Competences in the field of transport in Belgium are distributed between the Federal State (national level), the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region.
In all regions the municipalities are responsible for the development of integrated local mobility plans. The regions provide a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) related framework guidance. Some inter-municipal or city region plans have been developed, in order to better tackle common problems and challenges.
In the Flemish Region, the ‘SUMP’-instrument has already been introduced since 1999 and today 298 of the 300 cities and municipalities have a mobility plan. In many cases they are already (partially) revised once or twice after evaluation and in accordance with the local policy cycle. Until 2019, the construction of a mobility plan, with a focus on promoting sustainable mobility, was obliged for all cities and municipalities.
In 2019, Flanders implemented a major change to its mobility policy by putting into force a new regulatory framework for regional mobility plans (R-SUMPs) as an intermediate level between the region and the local SUMPs. The policy vision for the Flemish Region is laid down in the ‘Vlaamse mobiliteitsvisie 2040 | Vlaanderen.be’. This vision needs to be further elaborated in the R-SUMP’s and L-SUMP’s in a hierarchical context and in accordance with the specific responsibilities at each level. The Flemish Region was divided into 15 transport regions (Vervoerregio's | Vlaanderen.be), the demarcation of which can be seen as the functional urban area around the central city. Currently, the plan processes for the R-SUMP’s are ongoing in each transport region with the integration of a strategic environmental impact assessment. A broad participatory process is followed, ultimately including a public survey among all citizens.
The mobility policy is aimed at guaranteeing the accessibility of the society. This involves investing in a mobility system that supports the economy and the living community. The mobility system is sustainable, safe, intelligent and multimodal. It is being expanded and operated with attention to accessibility and quality of life.
Good Move is the Regional Mobility Plan for the Brussels-Capital Region. Approved in 2020 by the Brussels Government, it defines the main policy guidelines in the field of mobility for the next ten years. This integrated plan was submitted as a SUMP and covers the whole Region of Brussels-Capital and its 19 municipalities. It aims to face the major environmental, social and economic challenges of the Region while supporting the demographic and economic development of the Brussels-Capital Region. It also adopts a transversal approach to mobility and aims to improve the standard of living of the inhabitants of the Regions and to encourage everyone to change their travelling habits based on their needs and constraints.
The plan includes a regulatory framework. As a consequence, the municipalities and other regional entities must respect the vision of the plan and comply with the general and specific rules defined in the regulatory section. The Good Move plan is thus a very important planning tool in terms of sustainable mobility.
In order to meet its objectives, the Region is focusing on the plan's application, at a regional level among other things through the management contracts of public bodies under its supervision, themed roadmaps and at the municipal level through the Municipal Mobility Plans (MMPs) and the evaluation of the Good Move plan. Furthermore, the Good Move plan contains a 50 actions plan where Municipalities are also pilot or co-pilot of an action.
In the Brussel-Capital Region, the elaboration of the Mobility Regional Plan and the implementation of the mobility policy at the municipal level are defined in the Ordinance from 26 July 2013 establishing a framework for mobility planning and amending various provisions with an impact on mobility. This ordinance is currently being revised with an emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of the plan, in close collaboration with the municipalities. Whether or not the municipalities have a MMP, they must follow the regional guidelines. However, it is up to them to establish their own implementation priorities, especially for municipal roads.
More information on mobility data and the implementation of the plan can be found on the Good Move Observatory.
In the Walloon Region, 10 years after the 'decree on local accessibility and mobility plans', an awareness-raising process has resulted in the financing and uptake of SUMPs for many cities in the Walloon Region. The Walloon Region's administration published examples of eight of Wallonia’s biggest cities in a brochure, promoting SUMP.
A co-operation between the city actors and the Region Mobility Department (SPW Mobilité) resulted already in diversity of measures that reflect a maximum balance between economic development, environmental protection and social needs. A new way of 'integrated and multimodal vision' has been politically accepted.
More than 60% of Walloon municipalities, representing 80% of the Walloon population, have adopted a mobility plan. The urban area of Liège (24 municipalities) has adopted its SUMP in 2019, and Charleroi Métropole (30 municipalities) is building its own to be adopted in 2024.
Nevertheless, in the next years and decade certain improvements can be made: skills development, order and (follow up and evaluation) methodologies have to be improved, as well as participation and communication can be worked on. These conditions have also to be fulfilled in all other municipalities.
Awareness is also rising on local and regional levels to better articulate and prioritize urban mobility planning on different geographical levels and temporal frames. Regional efforts are focused on implementing SUMPs for TEN-T nodes and setting up the governance to implement SUMP measures in a timely and monitored way.
References:
Flanders: R-SUMP: Geïntegreerd regionaal mobiliteitsplan | Vlaanderen.be L-SUMP: Mobiliteitsplan | Lokaal mobiliteitsbeleid | Lokale overheden | Vlaamse overheid (mobielvlaanderen.be).
Brussels Capital Region: Good Move | Brussels Mobilty (mobilite-mobiliteit.brussels)
Wallonia: SUMP: les Plans Urbains de Mobilité | Le Plan Urbain de Mobilité de l’Agglomération de Liège | Local Mobility Plans | Les Plans Communaux de Mobilité.
Last updated: 21 November 2023