The SN²-project
SHARE-North Squared (SN²) aims to increase the sustainability, resource and spatial efficiency of real estate developments as well as the affordability of housing by integrating shared mobility as a means of supporting multimodal travel behaviour and for reducing car ownership, car dependency and the demand for parking.
SHARE-North Squared is an Interreg North Sea project co-funded by the European Union. The project was approved in 2022 and runs until 2026. The SN² partners are: City of Bremen (DE), GEWOBA (DE), Mpact (BE), Way To Go (BE), City of Helsingborg (SE), Lund University (SE), City of Aarhus (DK), City of Utrecht (NL), AM (NL), City of Stavanger (NO), Kolumbus (NO), Gustave Eiffel University (FR), City of Mechelen (BE), Woonland (BE), Housing Europe (BE) and the City of Bergen (NO).
Together, we want to reduce car-dependency in real-estate developments by helping local governments and project developers to successfully integrate shared mobility, and to promote its use to end users.
Meet the SN² team!
The SN² partners
Learn more about our partners and feel free to reach out!
About the City of Bremen and SN²
The Ministry of Climate Protection, the Environment, Mobility, Urban and Housing Development of the City of Bremen is the local authority responsible for transportation planning, sustainable mobility measures, creating and managing legislation for urban development and mobility management measures, guiding urban development processes as well as approving building permits and creating the legal framework which allows the integration of innovative mobility management measures in real-estate developments.
Bremen is lead beneficiary in this project, responsible for project management, reporting and organising joint events and workshops. Bremen collaborates with Mpact to coordinate high-impact and high-quality communication activities and provide a harmonised communication strategy across the project partnership. Bremen is one of the main policy creators and influencers in the project, will carry out living lab implementations and assess the long-term impact of mobility management measures in real-estate development policies and their uptake among citizens. Bremen also establishes a transferable training programme for real-estate developers and planners on how to effectively implement shared mobility and sustainable travel modes into new developments, in order to have a long-lasting impact on reducing car-ownership and car dependency.
About GEWOBA and SN²
The GEWOBA Aktiengesellschaft Wohnen und Bauen is the largest (social) housing provider in the city-state of Bremen. Our core business is the management of round about 42.000 flats. The business strategy of the GEWOBA is concentrated on sustainability: next to the economic purpose, environmental and social aspects are crucial for the success of the corporation. As a municipal organisation, the GEWOBA is an addressee of multiple interests and expectations that go beyond only the supply of living space. For tenants and customers, shareholders, local politics and economy as well as the social and cultural facilities in Bremen and Bremerhaven, the GEWOBA is a reliable and dedicated ally.
The GEWOBA's role in the project is to implement mobility management measures in new and existing real estate development projects (including a mobility hub, bicycle repair shop, car sharing station, bike and cargo bike sharing as well as soft measures such a user group oriented communication for renters and buyers, providing carsharing memberships and supporting the use of other forms of shared transport). The GEWOBA's activities represent the living lab side of the new policy implementations of the City of Bremen. The organisation works closely with the City's Transport and Development departments in a knowledge exchange that allows the improvement of procedures not only within the approval process but also implementation process.
Sharing cars in the community
On average, a car stands still for 95 per cent of the time. These cars can be used more efficiently. However, car owners are not always willing to share their vehicles with just anyone. For instance, in cohousing projects, residents often prefer to share cars only within their own community.
In SN², we pioneer vehicle sharing in co-housing communities. Cozywheels, our peer-to-peer vehicle-sharing system designed for closed groups, facilitates car sharing within these communities. Several new co-housing groups have started sharing cars via Cozywheels since the SN² project began.
We want to further motivate co-housing communities to share their privately owned cars, thereby increasing their usage efficiency and reducing the total number of cars needed in the future.
About Mpact and SN²
Mpact has pioneered shared mobility since 1975: they develop shared mobility services and raise public and political awareness regarding this topic. Mpact runs a volunteer network that drives less mobile citizens to essential destinations (Mobitwin, the largest service of its kind nationwide, with 37,000 users), introduced the concept of mobility hubs in Flanders, and recently launched a network of bike libraries for children (Op Wielekes).
