Comments Off on Smart Moving Cities! introduced in south Iraq
In December last Tonny Bosch, together with Imran Hasan Ahmed, held a workshop in Al Najaf city (south of Iraq) about Smart Moving Cities! Sustainable transportation and the mobility problems in the city were the main topics.
Representatives of the Al Najaf governorate, general directories of several municipalities, the municipality of Al Najaf, general directory of traffic of Al Najaf and Kufa University staff attended the workshop.
At the end of the workshop a number of solutions to improve the mobility system were proposed.
Comments Off on Second Stakeholders’ Workshop and high-level Steering Committee meeting in Bethlehem
The event brought together representatives from several national ministries, the local municipalities involved, members of the civil society, NGOs and local businesses.
The first half of the day was dedicated to presenting and discussing the overarching vision, the main objectives and the development scenarios for the Bethlehem conurbation mobility. The results of the previous stakeholders’ workshop, organised in September, formed the basis for our proposals. The participants got the chance to comment on the three scenarios and to choose the one that they believed was the best for creating a liveable and accessible Bethlehem. During the second half of the day, concrete and operational measures and projects have been discussed, touching on topics such as: public transport, road network, NMT and information and education.
On the 14th of November, a high-level Steering Committee meeting took place. The Mayor of Bethlehem, Mr. adv. Anton Salman, the mayors of Beit Sahur, Beit Jala, Al Khader, Ad Doha and Artas, the French General Consul in Jerusalem, Mr. Pierre Cochard, the Governor of Bethlehem Governorate, representatives of Paris Municipality and French Agency for Development, engineers and planners sat together at the same time and discussed the future of mobility in Bethlehem conurbation. The meeting has been a success, showing the commitment of all stakeholders to transform Bethlehem conurbation into a sustainable and enjoyable place for its inhabitants and visitors.
Comments Off on First Stakeholders’ Workshop in Bethlehem
On the 18th and the 19th of September, the first Stakeholders’ Workshop for the Mobility Study of Bethlehem conurbation took place. The event brought together representatives from several national ministries, all the local municipalities involved (Bethlehem, Beit Sahur, Beit Jala, Al Khader, Ad Doha and Artas), members of the civil society, NGOs and local businesses.
During the two-day workshop, the participants actively got involved in the planning process, providing valuable input for the development of the future of mobility in Bethlehem conurbation. Through hands-on activities, co-creation and open dialogue, the stakeholders, together with the consultants and the beneficiaries of the project envisioned the future of their city.
The results of the workshop will form the basis for the next stages of the project, during which a common vision, the main objectives and the possible future mobility scenarios for Bethlehem conurbation will be developed. This will be followed by a second Stakeholders’ Workshop in November. Choosing the preferred scenario and deciding on the measures and projects that best serve the objectives of the project will be the focus of this second event. The ultimate goal is to make Bethlehem conurbation an accessible and liveable area, friendly to the environment, its citizens and visitors.
WE, at MOVE Mobility, together with our partner, Community Development Group, have been steering and moderating the workshop activities and we were happy to see that the project attracts a lot of interest and commitment from all stakeholders.
Comments Off on “Living on the Delta”, a two-day design workshop in Zárate, Argentina
Last week we, Beccan Davila Urbanismo, Rebel and MOVE Mobility, started the preparation for a participatory design workshop to be held in Zárate, Argentina on 1ste and 2nd of November. The main purpose of the workshop is to design a strategy that could sustainably integrate the challenges of the continental territory and the sector of islands located in the Delta, both belonging to the Zárate county. This plan will be an integrated solution between water, mobility, urban planning and finance. Based on this draft strategy a cluster of strategic projects will be defined and one will be chosen for further development including a draft financial arrangement/strategy. Zárate should be considered as a pilot initiative that could be repeated in other cities of the Delta.The workshop is sponsored by Partners for Water and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and will be coordinated by the Sociedad Arquitectos de Zárate.
MOVE Mobility will be part of the Dutch delegation that will attend the BiciGo event that will be held in Bogotá from the 29th of November to 2nd of December in Corferias. We will present our interactive modelling tool the MOVE Meter and we will discuss how you can use it for mobility planning in your city with a focus on cycling.
Comments Off on Workshop Mobility and Urban Planning in Oaxaca, Mexico
Last week we signed a MoU between the Netherlands, represented by the Ambassador Margriet Leemhuis, and the Oaxaca Government in Mexico.
MOVE Mobility with its partners MAP and Deltares, will work together under that agreement in topics of urban development, water and mobility.
Additionally, during that week we also organised a workshop together with MAP in order to study the mobility and urban planning in the city and then proposed possible solutions and pilot projects that help the further development of the city.
