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Home to 1.2 million residents, the capital of Belgium, Brussels, receives millions of visitors each year: unsurprising given it is home to international organisations such as the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and also offers iconic tourist landmarks.

A compact city, Brussels has for many years held a reputation for being congested and dominated by cars: it embraced car centric urban planning in the post-war era, converting space in public squares into car parks and enthusiastically building urban motorways. Yet, within the city itself, only one in two households own a car, and half of the 350,000 daily commuter trips through the city are made by car.

City leaders are well aware that a transition to walking, cycling and public transport can dramatically enhance the livability of the urban environment - creating more space for economic and cultural activities. Yet there is added urgency to achieve this shift in Brussels - where poor air quality directly linked to motorised traffic continues to breach EU air pollution limits.

Facing these conditions, the efforts to turn the Belgian capital into a true cycling city are steadily accelerating. Today, between 7 and 8% of journeys across Brussels are made by bike, but there is ambition amongst the regional leadership to increase it to 20%. As half of all journeys made are under 5km - a distance easily travelled by bike - there is realistic hope that this ambition can be fulfilled.
Brussels for People
Pascal Smet, the region's Minister for Mobility and Public Works, is on a mission to transform Brussels. Under the #BrusselsForPeople vision, Smet wants to dramatically reshape Brussels into a city that prioritises the wellbeing of citizens, making it is easier to cycle and walk.

Explaining his ambition for the city he said:

"In fact, we need to go back to the future. Brussels used to be a real cycling city with grand boulevards where people walked and met each other.

"Over the past five years cyclists have doubled in number and we have transformed open parking lots in beautifully-designed squares. Brussels was long lagging behind, but I hope we can be at the forefront of urban development for a greener city where cyclists and pedestrians have more space."

Much of the focus of Smet's efforts have fallen upon the reshaping of public squares, removing car parking spaces, and turning over more space to the public. Meanwhile, road infrastructure is being removed, and roads remodelled to prioritise public transport and active travel.

Most streets in the city already have painted bike lanes, but with the aim to improve on this, the construction of 80km of new separated lanes is planned. Advance cycle lines by junctions have been created, and it is legal to cycle in both directions on one-way streets. Set to be complete by 2023, a keystone project is the upgrade of the inner ring road with a dedicated cycle path, separating riders from fast moving motorised traffic.

Attention is also falling onto the quality of the design of cycling infrastructure in the city, ensuring it is as attractive as possible. For instance, rather than being painted red - the colour of danger - new bike lanes will be painted a more natural - and inviting - ochre.

Additional bike friendly measures the city has in place include:

● The Villo! bike rental system: 360 stations across the region with 5000 bikes; 12 million trips have been made since it launched in 2009

● An expanding network of secure bicycle storage facilities on the street, and at train and metro stations

● Bicycles allowed on public transport during off-peak hours

● A bike registration system in collaboration with the police and the Justice Department

● More police patrols made by bike
#BikeForBrussels
Combining social media campaigns with on street activities, #BikeForBrussels calls on all residents to embrace cycling as a means of improving the city.

In advance of the 2019 Tour de France Grand Départ that will take place in Brussels on 7 July, the organisation is running the#tourensemble campaign, which is using the excitement around the Tour de France to promote more everyday cycling.

Residents can join in the project - becoming a member of a 'team' of Brussels cyclists who want to turn the city into a cycling capital. From organised rides to free gifts to thank those who choose cycling, the project is a fantastic example of the synergy between high-level events and everyday advocacy.
A vision - and ambition
In mid-September each year, the entirety of Brussels is closed to cars for one Sunday on Car Free Sunday. With people out travelling and playing in the streets on foot and by bike, a glimpse of the potential that cycling can offer is on display. Air pollution is drastically reduced on that one day, while residents of all backgrounds and ages enjoy riding around on car-free roads.

With rapid progress being made, Brussels is on the way to becoming a true cycling city.

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Home to 1.2 million residents, the capital of Belgium, Brussels, receives millions of visitors each year: unsurprising given it is home to international organisations such as the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and also offers iconic tourist landmarks.

