train service

To respect the urban heritage and the old buildings near the line, the architects were asked to find a way to build the tramway without

2006. The original railway line, called Coquetiers’s Line, was opened

catenaries. In response, Alstom created the APS system (alimentation

in 1875 and follows the route of an old walk in the forest of Bondy.

par le sol: ground power supply) in which the trams receive their

It was closed to all traffic at the end of 2003 to allow construction

power from a third rail embedded in the tracks. No overhead cables

of the tram-train line, which is better integrated into the urban

and masts are needed, thus limiting the visual impact of the

landscape. The link between Aulnay and Bondy will serve nine

tramway.

intermediate train stations on an 8 km route. The travel time is 19 minutes from end to end, or a commercial speed of 25 km/h.

the t4 tram-train Between urban centres the tram can also operate like a train service. The first such example is the T4, which runs in the suburbs of Paris between Aulnay and Bondy and was opened on 16 November

Valenciennes. (photo: Raymond Linssen, The Hague, the Netherlands)

During the rush hours the trains run at intervals of 4 minutes. The line is expected to carry 44,000 passengers per day, or 12.4 billion per year.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 26

The conventional railway line between Aulnay and Bondy has been

The development of tramways is continuing in France. Marseille,

transformed into a tram line with a reduced impact on the urban

Angers and Le Mans are the furthest ahead with plans to build their

landscape in collaboration with the councils of the department and

first tram lines. Most towns and cities which already have tram

communes involved. Changing the old level crossings into crossroads

services are looking into possibilities to extend their networks.

improves safety and the relieves constraints on traffic flows, while

Nevertheless, the development of new tram projects may drop off in

the layout and design benefit pedestrians and bicycles. Where when

future because the French State has decided to stop financing local

the tram-train is the only vehicle to use its lane, the surfacing

public transport initiatives, which means that these towns would

material used is ballast. In the same way, all the railway furniture

probably choose to develop less expensive transport systems.

along the line is the same as that used by

Busway systems, such as the fourth major line in Nantes, are likely to

the SNCF. 1 This new light

rail service is therefore a compromise between a tram and train.

attract increasing attention because they combine the advantages of tramways for upgrading of the urban fabric with the cheap cost of a

the t3 and beyond

segregated bus lane.

After a break of 65 years, trams returned to the city of Paris on 16 December 2006. The line runs in the south of Paris from Pont de Garigliano to Porte d’Ivry, enabling passengers to interchange with five metro lines, two RER (express regional network) lines, 18 bus lines

References

RATP Département du Patrimoine, Les cahiers de la mémoire n°6, Le tramway, de ‘l’américain’ au métro léger (12 p), 2001.

in Paris and 19 bus lines in the suburbs.

RATP Département Développement et Action Territoriale, Insertion urbaine de tramways

Being a circle line the T3 service is a major step towards a

Websites

comprehensive public transport network in Paris. One of the major

en France, Collection Insertion Urbaine (113 p), 2005.

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramway

issues facing the Paris region is to link up the various parts of the

Bordeaux tramway: www.infotbc.com

public transport network and facilitate journeys between different

Nantes tramway: www.tan.fr

points in the suburbs. At the moment the entire public transport network is oriented to the city centre. This new line makes it easier to travel from east to west and is the first circular tram line in Paris.

Paris tramway: www.tramway.paris.fr

T4 tram-train: http://tramateurs.free.fr/tram_paris/aulnay-bondy/aulnay_bondy.shtml Notes 1

SNCF is the French train operator.

A connection is planned with the T2 tram line in the west of Paris. The ultimate, long-term goal is to create a continuous tram lime

Reactions to: [email protected]

encircling the centre of Paris.

Map of Bordeaux’s public transport network.

The T3 tramway in Paris. (photo: Gérard Delafond)

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 27

The potential of cybercars

Towards a new mobility concept for cities

Small autonomous electric vehicles could provide an alternative to the motor car in an emerging new approach to mobility that tries to offer the same flexibility as the private car, but with much less nuisance and environmental impact. Their potential has been investigated in the European CyberCars and CyberMove projects.