In SN² and as a part of its Cozyheels vehicle-sharing platform, Mpact pilots peer-to-peer vehicle sharing in co-housing developments. They translate the insights from these pilots for policy makers, planners, developers, and residents. Mpact is also the communication lead for the SN² project and therefore collaborates closely with the City of Bremen.
Sharing is the Way To Go!
Here is a challenge: take a walk and count the cars you pass in the street. Have you ever noticed how much space they occupy? Our living environments are littered with too many parking spaces. They take up too much space and their construction costs a great deal of money.
Way To Go therefore encourages people to switch to shared mobility so that cars, bicycles, and parking spaces can be used more efficiently. One of our studies shows that a shared car can replace up to ten private cars in Flanders, freeing up a significant amount of space in residential areas.
We care, we dream. Through shared mobility, we believe a city can be transformed from a car-centred place to a human-centred space!
About Way To Go and SN²
Way To Go (formerly: Autodelen.net) strengthens shared mobility in Flanders and across Belgium. Way To Go is an authority on advising municipalities and real estate developers on how to integrate shared mobility into municipal building codes, how to implement these services in this context to maximise user acceptance as well as maximise the reduction of cars owned and parking spaces required. The organisation supports local authorities in Belgium in setting up action plans on shared mobility.
Way To Go focuses on developing useful tools that are essential for integrating shared mobility into housing developments such as a method to determine a concrete replacing ratio of private cars when implementing carsharing and an evaluations standard in order to measure the real impact on car ownership and the modal shift of carsharing. Way To Go also sets up several living labs for creating awareness for shared mobility among people living in new housing developments. Together with the neighbourhood, they determine what is needed in order to live with fewer private cars. Way To Go also provides policy recommendations and tips and tricks for local governments, providers of shared mobility and planners. Not only to integrate shared mobility, but also to make a success story of it.
Sharing is Caring
The City of Helsingborg wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and travel stress for its inhabitants. This can be achieved through shared, alternative mobility solutions. However, the current offer is limited, and the residents of Helsingborg are not aware of the existing options or the advantages of shared mobility.
We therefore introduced shared mobility solutions in our city and organised information sessions for our residents to increase the availability, awareness, and usage of these services, and to decrease travel stress and greenhouse gas emissions.
Our ambition is clear: we want every inhabitant and visitor to have access to shared, healthy, and sustainable mobility options.
About the City of Helsingborg and SN²
The City of Helsingborg is the local authority for spatial and transport planning. Helsingborg brings expertise in operational and strategic traffic planning and has experience and knowledge in areas such as parking, cycling and deliveries. One of the most important goals is to find a holistic (circular economy) solution for urban mobility including the whole process from how energy is created and distributed to the people of the City who have a need for transportation. Helsingborg has three new development areas where the City is implementing multimodal urban mobility including shared modes.
The City of Helsingborg is one of the many living lab sites in the project and has several activities that are relevant for this project. A particular focus lies on on three development areas where houses, streets and infrastructure are built with multimodal transportation and shared mobility as one major focus. The areas are: Mariastaden (semi-rural area to the city), Östra Ramlösa (new development area in the city) and Oceanhamnen (in the city centre adjacent to the central station and bordering to the ocean). Helsingborg has a special interest in exploring how to increase the proportion of shared transport.
RePlace Space!
By design, many of our cities have too many car parks and too few green parks. But what are the actual benefits of converting parking into parks?
For the SN² project, we are creating a methodology to understand the urban benefits of reducing parking pressure in a European context. We know that a single car requires 12 square metres of space for parking, and 20 square metres if we include the infrastructure required to actually park the vehicle. This much-needed space can be used more effectively.
By reducing the need for parking, we can create areas for living. Join us in transforming our cities into thriving, climate-resilient places for living, rather than parking.