Smart Moving Kampala! The mobility memorandum for this city contains an elaboration of a pilot NMT (non-motorised transport) route. The implementation process must be carefully followed. After all, the streets in Africa are much more than just an infrastructure where you can move about. It is also a market place, a place to talk and of course it is intended to facilitate all traffic types.
On the photo you see “Place Making” in Luwum street (part of the pilot route). With the help of elements, paint, closures, et cetera the future situation has already been imitated for two days.
Our representative Amanda Ngabirano is closely involved in this communication process that UN Habitat finances for a large part.
Comments Off on Two-day Fact Finding mission in Bucharest
Of course the topics that were discussed included integrated planning, multimodality, cycling infrastructure and how the city is organised. Five main requirements for cycling: safe, straight, consistent, comfortable and attractive were discussed. Present were planners, engineers, advisors, councillors from the City Hall and representatives from NGO’s.
The conclusion is that together we can let Bucharest become a “Cycling City”. Recommendations for the way forward on the short term were made.
As part of the mobility strategy for Kampala, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has requested for design and consultancy services for the design of a Traffic Control Centre (TCC) Building located at the proposed site next to City Hall, Kampala, Uganda.
As part of the mobility strategy for Kampala, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has requested for design and consultancy services for the design of a Traffic Control Centre (TCC) Building located at the proposed site next to City Hall, Kampala, Uganda.
Together with KCCA, DASUDA and MAPtm we organised a two day workshop to discuss, analyse and define the strategic, tactical and operational role the Mobility Centre could and should play in the road map towards a Smart Moving Kampala.
Comments Off on Kampala city centre NMT pilot project
Kampala is the capital of Uganda and has a population of 1.2 million. During the day, this number increases to 2.2 million due to the influx of 1 million commuters. Congestion, chaos and air pollution are at very high levels. In co-operation with various organisations, city authorities, Goudappel Coffeng and the Iganga Foundation, we have been working for some years now to get the traffic organised and resolve many of the problems in the process. An example is the Kampala City Centre Pilot Project, which introduces sustainable urban transport. UNEP (the United Nations Environment Program) has been part of the project team from the start. MOVE Mobility, together with its partners finished the detailed design.
2009-2011 In co-operation with various organisations, city authorities and other partners, we worked to get the traffic organised, gave recommendations and resolved many of the problems in the planning process and transport-related policies.
2013-2014 Kampala City Centre Pilot Project introduces sustainable urban transport. The detailed design was finalised.
2015-2016 As continuation of the Kampala City Centre Pilot Project, which introduces sustainable urban transport, the NMT pilot route, extension Speke Road – Shimoni Road was designed. We worked from ‘big to small’. First, the networks for cycling and cars on a city level were studied (and designed) and then the work focused on the Central Business District. Once the (future) functions of the roads were clear, the design integrated:
Comments Off on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Accelerators in Cape Town
The Urban Accelerator approach was used to make a pro-active steering tool for decision makers to create tangible measures leading to actual improvements in the urban domain. Measures that might have a ripple effect on their direct surroundings, would be defined as priorities.
The scenarios were modelled with the MOVE Meter, putting emphasis on mobility and the opportunities for modal shift, potential measures for car, public transport and non-motorised transport network in and around Cape Town.
Comments Off on ECOZONA Cuernavaca – Urban and transport transformation in the historic centre of Cuernavaca, Mexico
Morelos State in cooperation with the Federal Government and several civil and environmental organisations started the first ECOZONA, which is intended to transform the historic centre of Cuernavaca. The aim is to stop the un-organised growth and urban sprawl towards the hills and valleys, therefore preventing further environmental damages, such as the deforestation, water and air pollution. Based on these goals, the Morelos Government contracted MOVE Mobility to consult on the solutions for an accessible and sustainable city centre.
Stage 1 – Mobility workshop
The objective of this workshop was to assist and advice the City of Cuernavaca and their planners. MOVE Mobility worked with different stakeholders: the municipality, architects and civil society representatives from the region. The workshop focused on the envisioning of a strategic network for Cuernavaca, from the Metropolitan area to the Historical Centre scale.
Stage 2 – Mobility strategy development and evaluation
As a result of the workshop, MOVE Mobility continued working on the reorganisation of the public transport, car and bike flows in the surrounding of the ECOZONA. In order to achieve the main goals of the ECOZONA, the Municipality of Morelos developed a mobility strategy which included different proposals for changing its transport system towards a more sustainable one. For this project, MOVE Mobility was responsible for evaluating the different proposals in the MOVE Meter and for studying the impacts of these ideas on the rest of the traffic in the ECOZONA and Cuernavaca. Among the scenarios evaluated were the pedestrianisation of the current city centre, the implementation of circular routes in the area and the effects of the BRT system in the city and its surrounding towns. The results were presented in a final workshop.
