What does the SHARE-North Squared project have in common with the Flemish Green Deal 'Shared Mobility and Housing'? They both want to introduce and upscale shared mobility in residential neighbourhoods. All the more reason to bring both projects together for a stimulating exchange!
Setting the Scene
The Flemish Green Deal ‘Shared Mobility and Housing’ aims to make car and bike sharing in residential areas the norm by 2027. To achieve this, the Green Deal sparks collaborations between local authorities, project developers, mobility organisations, shared mobility providers, and other stakeholders. Together, they identify barriers, increase knowledge, and strengthen the shared mobility offer in residential areas.
Given the scope of the Green Deal, an exchange with them was a logical step. Both projects met in Mechelen’s iconic Predikheren – a former church converted into a library. We commenced the exchange by introducing the SHARE-North Squared project to the Green Deal members, and vice-versa. Next, all national and international partners were welcomed by Alexander Vandersmissen, Mechelen’s Alderman for Mobility. Following this, the Green Deal and SN² partners embarked on a stimulating exchange during a poster session. A selection of Green Deal and SHARE-North Squared partners explained their pilots in a poster session format; attendees could walk in and out and ask questions.
In this article, we provide an overview of the presenting partners and the initiatives they are testing as part of their involvement in SHARE-North Squared and the Green Deal ‘Shared Mobility and Housing’.
Jelten Baguet (Mpact) introduced the SN² project to the Green Deal partners.
AM Gebiedsontwikkeling: Community-based sharing (SN²)
AM Gebiedsontwikkeling is a district developer based in the Netherlands, primarily active in cities and urban regions. They are a frontrunner in their sector as they integrate shared mobility solutions into their projects. AM Gebiedsontwikkeling is a SHARE-North Squared project partner.
AM presented the shared mobility offerings at three sites: Stadsveteraan (Amsterdam), HERO (Breda), and GEINS (Amsterdam). The offer at the three sites is designed based on the requirements of the community. Depending on the needs, partnerships are established with different car sharing providers such as Hely (closed community system), Onze Auto (open community system), or Deel (membership-based system).
SAAMO: Shared mobility pilot for social housing communities (Green Deal)
SAAMO is an organisation committed to empowering socially disadvantaged groups by addressing poverty and social exclusion. They are active in most of Flanders and participate in the Flemish Green Deal ‘Shared Mobility and Housing’.
In Genk (Limburg Province), SAAMO is piloting a shared mobility solution in the Sledderlo neighbourhood. After consultation with the social housing residents, SAAMO installed a bicycle, a tricycle, and a mobility scooter, which can be used by the residents. Data show that 31% of residents registered for the pilot. Guidance by local community workers regarding the use of these modes is time-consuming, yet very effective.
City of Bremen & GEWOBA: Europe’s most innovative parking bylaw in practice (SN²)
The City of Bremen is one of the main policy creators in the SHARE-North Squared project. As part of this project, and in collaboration with social housing provider GEWOBA, Bremen is implementing the innovative parking bylaw (MobilitätsBauOrtsGesetz) in the Q45 development.
Q45 is a new development close to the railway station, featuring 162 apartments and a mix of offices, shops, restaurants, and services. The Bremen parking bylaw allows GEWOBA to build fewer parking spaces. In return, the budget that would have been allocated to building parking spots is used to offer car sharing memberships, high-quality bicycle parking, a bicycle repair workshop, and a car sharing station.
Klimaan: The ‘Snuffel-deal' (Green Deal)
Klimaan is an energy cooperative with projects in solar and wind energy. They are based in the wider Mechelen region and operate a small fleet of shared electric cars.
The ‘Snuffeldeal’ removes financial barriers, such as warranties, for people who wish to test car sharing. This lowers the threshold for starting to use car sharing and increases early usage. Klimaan tested the ‘Snuffeldeal’ in five municipalities; three of them decided to extend the project.
City of Stavanger: One-day course for planners and architects (SN²)
The City of Stavanger aims to reduce the need for transport, decrease car dependency, and reduce emissions from transport. They developed a course to inform architects on how to integrate shared mobility into new real estate projects. The City of Stavanger is a SHARE-North Squared partner.
The course for architects focuses on four topics: (1) Flexible mobility in urban development, (2) mobility concepts in practice, (3) the municipality's expectations and tools, and (4) the mobility offers in the region. To supplement the theory, the course includes a site visit. Most participants were very satisfied with the course and would recommend it to a colleague.
Leiedal: Shared mobility and shared messages (Green Deal)
Leiedal is an intermunicipal organisation in the Kortrijk area. The 13 affiliated municipalities collaborate to make South-West Flanders a sustainable, resilient, and future-proof region.
Leiedal shared the findings from their “Mobiliteit is delen” (Mobility is Sharing) campaign to promote shared bicycles and cars. The campaign produced locally tailored materials — such as brochures, posters, and municipal magazine content — reflecting the identity of the region.
Housing Europe: Guidelines for housing providers (SN²)
Housing Europe is the European Federation of Public, Cooperative, and Social Housing. In SHARE-North Squared, they transfer knowledge from the mobility field to the social housing sector and its members across Europe.
As part of this knowledge transfer, they have developed '10 Golden Rules' so that social housing providers can structurally embed shared mobility in social housing. Examples include “Plan shared mobility only where reliable public transport is available” or “Keep the system open to the wider community”. One of the key success factors for a mobility transition in social housing development is to have sufficient political commitment to shift from parking minimums to parking norms.
City of Mechelen & Woonland: Social housing pilots (SN² & Green Deal)
The City of Mechelen is the sixth-largest city in Flanders and is one of the region’s shared mobility frontrunners: the city’s historic centre was transformed into a low-car/no-car zone, cycling infrastructure has improved significantly, and the offer of bike and car sharing vehicles has grown to be one of the densest in Flanders. Together with Woonland social housing, the City of Mechelen participates in the SHARE-North Squared project and signed the Flemish Green Deal ‘Shared Mobility and Housing’.
As part of SHARE-North Squared, Woonland and the City of Mechelen are developing shared mobility solutions in three social housing neighbourhoods: Oud Oefenplein, Gandhiwijk, and Kruisbaan. Depending on the site, one can find shared bicycles, scooters, and cars. To inform the residents about the offer and to encourage them to use it, residents can obtain information from a community worker, test the vehicles, and have access to reduced tariffs.
Université Gustave Eiffel and Lund University: The comparative perspective (SN²)
Université Gustave Eiffel is a French university with a campus in Lille and focuses on the topic of the ‘sustainable city’. Lund University is based in Southern Sweden and focuses on sustainable urban planning. These universities are the research partners in the SHARE-North Squared project.
The academic partners are currently establishing a standardised framework to assess the effects of shared mobility on urban space, affordability, and climate objectives. It tracks selected indicators before and after pilot interventions and complements this analysis with model-based estimates. In addition to this, Université Gustave Eiffel and Lund University are developing a cross-city thematic comparison of the bylaws in the seven pilot cities.
Credits
Text and pictures by Jelten Baguet(Mpact).
Posters by respective SN² or Green Deal partners.
Banner picture by Flanders Convention Bureau.
Maarten Markus explaining AM's vision on shared mobility and housing to the Green Deal participants.
Imme Dirks Eskeland and Christin Berg introducing Stavanger's one-day course for architects to the Green Deal partners.