About Lund University and SN²
The Environmental Strategy group within the Department of Service Management and Service Studies at Lund University possesses competencies in sustainable urban planning and the development of new housing areas, climate change aspects and carbon dioxide budgets, and sustainable and shared mobility. Their expertise also covers urban natural ecosystem services and the value of shared public space, the production and use of renewable and sustainable fuels, the climate change challenges linked to urban planning, sustainable business travel, local bicycle strategies, and the pedagogical aspects of reduced energy demands.
Lund University contributes to the project with research and acts as an advisor to partner cities and other project members regarding sustainable mobility, urban natural ecosystem services, and other issues related to urban values and sustainable urban space solutions—both in new housing developments and in densified city areas. Lund University is responsible for monitoring and providing impact assessment tasks within the project, particularly concerning the implemented pilot and living lab solutions. Furthermore, the university is building new research competence and creating a foundation for higher education in relation to sustainable mobility, natural ecosystem services, and new mobility strategies for housing developments, while also contributing to the creation of new academic research platforms.
The New Norm
Aarhus, the second-largest city in Denmark, is growing. This requires us to adapt our transport system to accommodate more people without increasing the pressure on the city.
In the context of SN², we are creating a new parking policy in which shared mobility options are a significant component. Among other things, housing developers will be required to implement shared mobility options as an alternative to providing traditional parking.
With these new policies, Aarhus will provide more room for more people!
About the City of Aarhus and SN²
The Aarhus municipal department of mobility is responsible for all aspects of the spatial planning of infrastructure and mobility in new development areas. Over the last years, the responsibility for the green transition of the transport sector towards a carbon neutral society by 2030 has also been allocated to the mobility department. This has led to an increased focus and increased competencies in green urban mobility planning, competencies that can be used in this project. Aarhus simply needs to connect the dots between urban development and mobility and practice in understanding which urban development mechanisms and services that can support the target of carbon neutrality.
The City of Aarhus is the facilitator of and provides the planning framework for sustainable urban mobility housing developments. The project is a showcase on how public authorities and private developers can work together on a common goal of sustainable mobility oriented development. The City acts as both the authority, but also as mobility manager and sparring partner for the private developer, and ensures that the implemented measures will be evaluated and assessed according to the standard of the project. The knowledge the City gains from participating in the project will both be in terms of new ways of collaboration and in terms of demonstrating impact on the modal share in the chosen urban development area.
New Norms in a Fast-Growing City
Utrecht is the fastest-growing city in the Netherlands: we will welcome 100,000 new inhabitants over the next twenty years. If every new inhabitant brings a car, we will no longer be able to maintain our position as a healthy, green, low-car city.
We are therefore offering a variety of shared cars to keep private cars away from our city. By 2030, we will make shared mobility available in every corner of the city!
By increasing the shared mobility offer, we believe that our new inhabitants will no longer require a privately owned car.
About the City of Utrecht and SN²
With Utrecht’s strategy, "Healthy Urban Living for Everyone", the City places health at the centre of urban development by weighing all decisions with regard to their impact on the wellbeing of every citizen. In addition, the "Mobility Plan 2040" aims for zero growth in car traffic and for Utrecht to be the cycling city of Europe. The City is growing rapidly; space must be used efficiently, meaning shared mobility is of great importance. Utrecht has many innovative best practices to share regarding sustainable shared mobility, such as progressive projects like the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) application "Gaiyo", the development of shared mobility hubs, and "Coding the Curbs", with its smartly organised multifunctional use of space. Utrecht has ambitious plans to scale up these initiatives; however, this growth also creates unforeseen issues within the context of urban redevelopment in higher-density areas, such as the accessibility of shared mobility for every citizen, especially those in low-income groups.
Inclusivity is prioritised in the "Mobility Plan 2040", which states that citizens with a lower income or those further from the labour market should also be given the opportunity to use shared mobility. Affordability and a lack of familiarity with shared mobility are among the reasons why these individuals do not currently utilise these services. Although large urban development projects have included shared mobility in their concepts, they are struggling to bridge the gap between a commercial offer and the financial possibilities of lower-income groups. Within this project, Utrecht aims to make shared mobility more accessible and affordable for low-income target groups by implementing practical living labs and suitable policy frameworks. Utrecht is also researching and designing an improved policy framework that sets the necessary requirements to organise and finance shared mobility management solutions for lower-income citizens in urban redevelopment projects in a future-proof manner.
