Groningen: Integrated town planning and traffic policy

Abstract:

Since 1977, the City of Groningen has pursued a policy of integrated town and traffic planning. The city’s integrated travel management policy aims to reduce car traffic while maintaining a good level of accessibility related to concepts of compact and mixed urban developments. Due to the strong Dutch tradition of bicycle use, the municipality has received support for favouring green modes of transportation. With a 43% share of bicycle use, Groningen has become the world’s third leading city for bicycle use, while maintaining the right conditions for economic activities. The co-ordination of town planning and transportation policy led to such outstanding results for the following reasons:

• involvement of inhabitants and local groups;
• giving priority to traffic reduction as a matter of spatial planning;
• the incorporation of environmental criteria into traffic control policy
• systematic creation of infrastructure in favour of bicycle use,
• the reduction of inner city congestion;
• revitalisation of the city centre.

Concept and aims

Large conurbations in the Netherlands suffer from environmental pollution caused by the rapidly growing use of cars. Besides environmental impairment, the city’s quality of life and the accessibility of central urban areas is negatively affected.

Since the end of the 1980s, Groningen aimed to strengthen the city's central position, and at the same time to improve the quality of life in the city. The planning approach to the problem of traffic congestion was always to keep in mind two basic strategic principles:

• First, the city must be easily accessible. An efficient traffic system is a necessity for the economy of the city. That is particularly relevant for Groningen as a regional centre.
• Second, for the quality of urban life it is vital to restrict car traffic and to stimulate public transport and bicycles as environmentally friendly means of transportation.

In the Groningen transport region, the following terms of reference were used:

• the growth of motor traffic at peak hours (expressed in motor kilometres) must be limited in the period between 1988-2000 to 25%;
• the total trips by car from home to work (expressed in the number of journeys by people in the urban area) must be reduced by 50% (from the 1988 total);
• the share of the bicycle in the choice of transport means must, at the very least, be maintained;
• the number of houses with a noise level of above 65 dB (A) at the facade must be reduced by 30% in the period 1988-2000.
• the decisions concerning traffic planning are made according to environmental thresholds set for each type of road or street.

Since the 1970s, attempts have been made in Groningen to promote bicycles and local public transport, and to reduce individual motor vehicle transport through a fair allocation of street space among those on the road, through minutely detailed urban planning and improving the quality of the environment.

The Municipality’s Department of Town Planning, Traffic, and Economic Affairs had various instruments to achieve these goals in traffic policy. First, the town planning policy has to be based on the model of the compact city, with short distances between residential areas, working, and shopping locations. Second, priority has to be given to the building of special facilities for environmentally friendly transport alternatives like bicycles and public transport.

Finally, the philosophy of the integrated approach has to be adopted in order to implement measures in various areas of policy in a co-ordinated fashion.

Such policy has to start with compact urban planning in which the various urban functions are adequately directed towards a stimulation of the use of bicycles and public transport. High residential densities within a city, or an individual district have the potential to increase the scope to make contacts or pursue activities without resort to motorised transport. Especially, the planning of new parts of the city has to stick to this principle as an increase in daily use of the bicycle in municipal transport has to be attained through consistent user-orientation in planning and implementation. In the first place, this requires the construction of a closed, safe, and comfortable network of bicycle paths, secure parking facilities for bicycles, and rights of way.

From the town planner’s point of view, this means that new residential areas are built close to, or in the existing city. This keeps the distances between home and work, or home and school relatively short, so that the use of these means of transport should form good alternatives to the private car in terms of travelling time.

Similar criteria apply to the location policy for new plants and offices. Offices have to be situated in places which are readily accessible by public transport and bicycle - particularly if the companies concerned employ a lot of people. Only firms that are reliant on good access by truck, or are less labour-intensive are allowed to locate elsewhere. This location approach has to pay attention to the fact that the new sites should be easily accessible by bike or public transport, and that the space of the car-park is limited. This creates an additional motive to use other means of transport than the car. Such a balanced package of carrot-and-stick measures is essential for an integrated approach.

The location of shops and shopping centres should follow the principle of a spread of retail outlets throughout the city. The residents should have the opportunities to shop for their everyday needs in their own neighbourhoods, while the inner city serves as the main shopping centre. So-called "greenfield," or "out-of-town" shopping centres are not permitted.

