CYCLING IN RURAL AREAS -SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

AND STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING

PLANNING IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

CITTA - UNIV. PORTO 15 MAY 2009

MOTA, Jose Carlos [University of Aveiro] jcmota@ua.pt

SANTINHA, Gonçalo [University of Aveiro] g.santinha@ua.pt

ROSA PIRES, Artur [University of Aveiro] arp@ua.pt

Introduction – why cycling mobility matters?

• Cycling Mobility is in public agenda (mobility pattern, gas price, climate change, health, leisure) -> Can it be good for the economy? How?

• Cycling Mobility Planning is seen (in Portugal and Europe) mostly as infrastructure planning - cycle paths & parking, without a spatial development concern -> fragmented projects…

• Literature mostly dedicated to the effects of car dependence; engineering approach; comparative studies -> mitigation measures; -> concern with the management of mobility in the urban space;

• Rural areas -> fragile economic structure; (knowledge about) natural, cultural & patrimonial resources; but fragmented interventions

• Cycling and Rural Sustainable Development: new challenge?

The agenda … at the European level

–Cycling: the way ahead for towns and cities, UE, 1999; –EU Green Paper on Urban Mobility, 2007–International Organizations/ Networks – OMS – THE PEP, Eurovelo, Velomondial, Sustrans (UK), Vias Verdes (Espanha)–European Projects - BYPAD, UrBike, Baltic Sea Cycling, POLIS, Cyclocity,..–Community bicycle program: Bicing (Barcelona), Velib (Paris), Bicincitta–Financing opportunities: Interreg IVC; Program "Europe Intelligent Energy“; FP7;

The agenda … in Portugal• Local Policies – cycling

infrastructures; • Community bicycle program –

projecto BUGA em Aveiro (2000); Projecto Bute - Universidade do Minho (Nov. 2007);

• Technical and Scientific Events - Workshop Cycling Mobility (REFER, Out. 2007)

• Social Movements & Events – Critical Mass Lisboa, Porto, Coimbra e Aveiro; Porto Bike Tour and Lisboa Bike Tour

The conceptual challenge…the relevance of applying the idea of sustainable mobility (cycling) as a challenge for local development (specially in rural areas), for valuing natural resources, for supporting local culture and identity, promoting environmental friendly transports (namely bicycle) and exploring economic opportunities (all the way)…

“Opening minds (“building bridges”), instead of opening roads (“cycle paths”)” Danuta Hübner - Commissioner for Regional Policy

When it all started Project (2006/08)

• The development process and implementation of a sustainable mobility plan, within the framework of a broader programme promoted by the Portuguese Environment Agency, for a small municipally located in the Centro Region of Portugal (Murtosa).

• The project’s aim is to provide some grounds for optimism about the role of spatial planning in delivering sustainable mobility and helping to find new development trajectories.

the time, information and the resources

•To support the project, a network composed by 15 research centres (with different background -> civil engineering, spatial planning,…) was established with the goal of supervising scientific and methodologically the tasks, which were geographically distributed according to the location of the case studies. •Due to the unusual length of time foreseen to develop the tasks (slightly over one year), the project consisted in an interesting challenge right from the start: although the promptness compelled by the process did not allow a deeper analysis and intervention that a conventional study of this nature conventionally suggests, the beginning of the new community support framework (National Strategic Reference Framework for 2007-13) demanded local governments to swiftly (re)design spatial development policies under new challenges and according to new community guidelines.

Why Murtosa?

Murtosa was one of the selected municipalities to be part of the innovative project and presented interesting and unique conditions to sustain a new mobility planning approach:

– i) mobility pattern based on soft modes (11% uses bicycle, 1% in Portugal);

– ii) bicycle is used mainly by young people (school – more that 50% of students);

– iii) favourable topography and environment conditions - close to the lagoon (with a high tourist and leisure potential);

– iv) the municipality was committed to improve cycling infrastructure (paths and parking).

methodology

The methodological approach was thus divided into three distinct but complementary stages:

i) Definition of the main agenda of principals and concerns around which the sustainable mobility policy could be designed; ii) Design of a guiding frame of reference able to scientifically support the concepts of sustainable mobility and sustainable mobility strategy/plan. iii) Territorial analysis based on information available regarding the municipality, field work and interviews conducted to local/regional agents ranging from social and economic to political field