Better neighbourhoods by inclusive mobility solutions
Urban developments represent a major opportunity to rethink mobility. Although shared mobility is increasingly a part of new developments, current policies and practices are insufficient to reach its full potential.
By integrating inclusive mobility hubs and shared mobility models into our real estate developments, more people will be able to adopt a car-free lifestyle, resulting in greener, more sustainable neighbourhoods. Currently, five large AM projects are already being developed with inclusive hubs and mobility offers.
The key is to collaborate. From municipalities to housing investors: together we can make shared mobility thrive for everyone!
About AM and SN²
AM is a district developer based in the Netherlands, primarily active in cities and urban regions. The housing shortage, combined with the sustainable mobility challenge, requires new solutions to decrease car ownership and usage. Based on thorough research into shared mobility in newly built housing areas, AM has created a sustainable mobility approach which the developer is now implementing in twenty-two projects with four mobility hubs. However, AM acknowledges that the upscaling and long-term effectiveness of new shared mobility solutions require a more integral approach, policy innovation, and smarter solutions.
Shared mobility falls between the public and private sectors and requires collaborative action for success. AM develops governance structures that can help to further shared mobility in urban building sites (for example, at the pilot site Merwede in Utrecht) from the perspective of a real estate developer. AM brings a private sector perspective to the project as a housing developer with experience in the mobility market as well; this is a rare perspective that is beneficial for other housing and real estate developers, while also providing insight for public sector partners. The pilots and activities implemented by AM attempt to answer many questions regarding long-term business cases for shared mobility and the required scope for future-proof and adaptive policy frameworks.
Promoting Flexible Mobility
Shared mobility is still an immature transport option in Stavanger. At the same time, car ownership is rising.
As a partner in SN², we want to promote shared and flexible mobility options within housing developments. Together with our partners, we will provide shared mobility options on-site.
We are convinced that shared mobility will contribute to more liveable neighbourhoods in Stavanger!
About the City of Stavanger and SN²
The spatial plan for the City of Stavanger emphasises developing a city of short distances. The goals are to reduce the need for transport, the dependency on car use and reduce emissions from transport. The sustainable mobility planning strategy emphasises facilitating walking, cycling and public transport. Shared mobility and cooperation with developers and mobility service providers is a soft part of the strategy. Since 2009, the City requires mobility plans for new real-estate developments at different stages in the planning process. The mobility plans merge hard and soft measures. The City is responsible for creating and implementing sustainable planning policies as well as guiding real estate developers on the need to plan more resource and space efficiently. Stavanger is also a "smart city" and was the first municipality in Norway to adopt a local road map for the smart City of Stavanger in 2016.
The City of Stavanger carries out one of the living lab sites in the project. A particular focus lies on one development area where houses, streets and infrastructure are built next to the future third largest mobility hub in the region. The area is called Jåtun. Stavanger shares its challenges with the project partners with the aim for developing better solutions for the City. The City collaborates with and exchanges experience with relevant stakeholders such as planners, developers and research institutes. Stavanger has a special interest in exploring how to increase the proportion of shared transport and works on solutions regarding "Living as a Service", a holistic approach in housing developments that focuses on mobility as well as other shared residential services (tool, appliances, shared infrastructure).
About Kolumbus and SN²
Kolumbus is the public transport provider for Rogaland County and the City of Stavanger. Kolumbus is also recognised as one of the most innovative public transport authorities in the world due to its approach as a holistic mobility service provider. They provide services including city electric bikes, car-sharing, electric scooters, and autonomous buses, in addition to more traditional services such as buses, boats, and trains. Kolumbus also maintains a strong focus on Business-to-Business services through its dedicated concept, "Home-Work-Home". Furthermore, Kolumbus plays a key role in many of the development projects and mobility concepts for new real estate sites within the City of Stavanger.