Antonio Cunha and J. Varandas, Laboratory of Automatics and Systems, Pedro Nunes Institute, Portugal Jorge Dias and Rui Rocha, Institute of Systems and Robotics, University of Coimbra, Portugal Stefan van der Spek, Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

The use of private cars causes traffic congestion in many urban areas.

(source: European Community, 2006)

Illustrations: Antonio Cunha (unless indicated otherwise) In many urban environments the use of

less attractive to both tourists and residents.

information technologies), in many cases the

private cars causes severe problems of traffic

Moreover, the problems of many city centres

private car still offers a much better service

congestion, energy consumption (dependency

are compounded by a movement of

for the individual. As a consequence, car use is

on oil resources) air and noise pollution and

businesses to the periphery. Although public

constantly increasing. All this amounts to a

safety, leading to a general reduction in

transport systems have recently undergone

non-sustainable development of urban

quality of life and Making historic city centres

many improvements (mostly due to

transportation.

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 28

Small autonomous electric vehicles or

fully autonomous driving capabilities and

to the sustainable development of the cities

cybercars, may be a flexible solution to public

are specifically designed for public use in

of tomorrow. The results of the selected test

transport systems in specific areas.

cities to provide on-demand door-to-door

sites were published and disseminated to

They could complement mass transit and

services.

support other cities in planning future

non-motorised transportation, providing

CyberCars1 was an

passenger services for any location at any

The European project

time. Such systems are known as cybernetic

opportunity to test and exchange best

transportation systems (CTS).

practices for the development of a new

Cyber cars could complement mass transit and non-motorised transportation cybernetic transportation systems Cybercars use technologies which have

targets for increasing the physical capacity, energy saving, reducing traffic congestion and potential safety improvements.

platform for urban mobility. A major part of

In the CyberMove project a comparison was

the work carried out during the project was

made between new cybercar-based

the development of several key technologies

transportation systems in several historic

to improve the existing systems: better

cities. Public demonstrations were carried

guidance, collision avoidance, energy and

out in these cities to demonstrate that

fleet management, and the development of

cybercars offer a cleaner and safer mode of

simple user interfaces. The work was carried

transport for everyone, including people who

out on a cooperative basis in order to reach

cannot (or should not) drive, and a better

a consensus on the certification techniques

level of service than private cars (individual,

for these systems, which currently suffer

door-to-door, on-demand transportation).

from a very imprecise regulatory framework.

The essential goal was to demonstrate that

The CyberMove project2 attempted

the new mobility concept has the potential to

to make an essential contribution to the

the potential to contribute to a sustainable

demonstrate that cybercars have enough

sustainable development of the cities of

development of cities. These vehicles have

potential to make an essential contribution

tomorrow. The ultimate aim is to create an alternative transport system that can make city centres more attractive and sustainable. The advantages of cybernetic transport systems (CTS) include the reduction of congestion, better air quality and energy conservation, increased safety when compared with manual driving and no need for a driving licence. Moreover, cybernetic cars are easily moved from one location to another and, when not needed, they can drive themselves autonomously to a remote parking area. The concept and associated technologies may be appropriate for delivery of goods and even for refuse collection. The flexible design of CTS makes it possible to optimise overall system performance. CTS technology has already reached suitable levels of reliability, safety and user friendliness that they can be useful to solve some mobility problems in cities.2

Although the first Cybercar was introduced in the 1990s, the first operational project started at the end of 1997 at Schiphol Airport: the Parking Hopper (Frog). Other examples of automatic guided vehicles in the Frog peoplemover. (source: Frog navigation systems, Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Netherlands are the ECS container terminal

