Jozef Zuallaert MobiMind ebvba

jzuallaert@yahoo.co.uk

In search of leadership for an urban mobility culture (including cycling)

in transition economies - the case South East Europe –

Contents

• State of Play / Assessment• Some Lessons learnt• A possible roadmap• Suggested actions

“Invitation to a cultural cycling event in Kosovo, 21 September 2008

State of Play along Bypad total quality management modules

• User needs soft transport modes / cyclists

– Advocacy: soft modes NGO non existing / early stage environmental NGO‘s

– Cycling data: non existing– Household travel surveys:

none existing– Traffic accidents stats:

dramatic increase / emerging initiatives

“Freedom of movement” street art /NGO initiative in Pristina, Kosovo, 2005

State of Play(1)

• Leadership & co-ordination– Overall priority: economic

recovery, stability, institution building and human rights, road (re)construction and upgrading

– Environment and sustainable development: low importance

– None or little co-ordination between sectors transport/roads, spatial planning and environment

State of Play (continued)

• Policy on Paper (Urban mobility / Soft Mode / Cyclist)– Local: emerging trend to

develop urban spatial and traffic management plans

– National: • Very first attempts for

spatial and multi modal transport plans

• Economic feasibility studies for major infrastructure projects

State of Play (continued)

• Supporting Local Partnership– Advocacy for soft modes:

non existing– Environmental NGO– Traffic safety staff– UNHABITAT– Scarse Donor initiatives

State of Play (continued)

• Means and Personnel– Too low knowledge and

capacity for modern urban mobility management to cope with traffic increase and problems

• National Authority– Very traditional organisational

setup– Little coordination between

subsectors and between central administration and municipalities

– „Cycling“: non issue

State of Play (continued)

• Tourist & Recreational Cycling– Tourist boom in Croatia

creates growing demand for cycling facilities

– Adventurous cycling– Long distance cycling:

rare bird

State of Play (continued)

• Land use and mobility– Expansive urban growth – Urban sprawl– Some towns surprisingly do have a

good bicycle mode share (Albania!)– Young population (Albania, Kosovo) – Walking culture– Estimated 90% children walk to

school (Kosovo)

• Evaluation & Effects– Non existing.

State of Play: Conclusions

• Overall focus on regional stability, economic recovery, institutional reform, human rights, capacity development

• Traffic increase 3 to 6% annually• Political leadership focused on massive needs

for road network maintenance and reconstruction

• Emerging awareness of needs for environmental, road safety, urban and social impacts of a uni modal focus. Pressure and assistance become urgent

• EU Transport perspective for the SEE region– Rapprochement‘ of the Acquis

Communautaire Transport and Environment

– Rebuilding the Regional Core Transport Network

MOU on Rebuilding the Regional Core Transport Network for South East Europe

South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO): http://www.seetoint.org/site

Rebuilding the Regional Core Transport Network

• “Most important prerequisite for the overall economic, social and environmental development, stability and prosperity of the region” Miroslav Kukobat, Head of Infrastructure and Energy Unit, Regional Cooperation Council South East Europe

• The Plan covers a network of 6.000 km roads, 4.580 km rail, 1185 km inland waterways, 11 airports and 7 ports. Estimated investment package: €3 billion

• No counterpart programme on urban development and urban mobility that comes close to the SEETO programme

Western European lessons learnt to enhance urban mobility and cycling

• Lessons from Flanders, Belgium in 80/90-ties – Awareness raising through NGO‘s– Urban revival and environmental

awareness– Political leadership; new policy and

planning instruments; funding– Success of recreational cycling– Urban Mobility and the revival of public

transport and soft modes• Lessons from BYPAD

Suggested mid and long term roadmap for an urban mobility and cycling culture in South East Europe

• The bottom-up soft guidance approach

• The top down hard/ conditional guidance approach

Suggested roadmap The bottom-up soft guidance approach

• Awareness raising through Civil Society initiatives and City /Town Coaching

• Capacity development• EU Research Framework

inputs for networking and demonstrations

Suggested actions The bottom-up soft guidance approach

• Awareness raising:– Subsector NGO creation and networking

(urban mobility / soft modes /road safety) – Specific TAIEX initiative on urban

mobility (cf. EU Road Federation regional workshops on Safe Road infrastructure)

– Subplatform urban mobility under Regional Environmental Cohesion Programme (RENCO)

– City /Town Coaching under Civitas Plus and other Framework projects

• Capacity development for spatial and transport planning under Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) and Integrated Community Programme for Lifelong Learning and vocational training

Suggested roadmap The top down hard /conditional guidance approach

• European Partnership should include specific priority actions for urban mobility, road safety and soft modes

• Regional Core Transport Network (SEETO) should include environmental impact of major infrastructure

• Enhanced role for the Regional Capacity Strengthening Programme for Urban Development and Housing

Suggested actions The top down hard /conditional guidance approach

• Monitoring progress through joint transport, energy and environment workshops, initiated by DG Enlargement

• SEETO subprogramme on road safety and urban mobility for capital cities

• Pilot urban cases through IPA and DGTREN energy and transport

• Regional Cooperation Council subprogram on urban mobility under the Regional Capacity Strengthening Programme for Urban Development and Housing in SEE (UNHABITAT)

In search for leadership: pioneering

“Major characteristics of the city’s transport policy are: - strengthening public transportation as a strategic goal; - opening new pedestrians zones, - re-allocating road space, - reducing congestion by re-directing the heavy vehicles to pass-by roads, - introducing electric vehicles in the public transport fleet.

The promotion of alternative transport modes, with an accent on bicycle riding, is an important action led by the Municipality in the field of sustainable mobility.”

Skopje (FYRMacedonia) The annual “Spreading a Bike

Riding Culture” event since 1999

Picture: EU Cycling event, Kosovo - 2008

Great potential for recreational cycling and long distance bicycle trails

With courtesy to Joachim Bergerhoff, Frank D’Hondt, Huig Deneef and Kobe Boussauw for some of the pictures