Kolumbus serves as the mobility provider in the living labs implemented in Stavanger during the project. The organisation brings the unique insights of a shared mobility service provider to the project, not only regarding the practical implementation of municipal policies but also by providing insights into the business cases required for shared mobility services. This includes services such as shared electric bikes, car-sharing, and electric scooters, particularly when integrated with more traditional services like buses, boats, and trains.
Parking the past, sharing the future
In a world where there is universal agreement that we must reduce our carbon footprint and therefore have fewer cars, our cities continue to use an outdated set of rules that encourage car dependency and consume a significant amount of urban space.
SHARE-North Squared brings together researchers, practitioners, cities, and developers to rethink parking, building, and moving around. As Université Gustave Eiffel, we are here to document cases, assess impact, and analyse how policies are evolving.
With our input, we will provide insights into how cities can align planning objectives and sustainability goals.
About Université Gustave Eiffel and SN²
In January 2022, Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée and the Institut français des sciences et technologies des transports, de l'aménagement et des réseaux (IFSTTAR) merged to form the new entity, Gustave Eiffel University, located near Lille in northern France. The institutions share teaching and research activities. The university is an interdisciplinary institution with twelve faculties and fifteen research centres. In particular, the Department for Cities, Mobility and Transport (LVMT) addresses areas such as urban multimodal transport and the interactions between city residents and transportation. IFSTTAR is a major player in European research regarding cities and territories, transport, and civil engineering. Its researchers contribute to the emergence of energy-efficient, safe, and reasoned solutions to meet the expectations of society by participating in the design of reliable transport systems adapted to all people and goods.
Together with Lund University, Gustave Eiffel University provides valuable assistance in understanding city policies that link parking, shared modes, and housing. The university participates in bibliographic research, the analysis of the experiences of other cities, and the establishment of "state-of-the-art" reviews, particularly with respect to parking standards for housing developments in cities across Europe. This is a comparison that cities frequently seek but which does not exist to date. Gustave Eiffel University also works together with Lund University to develop methods of impact assessment (identifying relevant indicators and monitoring them) for the pilots and living labs implemented in the project. It also suggests improvements and recommendations to help partner cities achieve better results in line with their objectives. Furthermore, the university helps to disseminate the project findings by participating in seminars, conferences, and congresses, by publishing reports and academic papers, and by integrating lessons learned into its own teaching curriculum.
Mechelen for Everyone!
Accessing jobs and services is complicated for low-income groups in Mechelen: there is a lack of mobility options for social tenants.
The City of Mechelen and Woonland social housing providers are therefore installing more shared mobility modes for tenants in social housing neighbourhoods, and providing hands-on support to use these modes.
We are enhancing the mobility offer because we believe that everyone has the right to the city!
About the City of Mechelen and SN²
The City of Mechelen’s Strategy and Development department is responsible for a wide range of topics, from mobility and transport to sustainability and urban development. The City’s Mobility Plan pays particular attention to cycling and shared mobility. By actively boosting sharing systems and expanding both supply and quality - also in areas that are commercially less interesting for providers - shared mobility becomes a high-performance system that can compete with other means of transport. The City already provides a clear framework for shared mobility in the public domain and has a highly innovative approach to the integration of shared mobility into real estate developments: the parking standards for new buildings are lowered when developers invest in shared mobility. The City serves as an example of how to strategically promote and integrate shared mobility into a variety of settings and a variety of modes, including car-sharing, bike-sharing, and shared cargo bikes.
Together with Woonland social housing, the City implements pilots in three areas and assesses the impact of shared mobility management measures targeting social housing in particular. In general, this target group has less access to shared mobility due to financial or other barriers such as a lack of awareness, a lack of knowledge, language difficulties, and other factors. Mechelen aims to raise awareness among this target group, develop tailored support measures, and test them in living labs, the results of which will be transferable to other cities. In collaboration with housing developers, Mechelen is developing new housing mobility management concepts that facilitate shared mobility, reduce car parking, and implement shared mobility services.