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 29

Frog Park Shuttle in Capelle, near Rotterdam. (source: Frog navigation systems, Utrecht, The Netherlands)

in the harbour of Rotterdam and the Park

offering individual door-to-door

place in an area between the Municipal

Shuttle I + II in Capelle (Frog). During the

transportation and are capable of driving in a

Square and the S. Francisco Church

Floriade in 2002 Yamaha provided a large

mixed-use urban environment. Another type

(Rua Direita), with an approximate length of

number of cybercars based on an adapted

is the shuttle. The Park Shuttle, for example,

500 m. In two periods of four hours each, a

chassis of a golf car offering transport up the

uses a dedicated lane with fixed stops, but

fleet of three electrical vehicles was available

hill. These cars were later donated to and

tests (e.g. Delft, Monaco) show that

for the community. These vehicles covered

used in the CyberCar and CyberMove

implementation and application in a mixed

the designated area at a speed of 8 km/h,

research projects. This meant research could

urban environment is possible as well. Other

making stops at four predetermined points.

focus on technical issues only, such as

types of shuttles, like the ULTra (BSA), use a

improving guidance, navigation, collision

specific infrastructure.

Covilhã is built on the slopes of the highest mountain in continental Portugal. The

avoidance, energy management and the user interface. The design of the vehicle itself was

covilhã showcase workshop and public

uptown and historic centre lies at an altitude

less significant at that stage.

cybercar demonstration

of 680 m, the downtown at an altitude of

The Connected Cities conference, steering

550 m and the new town at an altitude of 450 m. The climate is characterised by cold

Yamaha’s cybercar, or Automated Guided

group meeting and showcase workshops

Vehicle (AGV), is comparable with Frog’s

took place in Portugal on 9, 10 and 11 October

Parking Hopper. Another example of this

2006 in the town of Covilhã. The Showcase

(about 40oC). The town is spread out along

type of People Mover or Personal Rapid

Workshop included a public demonstration

the hillside and has three natural barriers:

Transit (PRT) is Robosoft’s CyCab. All are small

of the operation and capabilities of

two creeks and the difference in altitude

vehicles for two to four people potentially

cybercars. This public demonstration took

between the uptown and the downtown.

winters (about 0oC) and very hot summers

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 30

yamaha agv

system uses filtering techniques (Kalman filters) to attain highly

Each vehicle is an electric Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) for transporting up to four people. It is powered by lead acid batteries

accurate positioning from inertial sensors, their errors being bounded by the absolute localisation provided by DGPS.

with an operation time of 52 min/h in full mode operation. It can travel at a maximum speed of 10 km/h or more and an average speed

In this system, any user can access the CTS by walking towards the

of 8 km/h. Its range is 30 km. The vehicle was originally designed for

nearest stop and request the transportation service through the user

transporting people on golf courses and then further adapted for use

interface provided at those places.

in urban environments. It has a built-in autonomous wire guidance During a demonstration in Coimbra, YAMAHA interviewed users of

system.

the vehicles. Sixty-two per cent of the valid respondents thought The vehicle has been provided with important add-ins, such as

AGV has prospects compared with walking, cycling and other modes

automatic passenger detection, a human-vehicle interface and

of transport, especially for distances of about two kilometres.

laser-based collision avoidance. The vehicle’s navigation capabilities

Based on vehicle specifications, AGVs are promising at a distance of

consist of an innovative navigation system, which was developed in

between one and three kilometres compared to walking and public

the CyberCars project, based on the fusion of differential GPS (DGPS)

transport. Ten aspects were checked in the interview: comfort,

and inertial sensors. The system benefits from the complementary

getting on and off, seating, safety, operation, speed, acceleration,

characteristics of both sensor modalities. DGPS provides reliable

design, ecology and silence. Most aspects scored above average,

positioning with a bounded error, but with poor precision (a few

except for seating and speed (average), and silence and ecology (very

metres). Dead-reckoning based on inertial sensors can provide high

good).

precision short-term relative positioning (a few centimetres) but suffers from the accumulation of integration errors. The navigation

– Suggest what types of demonstrations

The gradient of the slope between the

cities. Based on the public demonstration

downtown and the uptown is about 17%, and

and the people’s opinion and reactions

are necessary to persuade the local

between the new city and the uptown about

(e.g. by urban planners, politicians, traffic

authorities (politicians, urban planners,

11%. The town has a population of about

planners, users) the workshop questioned

traffic planners, etc.) to adapt the concept

35,000. The residents of the historic centre

the future applications of cybercars in this

are mainly older people and university

specific context. An attempt was made to

students. The population of the downtown

evaluate the conditions in which cybercars

and new town, which contain three medium

could offer innovative and practical solutions

more suitable in specific (designated)

to large commercial areas, is composed

for mobility in cities. The overall objective

environments with different target groups,

mainly of middle class families.