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Full-year historical traffic data

Created to help you tackle traffic - as a driver, city planner, automaker or policy maker - the TomTom Traffic Index provides detailed insights on road congestion levels in cities around the world.

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Brussels traffic report | TomTom Traffic Index

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Created to help you tackle traffic - as a driver, city planner, automaker or policy maker - the TomTom Traffic Index provides detailed insights on road congestion levels in cities around the world.

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Tweets mentioning some contemporary practices involving sustainable transportation

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Tweets mentioning some contemporary practices involving sustainable transportation

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Transit Oriented Development - Source
Smart Urbanism - Case of Barcelona

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Tweets on Contemporary Urban Transformation

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Tweets on Contemporary Urban Transformation

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Source : INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE
SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES : Transportation planning (pg. 23570) and  Sustainable Transportation (pg. 22832)

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Road accidents in European Cities (Source)

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Statistical data on most polluted cities (Source)

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Our Encyclopedia entries to support the questions we posed on watching Brussels Express and answered through Podcast and Tweets

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Podcast discussing "the traffic issues of Brussels and plight of those who don't drive". The panel of podcast is attended by Mr. Biker (who was also in the documentary, Brussels Express), Ms. Mayor - Mayor of Brussels, Ms. Planner - Brussels' City Planner and Mrs. Boomer -  a common citizen of Brussels who drives to work everyday.

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City Podcast - Brussels Express by clark lilley

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Belgium Bikers' Protest - Instagram Account 

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Belgium Bikers' Protest - Instagram Account 

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Mock account inspired by documentary "Brussels Express" showing online protests and demonstrations by Belgium's bikers and supporters

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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Brussels crowned traffic jam capital of Belgium

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Brussels crowned traffic jam capital of Belgium

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Brussels crowned traffic jam capital of Belgium

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Brussels was crowned the most congested city in Belgium in a new international traffic ranking which also found that overall road congestion had risen in Belgium in 2019. The TomTom Traffic Index, pub

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Pay more attention to cyclists and pedestrians, say the Flemish

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Pay more attention to cyclists and pedestrians, say the Flemish

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Pay more attention to cyclists and pedestrians, say the Flemish

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The rules on road traffic need to be adapted to give more precedence to more vulnerable road users, according to the motoring organisation VAB. The VAB polled some 3,000 people in Brussels and Flander

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Green cities: Making Brussels fit for walking and cycling

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Green cities: Making Brussels fit for walking and cycling

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At the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein in central Brussels, tourists and commuters pick their way around coils of plastic tubing, bright green construction barriers and piles of paving stones that have been ripped up in the name of urban improvement.

A few blocks north, the transformation is complete. What was once a busy boulevard clogged with traffic is now a car-free zone given over to pedestrians, bicycles, scooters and cafes taking advantage of the expanded sidewalk to offer alfresco dining.

The area's redevelopment began in 2017, and, weather permitting, will be finished by the end of 2020. But that's just the start. The city where the European Green Deal was unveiled to the European public will have its work cut out switching to transport fit for a carbon-neutral future.

Pedestrians navigate the roadworks at Place de la Bourse, Brussels
Climate neutral cities
The Green Deal promises to take the bloc to net-zero emissions by 2050 through investment in green technology and businesses, and by cutting transport emissions by 90%. Currently, transport is responsible for a quarter of the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions, and unlike power generation, where emissions are falling, the climate impact of transport is getting worse.

"Climate-neutral and smart cities" are to be key to the transition. But right now, it's hard to picture Brussels, the city synonymous with European institutions, being one of them.

Choked with traffic and often blanketed by smog, the Belgian capital is notorious for having some of the worst traffic jams in Europe. Just 28% of journeys here are made by public transport, compared to 44% of trips with private vehicles. In 2018, the European Commission issued Belgium with a formal warning over its failure to address illegal levels of air pollution in its capital.
Preparing for the post-car age
The European seat of power is now trying to clean up its act.

A 10-year plan developed by regional authority Brussels Mobility, in consultation with municipal authorities and local residents, is aiming for a 25% reduction in car use by building new tram and metro lines, and encouraging walking and cycling.

