Arup’s Post

🇳🇱 Amsterdam has secured 2nd place in the Urban Mobility Readiness Index, highlighting its significant initiatives to establish a flexible and easily accessible city in line with its climate objectives. 🌏 The research includes 65 major cities worldwide. It investigates categories such as top public transit systems, economic pressures and mobility, clean energy fuel and sustainability to find the cities most prepared for the future of urban mobility. ♻️ Amsterdam stood out in this year's ranking, primarily due to its comprehensive cycling infrastructure and electric vehicle (EV) solutions. 🚲 Let’s take a look at what makes Amsterdam move 🚃 https://lnkd.in/eSaznpmV 🔗 #UrbanMobility #Ranking

🚶♂️✨ Insights from the Safe Active Cities Seminar ✨🚲 Today's Safe Active Cities Seminar, hosted by Austroads, provided invaluable insights from experts like Helen Ginbey, Caroline Elliott, and Sam Bolton. Here are my key takeaways: **Defining Safe Active Streets** These streets create low-speed (30km/h) environments where cycling, walking, and playing in the street are comfortable activities. They feature gateway treatments, route definition through signs and pavement markings, traffic calming and amenity upgrades. The best streets/routes to apply the treatment are quiet and flat streets which form a natural connection to key attractors and benefit from natural landscaping to create shade with places to rest. **Filling Gaps and Local Government's Role** Addressing gaps in cycleways is crucial, and this treatment type is often used to form local connections to community amenities and services. Local government, through their bike plans, played a pivotal role in implementing the safe and active street program collaboratively. **Evaluation and Community Impact** The pilot program's evaluation since 2015 shows increased walking and cycling, especially among women and children. Community feedback underscores the importance of language, design simplicity, and visual cues in driving behavioural change and community sentiment. **Next Steps and Lessons Learned** Insights highlight the need to avoid over-engineering and to focus on precinct-level solutions for establishing 30km/h speed limits. Also, a key point for NSW-cohort, a reason for the program's name was that "Safe Active Streets" resonated better with communities than "Bicycle Boulevards". Thank you so much for the insights! #crossleytp #SafeActiveCities #UrbanMobility #CommunityEngagement

A place for everything - and everybody (Or, Parking for Breakfast!) One of the things I enjoy about being away from the desk is seeing how things are done elsewhere. So it was that my visit to Intertraffic saw me head out of Amsterdam to Amersfoort, 35 minutes away by train. Waking this morning the town square was a hive of activity. Trucks delivering to the many bars and restaurants, cargo bikes wizzing to and fro, cyclists heading to work or out shopping. The key here is that cars and trucks outside of the early hours are barred from the space. It leaves it free at other times to be a place for people and the thriving heartbeat of the community. In talking to the hotelier she remarked that 25 years ago it was a car park. But the transition to a pedestrianised area had seen all the retail outlets prosper. It's not that the car is banned. It's purely that proper provision has been made to park them. Newer developments on the periphery all have underground car parks, many of them public. It frees space above ground for roads, bikes and people to co-exist more easily. All of this brings me to why visiting Intertraffic is important. As parking and traffic management professionals we have the tools and technology to deliver cohesive transport experiences. It's why too, no debate about town centres and their viability can be complete without bold visions for how cars and parking are managed. And so yes, to the keen-eyed - I WAS talking about parking over breakfast!! #parking #carparking #trafficmanagement #transportpolicy #activetravel #towncentres #community #livingstreets #amersfoort

