63 partners sign Green Deal for Shared Mobility
More than 60 cities, companies and property developers signed the Green Deal for Shared Mobility in Ghent on Monday. The deal sets out Flanders' mobility ambitions, including 7,000 shared cars and 150,000 car-sharers in the region by 2027.
Green Deals are an initiative by the Flemish government to make organisations, companies and sectors more sustainable. They are voluntary, ambitious agreements to implement projects together in the short term.
At the end of 2023, there were 4,159 shared cars in Flanders, 31.5 per cent more than the year before. Research shows that each shared car replaces 3 to 10 private cars.
To achieve a culture of shared mobility’ the partners agreed to more than 300 actions, such as providing places for shared cars and bikes near homes. They will also work on clearing up legal issues, for example when accidents occur, and on raising awareness about sharing systems.
Financial drain
The Green Deal is supported by the Flemish government’s Environment department. The initiative for the partnership came from stakeholders such as the car-sharing network Autodelen.net and Netwerk Duurzame Mobiliteit, a network of organisations that support sustainable mobility.
The Belgian Professional Association of the Real Estate Sector is also behind the plan. The association says that parking spaces at new residential developments aren't always sold, representing a financial drain and a missed opportunity to provide more green spaces.
"Especially in cities, we can use the spaces of these unsold parking lots to create greener, more liveable residential environments with more room to play and live," said Flemish Environment minister Zuhal Demir, who is funding the Green Deal.
However, property developers cannot just decide to build fewer parking spaces, as they are often required by cities or municipalities to provide 1.5 parking spaces per residential unit.
"That minimum standard for parking spaces is outdated," the partners say. The Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) is also on board and wants to work out new standards with property developers. By the end of the Green Deal, at least 50 local governments should have introduced an adapted parking policy to support shared mobility.
#FlandersNewsService | Traffic signs indicating parking spots for car sharing and electric vehicle charging © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