Implementation

In order to achieve the transportation goals, integrated town planning has to address the infrastructure of all means of transport simultaneously: bicycle facilities, public transport networks, and traffic access for cars.

Bicycle use largely depends on a cohesive network of bicycling routes. In Groningen, this bicycle structure consists of separate bicycle paths along main roads, bicycle lanes, and of roads with little motorised traffic. It is important that the structure is as fine-meshed as possible, thus reducing distances and travelling time. One way to do this is to construct special bridges and cut-throughs for cyclists and pedestrians only, so that cyclists and pedestrians get shortcuts while cars have to make a detour. Another effective measure proved to be the use of almost all one-way traffic streets as two-way  roads for cyclists. Comfort standards for cyclists have been upgraded by asphalting the main cycle paths. A special sign-posting system for cyclists has been introduced. Other measures are concerned with facilities near traffic lights, such as waiting spaces in front of cars, cycle paths passing the lights, and allowing cyclists at some places to turn right against the red light. Infrastructure facilities in the city centre, or at junctions of public transport have been equipped with bicycle racks and clamps and guarded bicycle shelters have been opened. The shelters are sometimes combined with lockers, toilets, telephones, etc.

The stimulation of the use of public transport also depends on a policy of integrating public transport in urban planning. New planning functions, such as large employment concentrations near existing routes and major junctions of public transport are implemented in accordance with the national policy guideline of the right business in the right place. Another way to stimulate the use of public transport is the integration of its different forms: trains, regional buses, and local transport. The planning approach is oriented towards a hierarchical network: from the train for the long distances, to local buses and taxis for transport in the city. An equally important element of the attractiveness of public transport is the quality of service, especially in regard to timetables. To achieve the goal of punctuality, there are several special facilities for buses (e.g. traffic lights which can be influenced by a transmitter in the bus, and special lanes reserved for buses).

The planning policy has the guideline that creating more room for motorcars must be an exception. Car traffic is concentrated on a certain number of main roads. This has been achieved by taking speed reduction measures on streets within residential areas to a maximum of 30 km per hour. In general, such a policy improves the quality of life, especially in the residential areas, and offers greater safety, enough space for play, and more areas for public greening. Another measure to reduce car driving is the setting up of carpool facilities, which should especially stimulate carpooling among people commuting to work. This initiative is promoted by an extensive publicity campaign.

The traffic volume is also affected by the integrated planning approach for the improvement of the quality of the city centre. As Groningen's city centre comprises a great many functions in an area of less than one square kilometre, it offers accessibility and liveability in a concentrated form. This applies for heavily used facilities like shops and department stores, housing, local and provincial council offices, university buildings, courts of law, cafés and restaurants, markets, theatres and museums, as well as for valuable historic buildings which are the tourist attraction of the Groningen city centre. In order to maintain an active access to these facilities and secure the space they need, an integrated approach is crucial. In its plan called, "A Better City Centre", Groningen council has put forward such an approach. Some key measures of this plan are:

• Make the pedestrian areas larger and more attractive. This creates chances for improving the shop amenities, both in quality and quantity.
• The car-free zone is expanded. In the future, motorists can only park their cars in multi-storey parking on the edge of the city centre, or they can leave their car at the outskirts of the city. Here are parking and bus facilities from where the bus to the centre of town can be taken. Street parking will be abolished in the city centre.
• The use of bicycles and of public transport is encouraged through the expansion of the number of parking facilities for bicycles and by introducing new bus routes with environmentally-friendly buses.
• With the removal of the cars, there is more room for pedestrians and cyclists. It also creates an opportunity to clean the streets of superfluous furnishings and to reconstruct the road surfaces, which over the years have degenerated into a patchwork blanket of different styles and materials. A plan has been designed to arrive at a cohesive, logical, and clear layout of streets, squares, and marketplaces.

At the end of 1994, a new master plan for Groningen had been released. It created a lively debate on the different ways to meet the new demands for space for economic activities and residential facilities. Much attention is being given to the relationships within the city: relations between building sites, ecology, environment, traffic, and urban space. The city and the network of relationships are given substance and shape in the plan, and the field of vision is regional, which is important from a traffic and transport point of view. New links will strengthen the cohesion within the city. A great effort will be made to improve the public transport system: initially through the use of buses, but in the first decade of the next century the introduction of a local or regional tram system might be feasible. The orientation of the policy and plan will also be reviewed every 4-5 years under consultation from the local population and key regional stakeholders: including economic, environmental, and social representatives.