Comments Off on National Strategy and Policy Framework on Sustainable Low-Carbon Urban Transport
The assignment is part of the project “Green Cities: Integrated Sustainable Urban Transport for the City of Batumi and the Achara Region” ISTBAR. The project is funded by the Global Environmental Facility and implemented by UNDP.
Meant as a response to the pressing issues that urban transport is facing in Georgia, this assignment proposed a national vision, policy guidelines (based on the Enable – Avoid – Shift – Improve framework) and a set of strategic interventions in various areas related to urban transport (public transport, NMT, traffic management and safety, travel demand, institutional and financial arrangements) in order to improve accessibility and mobility in Georgian urban areas. The stated purpose of this assignment was:
to facilitate and support the formulation of the National Strategy and Policy Framework on Sustainable Low-Carbon Urban Transport;
to encourage the development of low-carbon urban transport systems and;
to improve the quality and sustainability of urban transport (including all modes of urban transport) and road traffic safety in Georgian cities.
The results of the project would help Georgian cities to move towards achieving their Covenant of Mayors (CoM) commitment to reduce emissions with 20% by the year 2020, compared with the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, by providing local and national authorities the tools that can be used to shift current practices towards sustainable actions in the urban transport sector. The proposals have been developed based on stakeholders input, but also based on experiences of European countries and cities that have proved to be most successful in addressing the challenges of urban transport, adapting the lessons to Georgian reality.
The Municipality of Darbandikhan in the Kurdistan Region wishes to create a more sustainable mobility system in the city. Therefore, it needs a coherent and well-planned traffic and transportation system. Together with View Pioneer, MOVE Mobility supported the Municipality of Darbandikhan during the process of integrated planning (strategic networking). This is essential for the future of cities that want to shift their mobility system from car use to multimodality with consistent networks for walking, cycling, public transport and car. In this process we involved stakeholders. The use of a tool and adequate data collection is crucial. The final product was a complete analysis of the current network and traffic situation with proposed projects for the future that will make Darbandikhan a ‘Smart Moving City’.
Our main activities and outputs of the project were: Analysing the existing situation related to all transport modes, coordinating data collection processes (counting, interviews, surveys), setting mobility visions and goals, organising workshops and consultation meetings with all concerned stakeholders, drawing up the urban mobility plan with recommendations, and communicating the results.
Comments Off on Feasibility assessment Beira Port Access Road
A consortium of Antea Group, MOVE Mobility, IP3 and Consultec is working on a feasibility assessment of the Beira Port access road. The strategic location of Mozambique in Southern Africa, gives the country a vital role in the region’s transport and communication services network. As a supplier of rail and road traffic services in Southern Africa, Mozambique has positioned itself as a privileged access to the sea, for import and export of goods to and from several Southern African countries.
The project is part of the plans for the development of the Beira transport corridor. The Beira Masterplan describes the development of parts of the EN6 to an artificial road in the future. The new port access road will lighten traffic on the EN6.
The objective of the requested study is to conduct a sound assessment of the current traffic situation to/from and within city and to/from the port of Beira, identify possible options to overcome observed problems, including the construction of a new port access road, and assess the feasibility of each option. The assignment is set-up in two stages, with a go/no-go decision foreseen in between.
The outcomes of the port access road project are:
To improve port access;
To improve road safety and the living conditions in Beira;
To attract investors and stimulate industrial and economic development;
To improve the cooperation between the port authority and the municipality of Beira.
MOVE Mobility moderated two workshops with stakeholders in order to get a better understanding of the potential role of the network, the vital link with urban development and the need to carefully consider the possible impact of the new or altered infrastructure. We collected traffic date, prepared our tool the MOVE Meter, analysed the current traffic situation and made a forecast for the future situation.
Comments Off on Safe cycling becomes priority in Washington’s West End
Within the next three years a large-scale cycling network will be implemented in Washington’s West End District, the western part of the city centre.
On behalf of the Dutch Cycling Embassy and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Netherlands Embassy in Washington), Sjors van Duren from the Province of Gelderland, Marcel van Lieshout from MOVE Mobility and Richard ter Avest from Goudappel Coffeng were in Washington, where they joined forces with 40 local and national planners and designers to share Dutch expertise on traffic safety using the ThinkBike concept.
The US Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Fox, who was in Europe at the time, said he was very impressed by everything that’s going on in the infrastructure sector in the Netherlands. Recently he visited Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Oslo, and he was particularly enthusiastic about how different transport modes coexist peacefully in the Netherlands. He saw that cycling safety has a high priority and he supports the initiative being launched in Washington.
For the city of Austin a preliminary draft for the South-Lamar Corridor was developed, led by HDR. The city of Austin asked us together with our partner Goudappel Coffeng to assess the designs and specifically to look at the facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. During the working visit in February, we participated in a so-called WalkAudit and we organised a workshop with all parties involved. The results have been used to assess the design and to work out in more detail a design for the bike crossing.