CONSENSUALIZATION PROCESS

Stimulate safe soft mobility

(walking & cycling)

objectivesKnowledge of

the environmental ,

cultural, patrimonial and

scientific potential

Articulation and connection with

similar international experiences

Engagement and mobilization

of local actors

Strenghtening the local

people’s sense of belonging

Value economic

potential of cycle tourism

theoretical frameworkBased on the concept of sustainable development, which combines a tri-dimensional approach (economic, social and environment), the theoretical framework opened-up new perspectives in the way present problems are looked up-on. In this sense, the concept of Cycling Murtosa emerged as a combination of the following issues:

–Development of a network of infrastructures and service activities (cycling paths, parking, equipments, services); –Improvement of activities to mobilize Cycling Mobility (directed to: child and young, active & enterprises, families, and tourists); –Promotion of Cycling Mobility through ‘animation’ activities (animation, services, information, organization); –Development of R&D activities (certification, innovation,…) ; –Definition of a new institutional framework (national, regional and local level)

1. Support and service

activities

2. Activities

to mobilize for Cycling Mobility

3. Promote Cycling

Mobility through

‘entertainment’ activities

4. R&D activities

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKTO SUPPORT CYCLING MOBILITY

INST

ITU

TIO

NAL

FRA

MEW

ORK

SUPP

ORT

CYC

LIN

G M

OBI

LITY

Strategy:Qualify cycling mobility in urban areasValue cycling mobility for leasure and tourism purposes

stakeholdersDuring the process we have involved the community (in general) and key actors (in particular) creating a network involving the

– Secondary Schools – National Association of Bicycle

Manufacturers (to promote the use),

– BIORIA (a successful project on ecotourism)

– Biology Department of the University of Aveiro (to develop ecotourism activities)

– INOVARIA (a cluster telecom agency which will promote ICT in cycling activities).

knowledge

technology

industry

Public discussion

– Present “Cycling Murtosa” Project;

– Involve people; – Stimulate development

of new local enterprises;

– …

Public discussion

• Schools -> Workshop – Present “Cycling Murtosa”

Project – Get contributes from

young students -> involved parents

– Stimulate new cycling or walking trips in Murtosa

– Self-esteem

RESOURCES (FAUNA E FLORA, CULTURE AND PATRIMONIAL),

+

TOURISM ENTERPRISES – ENTERTAINMENT ACTIV., HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

+

ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES (SPORT, CULTURE, NATURE,…) +SUPORT SERVICES (CYCLE GARAGE, POLICE, HEALTH)

+

INFORMATION - GPS, WWW, ITINERARIES BROCHURES

+

CYCLING PATHWAYS

TRAINING (BICYCLES - CTC; ECO-TOURISM –Tourism Professional school)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP/STARTUP BUSINESSES (articulation with hotel & restaurant)

ATRACT INOVATIVE ENTREPRISES OF BICICLE SECTOR (ABIMOTA)

RESEARCH - BICYCLE/TOURISM/PLANNING> UA (Spatial Planning, Tourism, Culture&Languages, Biology, Design, Civil Eng., Mechanic Eng.,…) + ABIMOTA

PROPOSALS

Communication

impact on the media

by the end of 2008

three municipalities (Murtosa, Ovar and Estarreja) and the University of Aveiro, were involved in the preparation of a new project involving 1 million Euros -> approved by national government in a national innovation programme contest

LEGENDA

Projectos de Vias Cícláveis da Área Territorial envolvente à Ria (Murtosa, Ovar e Estarreja)

Verde/Amarelo – projecto Cicloria

Branco – outros projectos municipais

Azul – já executado CMM

P1

P2

P5

P4

P6

P3.2P3.1

P3.3

CICLORIA

conclusionsCycling as an opportunity to:• Use the local cycling dynamics to open new opportunities for

local economic development;• Stimulate regional firms – ICT Cluster, Bicycle manufacturers,

Tourism Operators,… - to develop new services & products;• Improve the creation of new knowledge based service SMEs

(entrepreneurship contest); • Stimulate local people (specially students) to use the bike as a

tool to discover their place (municipality/lagoon) supported by scientific and cultural knowledge;

• Improve their sense of belonging and reinforce identity;• To link to the world (learning networks);• Opening new ways of thinking about place-based

development strategies;