First aid for the Covenant of Mayors
The moment of truth is dawning for the municipalities that have signed the Covenant of Mayors. Because in this legislature, they have to tick off a lot of objectives from the Local Energy and Climate Pact. Sustainable mobility plays a crucial role in this.
Mobility poverty: a forgotten climate challenge
How do you make sure no one gets out of the loop and gets to where they need to be? How do you go from mental shift to modal shift? How do you involve as diverse an audience as possible with your participation project? We asked Els, one of our two general managers.
Sustainability is often associated with ecological measures, but Mobiel 21 also has a strong focus on social justice. Why is that so important?
Els: "To narrow sustainability to carbon reduction is to violate reality. By looking at climate goals through social glasses, you can immediately realise a much broader, social impact. And then you quickly arrive at the problem of mobility poverty. A real but relatively invisible problem that prevents people without access to affordable and reliable (public) transport from getting to work, school, hobbies or even the doctor. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities and low-income families are particularly hard hit by this. This not only impacts their mobility, but also their overall quality of life. We know that our mobility policies currently increase rather than reduce existing disparities. So we need to move towards a system where everyone gets to where they need to be. That is the essence of equitable mobility.
What should local leaders pay attention to when trying to eliminate these disparities?
Inclusive mobility is fundamentally about removing 3 types of barriers:
- availability
- affordability
- accessibility and (physical) accessibility
Once you know what to look out for, it is important to start screening your mobility plan, communication and infrastructure for these thresholds, and then address them systematically.
How does Mobiel 21 help municipalities that want to tackle mobility poverty?
We provide policymakers with concrete tools and methodologies to combat mobility poverty. This can range from policy advice and strategic plans to independent research, developing participation processes and offering concrete cycling solutions. We see that cities like Ghent have already made great strides with a transport poverty action plan, and we can help other municipalities develop a similar approach. With De Fietsschool, we also have a powerful initiative to effectively get people out of mobility poverty. We are already active in dozens of Flemish municipalities, but actually every municipality should have a Cycling School to teach adults how to cycle. With De Fietsschool's new digital platform, this is even easier than ever.
Or also fun: play a game of Street Talk. This is a dialogue game about mobility. While playing, the players talk to each other about how we are all on the road and how smoothly or difficult that is. The result is not only a lot of fun, but also a lot of valuable input and insights to work on better and more sustainable mobility. Straatpraat can be played in neighbourhood associations, associations where the poor speak out, associations for the elderly, organisations that unite people around a particular means of transport. But Straatpraat is certainly not only for people who do not always get everywhere easily. Students, policy makers, social workers ... can also play the game.
Participation: a lever for supported policies
How do you ensure that everyone is involved in mobility policy, and not just the most empowered or frustrated residents?
This is a legitimate question that concerns many policymakers. After all, you want your decisions to respond to the needs, wishes and dreams of all your residents, including the most vulnerable or less mobile. And you can only do that by listening, exchanging ideas and working together on solutions.
Participation is an essential part of sound mobility policy, but vulnerable target groups are often not heard enough. That is why we assist municipalities in participation processes in which everyone - young and old, rich and poor - has a say. We use innovative methods such as citizens' panels, discussion evenings, neighbourhood chats, focus groups, interviews, mobility cafes or co-creation workshops. This is how we ensure that mobility plans are widely supported and meet the real needs of residents.
From large to small, from Buggenhout and Boom to Hoogstraten and Hooglede, we offer decision-makers tailor-made guidance from start to finish. We also help them embrace citizens' initiatives and give them opportunities. Admittedly, this might take some getting used to as a municipality, but it is incredibly valuable to integrate citizens' good ideas into your policies in a positive way. Why miss such an opportunity?
How does Mobiel 21 help municipalities translate the objectives in the Covenant of Mayors and the Local Energy and Climate Pact into concrete actions?
We work closely with municipalities to sharply identify the mobility aspects within these objectives. Through an integrated approach, where mobility poverty, energy efficiency and participation go hand in hand, we ensure that sustainable mobility solutions also contribute to social inclusion. This makes it possible to formulate concrete, measurable actions that improve both the climate and liveability and social cohesion.
We are very happy to engage with municipalities in 2 areas:
- Drafting action plan 'Mobility' within the mayors' covenant.
- Working out concrete actions such as organising cycling lessons, supervising theme-specific, inclusive participation trajectories , working out and following up test set-ups and collaborating with schools on sustainable school environments.
What specific interventions or changes do you think are needed to realise the ambitions in the Covenant of Mayors?
We have just conducted a large survey among a representative group of 2,000 Flemish people. This shows that the Flemish people do know where their priorities lie, even though the car still takes up a disproportionate amount of space when that same Flemish person travels. It also shows that essential solutions such as shared mobility are still unknown and unloved. There is certainly still much to gain there. The accessibility and reliability of our public transport also need to be much better. And along the way, we should certainly not forget to capitalise on the knowledge of the masses through participatory pathways. All these measures ensure that sustainable mobility does not remain just a theoretical wish, but actually contributes to an inclusive, healthy society in which everyone finds their place, literally and figuratively.
What role do technology and innovation play in this?
Technology and innovation are inextricably linked to the transition to more sustainable mobility. By using objective data, smart apps and digital platforms, municipalities can organise, monitor and adjust their mobility offerings more efficiently. But here again: make sure everyone is on board and can keep up. Our research on the digital mobility gap in Flanders shows that there are big differences between population groups. So involve your citizens actively and work on the way, or preferably in advance, to remove all possible barriers - including digital ones - in order to make concrete work of equitable mobility.
Make a difference with a social climate policy
What would you advise municipal governments that are still hesitating to take action?
My advice is simple: don't wait. Mobility affects everyone, and a good policy can make a huge difference in the daily lives of your residents. Mobiel 21 is ready with expertise, inspiration and concrete solutions. By working together, we can make a positive impact and:
- reduce mobility poverty: through smart, sustainable and socially just solutions.
- increase support: by applying inclusive participation methods.
- achieve climate goals: by making mobility a lever for a liveable, healthy and sustainable municipality.
It is so important to take that first step towards a more accessible, inclusive, healthy and liveable municipality for all. I am already available for advice and comments(laughs).
Related insights
What data from Cycling School Leuven teach us about the success of cycling lessons
What factors ensure that a person can actually cycle after a series of cycling lessons? Which factors increase the chances of success? Cycling School examined five years of data from cycling courses in Leuven and mapped out for the first time what really counts.
What makes research by Mobiel 21 so unique?
Mobiel 21 conducts mobility research that translates social signals and policy questions into concrete action points. Cycling behaviour, mobility poverty or support for local mobility measures? Together with citizens, policymakers, companies and all kinds of other organisations, we arrive at new insights. In an accessible and people-oriented way. Discover how we work.
Fighting transport poverty
Everyone has the right to move freely and participate in society. We support people facing transport disadvantages by identifying vulnerable groups, and seek to integrate equity into sustainable mobility.