Mechelen for Everyone!
Accessing jobs and services is complicated for low-income groups in Mechelen: there is a lack of mobility options for social tenants.
The City of Mechelen and Woonland social housing providers are therefore installing more shared mobility modes for tenants in social housing neighbourhoods, and providing hands-on support to use these modes.
We are enhancing the mobility offer because we believe that everyone has the right to the city!
About Woonland and SN²
Woonmaatschappij Rivierenland, referred to in short as Woonland, is a public social housing company operating in and around Mechelen. Woonland rents and sells sustainable and affordable housing to the most vulnerable members of society and manages 3,000 homes within its jurisdiction. Woonland possesses an excellent network and can act as a vital link to the target group. Through this project, Woonland wishes to strengthen its objective of corporate social responsibility and find innovative ways of incorporating shared mobility into its development sites. The aim is to make mobility more accessible to vulnerable citizens while reducing car dependency and space consumption.
Together with the City of Mechelen, Woonland is implementing pilots in three areas and assessing the impact of shared mobility management measures targeting social housing in particular. In general, this target group has less access to shared mobility due to financial or other barriers, such as a lack of awareness, a lack of knowledge, language difficulties, or many other factors. Woonland aims to raise awareness among this target group and to develop and test tailored support measures within living labs.
More housing, less parking!
Housing has become too expensive in cities. Parking contributes significantly to this issue, as constructing parking facilities represents the largest cost for social housing providers. Moreover, as social housing is often developed outside the city centre, low-income groups do not have good access to jobs and services in the heart of the city.
Housing Europe is convinced that reducing parking requirements can help housing providers save on costs and supply more affordable housing, while shared mobility can improve access to the city for low-income tenants.
We believe that equitable access to mobility is key to enable every social tenant to reach their full potential.
About Housing Europe and SN²
Housing Europe is the European Federation of Public, Cooperative, and Social Housing. Established in 1988, it is a network of forty-six national and regional federations, which together represent approximately 43,000 public, social, and cooperative housing providers across twenty-five countries. Altogether, they manage around 25 million homes. Housing Europe and its network of housing providers envision a Europe that provides access to decent and affordable housing for all, within communities that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable, and where everyone is enabled to reach their full potential.
The primary role of Housing Europe in this project is the wide-scale transfer of knowledge from the mobility field to the social housing sector and its members across Europe. The mission of Housing Europe within the project is the dissemination of lessons learned regarding mobility and parking policies, as well as shared mobility services, through active engagement with social housing providers. Furthermore, Housing Europe develops policy recommendations for this target group, assists in the testing and validation of approaches developed within the living labs, and fosters the replication of innovative strategies in additional social housing districts.
Connecting the City of Seven Mountains - and seven centres
Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, is highly suburban. It expanded around cars in the 1960s and 1970s, creating a strong culture around personal vehicles and making daily life highly dependent on cars for commuting, shopping, and socialising. In recent decades, Bergen has changed course towards sustainable forms of transport. By reviving its light rail system, promoting shared mobility, and investing in bike tunnels, the city has been encouraging a shift in mobility habits.
Research shows that the city’s efforts in developing shared mobility have a positive effect: five per cent of the population in Bergen are part of a carsharing scheme today; they walk and cycle more than the general population, and use cars 30 per cent less than the rest of the population. Calculations show that one shared car can replace up to fifteen personal cars in Bergen. The Bergen Light Rail (Bybanen) also reshaped the city’s structure and transformed mobility patterns: passenger numbers grew significantly, reaching 25.9 million boardings in 2024.
Still, we want to go further. As partners in the SN² project, we will rethink parking policies and parking provisions in new housing developments. Our ambition is to limit the number of new parking spaces while maintaining minimum requirements to support shared and sustainable mobility.
Bergen remains ambitious in reducing car dependency and promoting active, shared mobility. Inspired by our partners, we continue to connect every neighbourhood in our city of Seven Mountains.