Read more: Pop-up parks fight to bring green space to Brussels

To make private cars a less attractive option, the "Good Move" plan will also impose a 30-kilometer per hour (just under 20 miles per hour) speed limit across the Brussels region starting in 2021. Within the next ten years, the city will also eliminate 65,000 street parking spots and provide a 100% electric bus fleet.

Still, the plan hasn't been without detractors. In a report published in October, Inter-Environment Bruxelles (IEB), a regional NGO focused on ecological and social issues, criticized the plan's reliance on the private sector - ride-hailing services, rental scooters - to replace private cars, and said it lacked details on how it would pay for its grand ideas.

Rush-hour traffic in the Belgian capital is notoriously bad

Could rental scooters help change the cityscape?
Shifting the problem
But IEB says the "true blind spot," of Brussels' plans to tackle traffic is a proposal to divert cars toward the ring road circling the city - outside the Brussels low-emissions zone.

And the neighboring region of Flanders, under whose jurisdiction most of the ring road falls, has controversial plans to expand the highway.

"It goes without saying that the region is totally opposed to a possible enlargement," Alain Maron, environment minister for the Brussels region, told DW. "At a time when the climate emergency is more visible than ever, widening motorways does not make sense."

Maron and others argue that easing traffic through the city is only ever a short-term effect that simply encourages more drivers onto the roads.
Streets made for walking
"Congestion is not a problem we should solve; congestion is just a symptom of things that are going wrong," Dirk Dufour, manager of the Belgian branch of sustainable mobility consultancy TRIDÉE, told DW.

"It's just a matter of too many cars in the same place, at the same time. And the only way to solve that is to have a shift toward other modes, and that shift can only happen if you start redistributing public space and street space."

Brussels is small enough to make walking and biking easier than in some European cities

Some 37% of Brussels residents already make most journeys on foot, and Inge Paemen, spokesperson for Brussels Mobility, says the city's compact center should make this relatively easy. "The problem is that when you walk around, it's almost like running a steeplechase," she told DW, with pedestrians navigating cars parked on sidewalks, deteriorating pavements and private construction projects encroaching on public space.

Read more: Cities key to tackling climate crisis - global climate group

Removing such obstacles and dedicating 40% of public space to pedestrians were part of a 2012 plan to "make walking easier, more enjoyable, safer and more efficient" and "design the city to a human scale."

Nearly eight years on, Maron admits the Belgian capital still has a long way to go. A survey published by Brussels Mobility in October found the issue was a pressing one for residents, 75% of whom wanted larger, more accessible sidewalks. Nearly 80% were open to transport options other than a personal car.

When walking isn't an option, there's always the bus
Public participation
Maron says he is confident that citizen engagement in the issue will help the "Good Move" plan succeed where the 2012 one has fallen short.

He said the new plan's "unprecedented participatory approach" and coordination between different levels of government and the public have already helped the planning process run more smoothly, "which should make implementation a lot easier."

The EU plans to publish its own proposals later this year to promote "affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner [transport] alternatives" across the bloc. It's expected to include measures to improve access to public transport, technology to make transport systems more efficient and investment to encourage walking and cycling.

Presenting the EU Green Deal in December, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "European citizens are changing their lifestyle to help protect the climate and the planet."

And perhaps, for all the initiatives being drawn up a European and local level, truly climate-neutral cities willl depend on residents deciding to make their own commutes greener.

E-Bikes and co: How eco-friendly is electromobility?

Illegal fun

Up until now, zipping along the streets on an e-scooter was illegal in Germany. Because of their little "engine," you'd need certain permits for e-scooters (like a license for a car), but those weren't available. Starting in the summer of 2019, Germans will be allowed to drive e-scooters with a maximum speed of up to 20 kph (12 mph) on bike paths. In the US, that's been legal for a while.

Author: Carla Bleiker

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Green cities: Making Brussels fit for walking and cycling | DW | 28.02.2020

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At the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein in central Brussels, tourists and commuters pick their way around coils of plastic tubing, bright green construction barriers and piles of paving stones that have been ripped up in the name of urban improvement. A few blocks north, the transformation is complete.