The municipality of Groningen is the primary implementing agency of the travel management policy, and the national government provides 55% of the investment costs. Co-operation and participation by the local population, or particular social groups has been sought in relation to various actions. In addition, an extension of the travel management policy, based on a regional mobility plan, has been prepared in co-operation with provincial and national decision makers.

Results and Impacts

Nearly half of the travellers make use of the bicycle as a mean of transport to go to work, thus giving Groningen the title of the "World Bicycle City". In 1990, the modal transportation split was 17% walking, 48% bicycle use, 5% public transport, and 30% car use.

Evaluation and Statements

Hans Vissers, from Groningen Department of Town Planning, Traffic, and Economic Affairs evaluated the efforts of the local political leaders and their organisational abilities to enable the administration to contribute to an open-minded policy style as an important condition of success for a comprehensive management of traffic and transport:

"..they require a significant degree of determination - a willingness to stick to a planned course, even if it sometimes means going against the tide. The results of this policy often only become visible in the longer term and there are many dangers lurking along the way. If you give in to resistance too easily, the ultimate result is no more than a pale shadow of the original goals. Secondly, it is crucial to maintain the dialogue with all those involved in order to maintain and broaden the basis of support. And lastly, there is the need to arrive at an integrated approach. The quality of life in a city is not determined just by a well-planned traffic structure, by excellent shopping facilities, or just by attractively laid out public spaces; it is precisely the combination of factors that governs the result." (in: EA.UE, (ed.) 1996: pp. 172)

The importance of local activities is also stressed by the OECD report on urban travel and sustainable development, as it is expecting a rise in urban travel and congestion if the current transport policies are maintained: the environmentally-friendly modes of cycling and walking will probably continue to diminish in general, though there will be exceptions in cities and countries which make special efforts to cater for these modes through the provision of more local facilities. (OECD, (ed.) 1995: p.21)

Source of Information

Bratzel, Stefan 1999: Erfolgsbedingungen umweltorientierter Verkehrspolitik in Städten, Analysen zum Policy-Wandel in den ”relativen Erfolgsfällen” Amsterdam, Groningnen, Zürich und Freiburg (i. Brg.)

Apel, Dieter / Pauen-Höppner, Ursula 1992: Neue Verkehrskonzepte großer Städte, Arbeitshefte Umweltverträglicher Stadtverkehr:, Nr. 3, Berlin

Rietveld, Piet 1993: Policy responses in the Netherlands, in: David Banister / Kenneth Button, (ed.), Transport, the Environment and Sustainable Development, London, pp. 102-113

Kroon, Martin 1993: Traffic and environmental policy in the Nederlands, in: Rodney Tolley, (ed.), The greening of urban transport: planning for walking and cycling in Western cities, London, pp. 113-133

Smorenberg, Ko 1993: Fahrradpolitik in Groningen: ein Beispiel, in: Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrradclub Berlin e.V., (Hg.), Fahrrad und Stadt. Tagungsband zum Kongreß anläßlich des "festival des pedaleurs", Berlin, pp. 39-46

Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment, (ed.) 1994: The Greenhouse Effect. Preventive Urban Actions in the Netherlands, Study by the International Institute for the Urban Environment, Delft, Den Haag

OECD, (ed.) 1995: Urban travel and sustainable development, Paris

Vissers, Hans 1996: Towards a sustainable city: an integrated town planning and traffic policy, in: EA.UE, (ed.), Facing the Challenge. Successful Climate Policies in European Cities, Berlin, pp. 169- 172

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Groningen is the sixth largest city in the Netherlands with some 170,000 inhabitants. The conurbation in the North of the Netherlands has a population of about 250,000. Groningen acts as the regional centre of trade, service, industry, education, art, and culture. Businesses and organisations in Groningen provide work for about one hundred thousand people. Half of them commute from the surrounding area. In addition, traffic is generated by customers in the city centre as Groningen is also the main shopping centre of the North.

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Project was added at 28.06.1996
Project was changed at 05.03.2001

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