🚦70% of Londoners Back More Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)! Recent data published by Cyclomedia in its annual Urban Road Safety Index report reveals a significant rise in public confidence regarding road safety in London. Over 70% of Londoners now support more Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and a majority agree that all roads across the city should have a 20mph speed limit. This is a substantial increase from 50% in 2022, reflecting growing trust in the city’s safety initiatives. Londoners also feel safer on cycle paths, and the 20mph speed limits have notably reduced collisions. Despite this positive shift, there are ongoing concerns about accommodating new urban transport modes and improving lane separation. To read the full blog post, click this link: https://lnkd.in/ewy8XJUA 📢 Stay Informed Next week, ECF will launch its new monthly newsletter with updates on LTN and Active Travel news across England. Interested in receiving the latest insights? Sign up by emailing us at [email protected]. #RoadSafety #ActiveTravel #LTNs #UrbanTransport #London #LiveableNeighbourhoods

Not all of you know this but I like systems so much and obsess over both community and transportation that I have my own copyrighted city designs. In my Meadow city design, residents benefit from having the option of both public transportation and private vehicles, though the city's integrated and efficient transit solutions mean private car ownership becomes a mostly unnecessary or luxury expense. The Meadow design reduces reliance on personal vehicles significantly, to where many would opt out of car ownership entirely leading to a cleaner, less cluttered, more sustainable urban environment with a higher quality of life. There is a city design that allows for both and has it all...and that is the Meadow. #ubanplanning #citydesign #architecture #cities #transportation #communities

Only shared-cars allowed? 👮♂️ This city allows 1 vehicle for 3 homes. 👇🏽 The Dutch city of Utrecht is doing it. Tackling the problem of too many cars. While enabling citizens with great mobility services. And being true to its green and circular ambition. The last step: Merwede is a new neighbourhood, that's built with 4 clear rules: ➡️ 1 vehicle for 3 homes ➡️ No space for privately owned cars. ➡️ Shops and restaurants are in walking distance. Residents are encouraged to take the bike. ➡️ Public transport is well developed. 3 principles that might inspire you: 1️⃣ No Private Car Ownership. Merwede is pioneering a car-free lifestyle, with only 1 shared car per 3 households. This bold move away from private car ownership not only reduces emissions and congestion but also frees up valuable urban space for other uses. It's a testament to the power of rethinking our relationship with transportation. 2️⃣ Walkability: Amenities Close By. A people-centric city design with walkability and cycling in mind ensures that daily needs can be met without the need for lengthy commutes or car trips. 3️⃣ Walking and Cycling as Central Mobility. By prioritising walking and cycling, the project supports a healthy and vibrant community. Residents can enjoy the benefits of physical activity while reducing their environmental impact. The project is currently under construction. 2024 the project hopes to welcome its first residents. Love to live there? #circulareconomy #nowaste #linkedintopvoices Credit: WEF

One key question in relation to my #EV15K project: How will the overall mobility solutions evolve the next 20 years in Europe? Will the privately owned car still be the king of mobility, the crown everyone must own to be seen as successfull?

"The city for tomorrow". Which innovative car park management concepts in cities are already promoting environmentally friendly mobility? 🚗🏘️ 🔀 San Francisco, for example, implemented the "SFpark" project, which used dynamic parking prices to make the use of public space and mobility more sustainable. By adjusting parking fees every two months, the aim was to achieve an occupancy rate of 60 % to 80 %. The results were impressive: the time spent searching for a parking space was reduced by 43%, traffic by 30% and a positive impact on local businesses was noted. 🕒 In Vienna, for example, user-orientated parking space management is practised. Short maximum parking durations in central districts promote car park turnover, while resident parking permits enable discounted parking. Park-and-ride facilities and discounts for environmentally friendly vehicles support sustainable transport development. This has led to less car traffic and an increase in public transport and cycling. #smartparking #mobility #smartcities

Very interesting project. With first results to be seen soon. An example every city planner and political leader should see and try to apply in other countries, at least in Europe

Intriguing concept! Revisiting our indigenous customs! While I see the benefits of reduced emissions and congestion, could car-free living work everywhere? What about accessibility for those of compulsion? Do we have to work on scoring the compulsion? #urbanplanning #accessibility #healthycities #activecommute #walkablecities #communitybuilding #sustainablecities #innovation Credits: WEF