was to develop a new product based on the

such as hospitals, university campuses,

existing cybercars.

airports, golf courses, leisure and business

workshop conclusions In general, cybercars are considered to be

parks, where the distance covered is

In terms of mobility, the historic centre of Covilhã has very narrow streets. Many of the

In the process of transforming the invention

considered to be small. Likewise, they may

streets are one-way only, or only wide

into an innovation, the following items were

be an option for tourist use, providing a fun

enough for one-way traffic. Most of the

debated:

experience and particularly suitable for old

residents of the historic centre do not have

– Suggest new functions for the system to

towns and cities – but careful marketing

a legal parking space near their homes.

fit the people needs

The main issues are traffic congestion to

– Suggest new applications for the system

and from the old city and the loss of urban

– Enumerate conditions for and constraints

functions in the old town centre. covilhã cybermoving workshop In an attempt to bridge the gap between invention and innovation, the workshop’s

would be needed. Several improvements are needed before

on the use of cybercars in cities and

cybercars can be transformed into a public

private sites

transport mode for a large number of people.

– List the potential users of this mobility technology – Suggest what types of demonstrations

The major difficulties concern safety (internal and external), accessibility, comfort, space, costs, speed, vulnerability, driving

main goal was to develop guidelines for

are necessary to promote the product to

experience, design and product value. Some

adjusting the specification for cybercars

potential users, and what partners should

of the main ideas for improving cybercar

designed specifically for use in towns and

be invited to improve the demonstration

systems (vehicles, system management, user

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 31

interface, new applications, etc.) try to

transport. Such as strategy could speed up

satisfy the general criteria listed here.

acceptance of cybercars by the public and

Several solutions were presented, some of

adoption of the technology.

them solidly practical and others wildly impractical.

Notes 1

2

See: http://www.cybercars.org

See: http://www.cybermove.org

References

The main advantage of AGVs is their flexibility, ease of implementation and cost-

The most important improvements to the

effectiveness. Development of these vehicles

actual cybercars that will be needed to

is already influencing car design and will

develop a new product are improved

influence our environment. New techniques

industrial design, mass customisation, voice

developed for cybercars are already available

communication, low maintenance cost,

in modern cars (cruise control, adaptive

longer battery life and higher speeds. Some

functions and dual mode cars, e.g. fuel and

extra options should be added, such as

electricity) and lorries (e.g. emergency

wireless internet, air conditioning, a platform

breaking). In future, cybercar technology may

ramp and dynamic route information. It will

give us safer and more sustainable cars.

also be necessary to ensure flexibility (no set

We might not even have to look for our car or

route), improve the sensors, add lighting,

search for a parking space: the car could find

provide automatic doors and make the

its own remote parking space and turn up

cybercar more noticeable (light and noise).

again when we need it!

The ideas collected during this exercise will be included in the Connected Cities best practices manual and will used by the Pedro Nunes Institute for the further development of the cybercar concept. conclusion Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) were first introduced some years ago. Today, several types can be found in practice. People movers using dedicated and separated lanes have been introduced to transport people at airports. Containers are moved by automatic vehicles in designated areas of ports. Shuttle buses without drivers are in service on dedicated lanes, and Phileas, in Eindhoven, is a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) based on AGV technology. But a new era might come with the introduction of the AGV. It makes sense to start with controlled applications of cybercars for short trips at special locations like natural parks, hospitals, airports and historic town centres before employing them in cities to complement other forms of

The car could find its own remote parking space and turn up again when we need it

– –

Parent M., Cybercars, Past, Present and Future of the

Technology, INRIA – project IMARA, 2005.

Rocha R., Dias J., Cunha A. and Varandas J., Towards A New Mobility Concept For Cities: Architecture &

Programming Of Semi-Autonomous Electric Vehicles. Proceedings of 12 thIASTED International Conference, –

Robotics and Applications, 2006.

