To create a sustainable mobility ecosystem, reallocating public space is essential, but it’s only half the battle. The cultural change needed to implement that reallocation is the other half. Ghent’s Deputy Mobility Mayor Filip Watteeuw is no stranger to this battle. As Ghent prepares to host the annual world cycling summit Velo-city 2024, he reflects on how he’s seen the city transform over his time in office.
“If you really want to change the mobility system, you have to redistribute space. Just to change the space distribution is already a series of battles, and even still, it’s not as simple as changing the infrastructure. As soon as you start to reallocate space from cars to pedestrians and cyclists, you will be met with friction,” says Filip Watteeuw, Mobility Deputy Mayor in Ghent.
Like many cities, car dominance has marked Ghent’s public space. Watteeuw explains that although people typically accept allocating the majority of public space to cars as the norm, that distribution can and should change.
From inspiration to action
In 2013, he became Ghent’s Deputy Mayor of Mobility. For him, the decision to work on the local level was an obvious choice.
“When I ended my time in the Flemish Parliament in 2013, I decided to come to Ghent. I moved away from Parliament to the local level because I wanted to see the real on the ground results of my work. I wanted to make the city better for the people who live here by improving the air quality, reducing noise pollution, and making roads safer.”
Before laying out Ghent’s circulation plan that went into effect in 2017, he visited Europe’s leading cycling cities to learn from their example: “I went to Copenhagen, Utrecht, Ljubljana, Groningen and more. Of course, it was all very impressive high-quality infrastructure, and it really inspired me, but at the same time, it felt almost paralysing. Terms for deputy mayors in Belgium are six years. I thought to myself that it’d never be possible to reach the same level as these cities in such a short time.”
Although Ghent’s 2017 Circulation Plan was implemented over just one weekend, it was not accomplished without a fight. The conception of the plan happened over the course of two years. During this time, Watteeuw held countless debates and events to inform people and hear their opinions on the matter.
If you really want to change the mobility system, you have to redistribute space. [...] and even still, it’s not as simple as changing the infrastructure.
“It was very intense because people were angry. The plan changed their habits. They were used to taking their cars to go directly to their destination, then coming home and parking right in front of their homes, so the fact that I wanted to change that was very threatening for them.”
The controversy was so severe that people insulted him in the street, he received death threats and even had to stay under police surveillance for six weeks to ensure his safety. Despite these challenges, Watteeuw pressed on, and the results show that the Circulation Plan is meeting the goals it set out to achieve.
From 2016 to 2018, cycling in the city centre has increased by 50%. Public transportation use has increased by 6% and cars going to and from the city centre is down by 17%. With all these changes comes the decreased noise and air pollution the Circulation Plan promised.
Data proves efficacy but stories drive cultural change
Although the numbers are impressive, Watteeuw explains that they’re not what motivates change. According to him, citizens need to hear stories and examples that they see themselves in.
“You need the data for your work as a policymaker, but when it comes to convincing the public, it’s stories that make the difference.”
You need the data for your work as a policymaker, but when it comes to convincing the public, it’s stories that make the difference.
He first came to this realisation at a mobility conference in Oxford. After a long day of sessions spouting off data, showing complex graphs and name-dropping other mobility experts, one speaker took to the stage to announce that contrary to the trend, he wouldn’t be showing off any impressive facts and figures about how to go about communicating mobility. Instead, he passed the microphone to a citizen.
A young mother arrived on stage and shared her cycling journey. In the beginning, shifting to cycling seemed to her an impossible task. Organising the household and schedules of three children was already complex enough. The idea of not having a car was unrealistic, she thought. However, by seeing how other families lived without a car, she was convinced to make the switch because she knew it was possible. In doing so, she found that cycling made her life easier without worrying over parking spots or the added financial burden of owning a car.
This session stuck out to Watteeuw as the most impactful of the conference: “To hear her story was very touching. It was straight from the heart. One story from an everyday mother was more convincing than all the professors combined.”
The wisdom to know that citizens don’t connect with data but with stories and examples has stayed with him and informed his work.
“Most people don’t fall into the stereotype of a young, fit, confident cyclist. They have diverse needs and responsibilities to attend. To reach this group, we must give them examples and incentives based on their needs.
“If I say to someone in Ghent who uses his car daily to go to work at 5:00 in the morning that air quality is better than ever in Ghent, it likely won’t change his behaviour because that information doesn’t help him to get to his work.”
Mobilising the silent supporters
These communication skills are key in his work. As with any change in the city, he encounters backlash every time a new circulation plan is set to be implemented in a new neighbourhood. Despite the impressive results from previous examples, each time a new one is scheduled, the same arguments are brought against it.
“Back in 2013, I thought the implementation process would become easier over time, but that’s not the case. The 2017 Circulation Plan and other measures we’ve taken have been very successful. People see that the city centre is more vibrant than ever. There are more people there. It’s a place they want to come to now. The public recognises that.
“So it’s strange for me that as soon as we start doing a similar measure in another neighbourhood, we are still fighting the same battles as we were when I first started. As soon as I scrap a parking spot, it’s the end of the world.”
While the critics are loud, Watteeuw explains that there are often just as many silent supporters. They keep quiet because they like the changes and trust the administration to make them happen. Watteeuw explains the importance of mobilising this otherwise invisible group.
“Go and get your support. Search for it and activate it because you’ll need it. I remember the day we implemented the 2017 Circulation Plan a journalist asked me to take her on a bike tour through Ghent. I was nervous because I imagined that if someone yelled at me, it would not make a good story on the front page of our local news.
Go and get your support. Search for it and activate it because you’ll need it.
“I agreed regardless, and I was surprised by what happened. Rather than insults, people congratulated me as I passed the entire ride. It was a moving moment for me, but I also thought to myself ‘where have they been all these years?’”
Ghent hosts Velo-city 2024
Today Ghent stands out as an example for our cities to follow. Watteeuw hopes that in the same way he looked to Utrecht and Copenhagen, cities just getting started can look to Ghent.
“The case of Ghent is particularly interesting and relevant for other cities starting. When policymakers visit Ghent, they realise that what we’ve achieved is attainable. We’re not so far ahead of them; what we’ve done is accessible.
“We implemented the 2017 Circulation Plan after two years of preparation, and it was completed over a single weekend. The plan is simple: a car-restricted zone in the center with six surrounding zones. Cars can’t travel directly between zones but must use the ring road. It’s quick and cost-effective, only about €5-6 million, and it has a significant impact. This straightforward approach can inspire many other cities. Our success shows that creating a sustainable mobility ecosystem is achievable.”
This straightforward approach can inspire many other cities. Our success shows that creating a sustainable mobility ecosystem is achievable.
Those visiting Ghent for Velo-city from 18-21 June will see the results firsthand. As Watteeuw wraps up his second term as Deputy Mayor of Mobility, hosting Velo-city has a special meaning for him.
“It’s an honour to join the circle of previous Velo-city hosts like Ljubljana and Copenhagen whom I’ve always looked to for inspiration. For me, hosting velocity is the culmination of all the work we’ve done over the past 12 years.”
Learn more about the conference and secure your ticket here.
