One of our partners in the SHARE-North Squared project is AM. AM is a district developer based in the Netherlands and is mostly active in cities and urban regions in the Netherlands. AM focuses on finding new solutions for the housing shortage combined with the sustainable mobility challenge to decrease car ownership and usage. One way to ensure that their solutions are inclusive, practical, and widely accepted is the creation of participation evenings. Recently, they had two participation evenings in Diemen and Utrecht which focused on affordable housing projects.
Why participation matters?
Community participation is key to making shared mobility initiatives successful. Engaging residents and stakeholders ensures that our solutions are inclusive, practical, and widely accepted. Our recent participation evenings focused on new affordable housing projects in Diemen and Utrecht and aimed to gather insights to shape the future of shared mobility in these developments.
Lessons learned
To create a collaborative atmosphere, we combined information sharing with interactive activities. One core concept discussed was shared mobility and the benefits it brings to the community. Attendees were then invited to participate in various interactive activities, such as:
- Sticker voting: Participants placed stickers on boards to indicate their preferred types of mobility options (e.g., shared bikes, cars, scooters) and their main mobility option for their day-to-day activities.
- Open feedback: Attendees wrote down their thoughts on what they find important in mobility solutions and shared their experiences with shared mobility.
This interactive approach fostered a sense of inclusion and ensured that feedback was genuine and representative of the community’s needs. As an outcome of the session, we defined several key takeaways.
Key takeaways
- Demand for shared mobility: Participants expressed a strong preference for shared mobility options due to the lack of personal cars and the accessibility of public transport. Shared bikes and cars were particularly popular.
- Need for mobility hubs: There was significant interest in having mobility hubs where shared scooters, bikes, and cars could be conveniently located. This clustering would enhance accessibility and usability.
- Inclusivity in mobility solutions: Families and individuals with specific needs highlighted the importance of having various sizes of shared cars to accommodate different requirements, such as transporting children with car seats and elderly people with mobility aids, such as a walker or cane.
- Importance of accessibility and affordability: For shared mobility to be widely adopted, it must be accessible and affordable. Attendees stressed that these factors are crucial for the success of any shared mobility initiative.
Integration with public transport: Many participants emphasized the need for shared mobility options to complement existing public transport services, providing seamless and efficient travel options.
Wrapping up: Community insights drive progress
The participatory evenings were invaluable in understanding the community’s preferences and needs regarding shared mobility. By involving residents in the decision-making process, we can develop solutions that are practical, inclusive, and widely supported. These events underscored the importance of interactive engagement and collective input in shaping successful urban mobility strategies.
By sharing these lessons within the SHARE-North Squared Interreg North Sea project, we contribute to the broader conversation about sustainable mobility and urban living solutions.
Written by: Ilfa van Druijvenbode
Edited by: Steffie De Moor
Pictures by: AM