Valejo A., Meisner T., Dias J. and Nunes U., Cybernetic Transport Systems in Coimbra: evaluation and

demonstration for CyberMove project, Proceedings of 2004 European Ele-Drive Transportation, 2004.

Reactions to: [email protected]

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 32

Covilhã: mobility in a mountain town Jorge Humberto and Gaspar Gonçalves, Universidade da Beira Interior (UBI), Portugal

Steep gradients in Covilhã uptown.

Frank van der Hoeven, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands Photos: Jorge Humberto and Gaspar Gonçalves The activities of the Connected Cities network include showcase

located on one of the hillsides of the highest mountain of continental

workshops. These are based on a give-and-take formula in which a

Portugal. Around half the population live in Conceição, Santa Maria,

partner can invite other partners to illustrate an inspiring case study

São Martinho and São Pedro, the four central parishes. The urban area

or present an issue or a problem and ask for advice. The ‘Mobility in

of Covilhã has a low population density, only a third of the national

Covilhã’ showcase is a clear example of the latter. Showcases are

average.

prepared in advance. In the case of Covilhã the local authority and

The easiest way to describe Covilhã is to divide it into three parts: the

the university produced a lengthy paper and a comprehensive

uptown, the downtown and the new town. The uptown includes the

presentation. Both documents provide insights in the main

historic centre, old residential buildings, churches and services such

characteristics of the town and the mobility problems it faces. Low

as banks, insurance companies, medical services, shops, the town hall,

density mountain town Covilhã, founded in 1186, is a large town of

local government offices, police and fire brigade, the main university

35,000 inhabitants in the eastern midlands of Portugal. The town is

buildings and day care centres. The downtown has the train station,

NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 33

local shops, prison, elementary and secondary schools, some financial services, day care centres, municipal offices and residential areas. The main land uses in the new town are residential developments, shopping centres, the regional bus terminal, the sports complex, the hospital and health centre and the new medical school. Almost all the old textile industries in the town have been converted into teaching facilities by the local university or have moved to the two suburban industrial parks, to the north and south of the town. The main traffic generators are the university facilities, town hall facilities, the new shopping centres, the hospital and medical school and the central business district in the uptown. barriers Covilhã faces three natural barriers: two creeks (Goldra and Carpinteira) and a difference in altitude of 230 metres between the uptown and the new town. The steep slopes and medieval layout makes it a challenge to implement good mobility solutions. The difference in altitude hampers movement through the town, especially walking. The barrier caused by the two creeks doubles the distance of the main access road to the uptown centre. The low population density does not create the best conditions for public transport. Covilhã’s road network is determined by its historical centre. The streets are narrow and most permit only one-way traffic. Slopes of over 8% are common. In the uptown some gradients are as steep as 13%. The main artery through the town is a busy national road, which is used to access the national park and ski track on the mountain passes above the town. An external ring to access the mountain is planned, but will still partly make use of the existing road network. The new town is bisected by a road that connects the town to the two industrial parks to the north and south (the TCT road axis).

Gradients to overcome by pedestrians.

modal split

The bus is the main type of public transport in Covilhã and the

The private car plays an important role in the residents’ mobility.

network covers about 65% of the urban area of Covilhã. The average

Private cars are used for about half of the trips to work and school.

distance between bus stops is around 300m. The admissible walking

A quarter of the trips to work and school are made on foot, mainly in

distance to the bus stops is limited by the steep gradients of most

the four central parishes. Buses account for about a sixth of the trips

streets: the catchment area of the bus stops is 250 m, instead of the

to work and school, in line with other cities. In some areas, the share

usual 400 m. The urban bus routes are almost all one-way loops with

of the bus in the modal split is double the average at one third.

a low frequency, on average served by one bus per hour. There is no

Local people do not seem to experience many problems with trip

space for dedicated bus lanes in most of the urban area. The

time; 90% of the journeys to work or to school take less then

commercial speed is around 15 km/h. The public transport company is

30 minutes and 60% take less then fifteen minutes. Despite this,

private and has a fleet of fourteen mostly old buses and the present

at peak traffic hours, traffic queues still form, but generally last no

operator is not encouraged to invest in providing a better service.

more than five to ten minutes each.

