In 2017, Ghent's Circulation Plan was touted as Political suicide. Now, the way the city travels has been fundamentally changed - and is widely appreciated too.
With an aim to become car-free by 2030, Ghent started identifying zones for pedestrianisation in the 2000s. Since then, the city of Ghent has managed to rework the entire vehicular circulation of the inner city and 6 immediate neighborhoods to produce an access-restricted zone in 2017, as a part of their Mobility Plan. This concept was inspired by Groningen’s recirculation plan done decades ago (in 1977) by pushing out cars to a ring road (Eckerson, 2020). This project is possible only due to sheer political will, as it faced strong opposition before implementation, including death threats to authorities. However, it is also one of the most dramatic examples of transformation, which incredible rates of modal shifts since implementation.
“Return it and they will come” – The city aimed to rework its priorities towards humans, and give back space to people (O'Callahan, 2020). Costing 4 million EUR, this project was pushed for by the mobility counsellor Philip Watteeuw. An easily accessible city with pedestrian and bicycle friendly neighbourhoods has ensured that people use these new interventions.
To unburden the city centre by freeing it of motorized traffic by eliminating the 40% through traffic at rush hours was yet another one of the city’s goals, which they achieved by the 2017 Circulation Plan (Heather, 2019).
To plan out this process, Ghent adopted two steps – quick implementation and exhaustive communication about the changes to the transport routes and benefits of the same.
The process involved:
Creating an inner ring road (R40) as the only linkage between neighboring wards. Any vehicle wanting to move from one zone to another has to move out to the ring road and then re-enter the other zone. This is often 2-3x as time consuming as using bicycles or simply walking down the streets.
identifying and reversing traffic flow in some streets to aid the mobility plan
signs, paint markings and camera monitoring, allowing certain types of vehicles to pass. Approximately 1900 street signs were modified and added (Heather, 2019).
simple barriers that rendered streets closed to vehicles, but open to walking and cycling. Introducing play elements as blocks on roads
Increasing parking spaces for bicycles and introducing 2 free shuttles to inner city. The shuttles run on the pedestrian streets and people can alight them from the street itself
Creating a permit system and access policy for vehicles of residents
The city has also enforced a system of checks and fines to maintain this circulation plan. In the six residential zones adjoining the city centre, permits are required to access the inner streets by private vehicles. Free permit given only for a particular zone. Fine of 55 euros for not obtaining permit if caught without it (Stad Gent, 2017). This is enforced by camera inspection of each registration plate entering the zones. Public transport, taxis, emergency services and refuse collection vehicles do not need a permit.
Street parking has also been removed from the streets in many places, giving back the spaces for pedestrian and bicycle use. Many inner roads have been shifted to bicycle-only roads as well, and previous bicycle lanes have since then become footpaths.
Pros/Successes
a) Pedestrianized core city, with supporting traffic design in the neighboring wards to allow movement of vehicles
b) Priority to elderly and health emergencies in vehicular traffic within old city
Cons/Issues Raised
a) No access between blocks unless using the inner ring road, increasing car travel time
b) Shopkeepers concerned about decreased revenue as vehicular access is cut off
The impact has been visible and positive since implementation in April 2017:
25% of Ghent inhabitants made a decision to change their mobility habits by purchasing an (e-)bike, subscribing to the local public transports or starting car-sharing.
25% increase in bicycle users, 8% increase in public transportation ridership, 12% decrease in car traffic during the rush hour (Cadence Team, 2017), even 29% less cars on the most important routes within the ring road and 58% in the residential streets. Overall car usage drops to 27% from 40% in 2015 (Rutter, 2016).
60% of those interviewed view cycling as a safer mode than before. This has been crucial in changing the travel culture (City of Gent, 2017).
The number of traffic accidents have decreased by 25% in the city-centre since the plan implementation.
There has been no reported drop in revenue for shops in pedestrianized zones. 1% increase in the number of restaurants and shops (Reid, 2020)
Key learnings from this project include:
Marketing and public engagement campaigns alone are not enough to make people change their transportation habits
it is necessary to create the urban conditions which will incentivize changed behaviour – by incentives, by demonstrating an improvement in the quality of life and making streets conducive to alternate transport modes.
Take action quickly - most of Ghent’s policies were implemented overnight rather than in stages - least issues technically or politically. This does not mean that stakeholder participation was circumvented, but that once the planning decision was taken, it was put in action as a single phase instead of incrementally.
There have been incremental urban design interventions since then, such as park expansions over closed roads etc.
No huge investment to modify streetscapes is required to implement pedestrianization. As long as the streets are maintained and easy to walk and cycle in, no major design overhaul is required.
Major learnings
Re-working the circulation of the inner city, with major investment in replanning mobility routes and signage instructions. Large-scale media communication about the benefit of changed circulation
A website to check parking locations, directions of driving etc. has also been created in the local language to ease residents into the plan (https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/circulation-plan/circulation-plan-digital-map)
References
Cadence Team. (2017). Ghent – Changing the Whole Circulation Plan Overnight: a Strong Political Decision. Retrieved from Cadence Magazine Website: https://www.cadencemag.co.uk/ghent-changing-the-whole-circulation-plan-overnight-a-strong-political-decision/
City of Gent. (2017). Mobility Plan Ghent 2030. Ghent.
Eckerson, C. (2020, January 1). The Innovative Way Ghent, Belgium Removed Cars From The City. Retrieved from Streetfilms website: https://www.streetfilms.org/the-innovative-way-ghent-belgium-removed-cars-from-the-city/
Heather. (2019, April 13). Ghent’s Circulation Plan. Retrieved from The Square Gent website: https://thesquare.gent/life-in-ghent/circulation-plan-gent/
O'Callahan, H. (2020, January 21). Reinventing Auckland using Lessons from Ghent. Retrieved from Greater Auckland website: https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2020/01/21/modeshift-targets-critical-lessons-from-ghent/
Reid, C. (2020, January 20). How a Belgian port city inspired Birmingham's car-free ambitions. Retrieved from The Guardian website: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/20/how-a-belgian-port-city-inspired-birminghams-car-free-ambitions
Rutter, T. (2016, November 28). Car-free Belgium: why can't Brussels match Ghent's pedestrianised vision? Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/nov/28/car-free-belgium-why-cant-brussels-match-ghents-pedestrianised-vision
Stad Gent. (2017). The Circulation Plan. Retrieved from City of Ghent website: Stad Gent: https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/circulation-plan
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