Occupancy rates are always lower than two-thirds and passengers

The town has well over 4,000 parking spaces for public use.

rarely have to stand. New users experience considerable difficulty

The uptown is the only area where paid parking spaces outnumber

using the system because very little information is available and

unpaid spaces and provision of off-street parking outstrips the

there are only three ticket outlets.

amount of on-street parking space. Few residents in the historic

Mobility problems Overall, Covilhã’s main mobility problems relate to

centre have access to a nearby legal parking space. Much of the

the use of public transport, private car usage and walking. These

on-street parking space here is not well defined, which results in

issues are characteristic for a small town in a rural area. The Covilhã

illegal or irregular parking. Parking in the downtown and in the new

experts did not refer to problems with links to the cities and regions

town is plentiful, mostly free and on-street.

in Portugal or Spain, let alone to cities and regions in the rest of

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NovaTerra Connected Cities / february 2007 / 34

Europe. So, at first sight, Covilhã’s mobility issues seem to be restricted to the town itself. These are outlined briefly below.

desired future scenario As a next step the local authority and the university have drawn up a desired future scenario, aimed at improving the residents’

Bus system The frequency of the bus service is low. The travel time is

mobility. Although the scenario may be considered too ambitious and possibly unfeasible, its main objective, say the local experts, is to

unnecessary long because of the loop configuration of the system.

provoke a reaction from the other partners and elicit their opinions.

The buses are old and noisy, cause air pollution and use too much

The local experts wanted to know if the other partners have faced

fuel. They also have difficulty manoeuvring in the narrow streets and

similar problems and been successful in implementing adequate

road intersections.

solutions. The ambition of the desired scenario is to cut the share of the private car in the modal split by half. To achieve this the

Private car use Access by car to the historic centre is limited by reduced

proportion of journeys by public transport needs to double. In the scenario the town will design a self-sustainable public transport

manoeuvrability and illegal parking of private cars in the uptown

concession that will ensure high quality standards. At the same time

obstructs public transport and pedestrians. Most off-street parking is

the local authority will apply financial incentives for the use of non-

privately owned and out of the local authority’s control; the non-

polluting fuels. Other sustainable transport modes of transport are

central areas contain many unused parking spaces. Two underground

encouraged as well: electric bicycles (e-bikes) and walking. Residents

car parks in the town centre are privately owned. The revenues from

will be encouraged to travel to and from the uptown to make the

on-street parking contribute to their financing (for the next 40 years).

historical centre more attractive to live and shop, while the overall pedestrian accessibility of the uptown and the older public buildings

Walking The steep gradients between the downtown and the uptown

will be upgraded. Parking facilities will be improved to make them more acceptable to residents and illegal curbed as a result.

make the town difficult to navigate by foot. The materials used to

Paid on-street parking solutions will generate long-term revenue

surface the pavements are slippery during wet weather and many

that will contribute to the financing of other mobility systems.

pavements are often too narrow or cluttered with obstacles.

The Covilhã experts already had some solutions in mind, steered the

Measures and facilities to provide adequate access to the town for

discussion of the scenario by asking several detailed questions: Is the

people with reduced mobility are lacking, especially to the older

desired modal split feasible? Can the quality of the bus service be

public buildings.

enhanced by moving towards mini- or midi-buses? If alternative fuels

Local authority will apply financial incentives for the use of non-polluting fuels

are to be applied, what would be better: hydrogen fuel cells or electricity? Is it feasible for buses to include spaces for bikes? Can parking revenues or road pricing help to subsidise public transport? Could pedelecs or e-bikes provide solutions for the steep slopes of a mountain town like Covilhã? Could elevators and escalators improve the accessibility of the town centre? And finally: could park and ride systems be feasible and help to reduce traffic problems in the town centre? Ensuring sustainable urban mobility During the workshop the experts from the other partners formulated opinions based on Covilhã’s scenario. The general feeling among the Connected Cities network was that mobility should be used as a way to influence or steer urban or regional developments. Without a clear idea where the town wants to go, it is difficult to tell if a solution is right or wrong, even if the solution is generally considered sustainable. Covilhã has to develop a spatial vision before it can address the mobility questions it has raised. The local authority should undertake detailed traffic studies the get a better idea of the main origins and destinations in the town. More insight into the use of public transport and walking patterns is necessary as well. The differences between the uptown, downtown and new town seem so large that Covilhã probably needs tailor-made solutions for each of the areas, with particular attention to the relations between them. The specific conditions of the mountain town clearly require

Covilhã downtown.

innovative strategies for clean urban transport. These strategies

Covilhã newtown.

The specific conditions of the mountain town clearly require innovative strategies for clean urban transport should ensure accessibility for all. In the case of Covilhã, the

The first solution tried to integrate the existing bus system into a park and ride scheme. The second solution focused on improving pedestrian access to the town centre, overcoming the steep gradients and height differences in the town. The first solution reflects the idea that we should not choose between the car and the bus. Finding a balanced way for several modes of transport to work together might provide solutions that are more sustainable. The second solution reflects the concern that the vitality of the historic town is under much pressure. The limited accessibility is believed to contribute to that problem.

accessibility of the old town and the older public building is clearly an issue. The bus system appears to be antiquated and the feasibility

In the end we left Covilhã with the feeling that the town needs a

of a European bus system of the future should be explored. The links

spatial vision with an integrated innovative strategy for clean urban

with the outer parishes could be served by new mobility concepts for

transport based on adequate data. The Connected Cities network

passengers that guarantee accessibility for all, such as paratransit.

combines enough knowledge and experience in this area and several

All the solutions should be subjected to an interactive planning

partners expressed their willingness to help with this task.

process in which all the relevant stakeholders are represented. Once

Connected Cities can offer the local authority an opportunity to work

applied, the efficiency of the solutions should be monitored and if

in smaller expert groups on specific solutions: the overall spatial

necessary adjusted to ensure the desired results. If Covilhã is serious

vision, transport development, travel demand management, bus

about curbing use of the private car, it has to offer alternatives and

rapid transit systems and paratransit. Additionally, we could explore

apply restrictions on car access.

whether initiatives can be undertaken within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the European research programme. FP7 has just

workshop results In the end the workshop produced two solutions. In our experience, such solutions should not be taken too literally because

published its first calls for proposals and the issues Covilhã faces seem to match FP7’s focus. The challenge is clearly there and the opportunities are plentiful. It is time to act.

they are developed in a limited time. It is more interesting is to see what their objective is; what do they try to solve?

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Connected Cities

Connected Cities is about sustainable mobility and spatial development. As EU-sponsored Interreg IIIC

Bulgaria

Municipality of Kardjali

network it focuses on high quality public transport

France

mobility and quality of life in urban and rural areas.

Sénart Public Local Authority

and transport development areas, aimed at improving The network activities will continue until the end of 2007. European network

Connected Cities brings together twenty-five partners throughout Europe. The partners in Connected Cities will share their experiences and insights through

City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP)

Ghent University / Architecture and Urban Planning

Netherlands Centre for Underground Construction(COB) TNO Environment and Geosciences

Institute Pedro Nunes (IPN)

Hamburg-Harburg University of Technology (TUHH)

of Patras (ADEP)

European New Town Platform (ENTP)

structure (SRE)

Facilities (STUVA)

through a guide to good practice.

Belgium

Eindhoven Regional Government Administrative

Portugal

Research Association for Underground Transportation

Greece

http://connectedcities.eu

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Germany

management and coordination, interregional showcase

workshops, dissemination and communication, including

Netherlands

Municipal Enterprise of Planning & Development Development Agency of Magnesia S.A. (ANEM)

City Hall of Covilhã

Spain

Federation of municipalities and provinces of Castilla-La Mancha (FEMPCLM) Municipality of Toledo

Municipality of Philippi

United Kingdom

University of Thessaly

South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Region of Thessaly

Italy

Municipality of Ancona Municipality of Ferrara

Bristol City Council

Transport for London (TfL)