An increasing number of community policy makers, planners and residents around the world want their communities —neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities— to be more liveable. Liveable communities provide residents with opportunities to enjoy a high quality of life by preserving or improving the quality of their environment, enabling them to live in a variety of housing options, and by making it possible for them to walk, bike or take public transportation to go to the places they most frequently need to go every day, such as work, schools, grocery stores, shopping malls, parks, recreational areas and health facilities.

Inner Alster Lake, downtown Hamburg, Germany

 

Green, multimodal mobility systems and networks —such as networks of pedestrian paths, bicycle lanes and public transport, in combination with other community components —such as pedestrian-only shopping streets, dedicated cycling routes and highways, high density housing  and mixed-use buildings and neighbourhoods; and the use of renewable energy generated from natural sources —such the sun, water and wind, can all make major contributions towards making our communities more liveable. 

 

 

There were many reasons for me to conduct the study tour. First, for the past decade or so, Germany, Denmark and Sweden have developed a reputation for being world leaders in several aspects related to community planning and development , for example, by building innovative green buildings; amazing cycling paths, routes and highways; world-famous pedestrian-only shopping streets; and excellent parks and recreation areas. Second, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm —in that order— topped 27 other cities in the 2009 European Green City Index. Third, in 2011, the Innovation Union Scoreboard ranked Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden —in that sequence— as the leading countries for innovation among the European Union 27 member states, noting that the overall good performance in innovation of these countries reflected a balanced national research and innovation system. And, fourth, in 2012, the Legatum Institute ranked  Norway, Denmark and Sweden —in that order— as the highest countries in the world for overall prosperity.    

Furthermore, Stockholm, Hamburg and Copenhagen, have respectively won the 2010, 2011 and 2014 European Green Capital Award, according to the European Commission. When giving the awards, the Commission noted the following: "the City of Stockholm launched a new  program that allowed visitors the opportunity to explore the solutions created by Stockholm in relation to a variety of themes, including combating climate change and ensuring an effective and sustainable transportation system. Hamburg has achieved high environmental standards and good performance levels in terms of cycling and public transport indicators." And Copenhagen is "a good model in terms of urban planning and design. It is also something of a transport pioneer, aiming to become the world's most practicable city for cyclists. Its goal is to have 50 % of people cycling to their place of work or education by 2015 (35 % cycled to their workplace or school in 2010), helping the city reach an ambitious goal of being CO2 neutral by 2025."  

People read, socialize, relax and enjoy nature at Planten un Blomen Park in downtown Hamburg, Germany

Green transport infrastructure: a key factor for making our communities more liveable  

Green, multimodal mobility systems and networks are perhaps the most visible and common innovations in community planning and development in Germany and Scandinavia. They include integrated  networks of public transit by road, rail and water; dedicated pedestrian lanes, paths and networks; and plenty of bicycle infrastructure —featuring dedicated bicycle lanes, paths and  networks, and highways, with strategically located bicycle parking areas and pump stations— all of which makes it possible for residents to go to the places they need or want to go, quickly, conveniently, safely, comfortably and economically, and without having to drive their private cars at all times. They also make it possible for residents to have increased opportunities for exercising —and therefore, staying physically and mentally active and fit—  socializing, and more particularly, breathing fresher air than residents living in communities where the use of the private automobile prevails.

The same report indicates that the Öresund link has indeed integrated the Danish and Swedish geographic areas around the Øresund Region, strengthened the economies and cultural ties between Denmark and Sweden, and made it easier, faster and much more attractive for people to travel and commute between Malmö  and Copenhagen. Over the first ten years of the link's life, 2000-2010, many more Swedes than ever before worked in the Copenhagen region and many more Danish than ever before lived in the Malmö region; and commuting across the link increased tenfold. In 2010, nearly 20,700 commuters travelled to work or college/university on the other side of the link.

Transport infrastructure: key to reducing travel time for travellers and the transport of goods 

A totally new and surprising experience came up when I was travelling at 300-km per hour in a high-speed train between Hamburg, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark. When the train reached the town of Puttgarden in northern Germany, it rolled smoothly —and unnoticeably to many of us, the passengers, went into a nice, cruise-like white ship (ferry) that carried it across the 19- km wide strait of Fehmarn, in the Baltic Sea, to Rødby Harbour in southern Denmark. The ride in this ferry was very gentle and comfortable and only took 45 minutes —enough time for the train passengers to have a coffee, enjoy the views over the sea and do some duty-free shopping in the upper deck of the ship. In no time, after reaching Rødby Harbour, we were again riding our high-speed train and on our way to Copenhagen!  

Storfjorden —or Great Fjord— in Western Norway, as seen from Jan Olav Hesthaug Gard, a B&B place located at 6215 Eidsdal, about 3 km West off the Rv63, the road connecting the villages of Eidsdal and Geiranger

 

Malmö —the third largest city of Sweden after Gothenburg and Stockholm— used to be an industrial city, driven primarily by heavy manufacturing industries, such as ship building and auto making; and for many years was very little known internationally. However, since the opening of the Öresund link in year 2000, Malmö has been increasingly being noticed by the international planning community for its positive economic transformation, sustainable development practices, and growing importance as an international centre of knowledge.  

"Malmö's positive economic transformation had to do in particular with its economic integration with Copenhagen through the Öresund link, the establishment of Malmö University, and the development of the Western Harbour. There is no question that the current economy is very diverse as compared to a few years ago," a Swedish commuter seating on my side told me while  travelling on the train between Malmö and Copenhagen. According to a 2010 report funded by URBACT —an exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development— Malmö has become a prime example of a comebackcity; its economy has been modernised and transformed into a largely service-based economy, focusing on three main sectors: trade and communications (23.4%), finance and consultancy (20.6%) and healthcare (14.5%). 

The Turning Torso building —tall grey building in the center— in Malmö's Western Harbour, Sweden

 

 

Cycling, walking and public transport are key modes of transport for green mobility

 

As I travelled through the streets of Copenhagen, Hamburg, Malmö, Oslo and Stockholm, I was increasingly convinced of the extraordinary level of popularity of three key modes of transport among people living in these cities: cycling, walking and taking the public transport. And the huge numbers of cyclists and pedestrians on the streets, and big crowds of people using the public transport, particularly at the peak hours of the weekdays, prompted me to wonder why so many people would bike, walk and use the public transport, instead of driving their cars.

 

There are two very good reasons why cycling, walking and taking the public transit are so popular in these cities, one Danish woman I met during my study tour told me.

 

First, cars are very expensive to buy, taxes on car purchases and ownership are incredibly costly, gasoline prices are extremely high and constantly skyrocketing, downtown car parking costs and restrictions are on the rise, and new congestion charges (or environmental taxes) such in the case of Stockholm, and tolls for ring roads such as in the case of Oslo, are all making driving a car in the city much more difficult and expensive than ever before.

 

Second, these cities have the kinds of urban infrastructures and policies that are key to enabling and attracting residents to cycling, walking or taking the public transit to go the places they most frequently need to go every day, such as work, schools, grocery stores and recreational areas.

 

For cyclists, for example, local governments provide excellent bicycle networks and systems, with safe and fast lanes and pathways, and strategically located parking areas and pump stations, all of which, makes it easier, and more convenient and affordable for many people to use their bikes, instead of their cars, to go to the places they need and want to go every day. 

 

Local governments have also introduced policies that have prompted more and more residents to use their bikes to go to the places they need or want to go. In Copenhagen, for example, where planning policies have been implemented to make biking within the city, safer, easier and more convenient, bike-use doubled between 2000 and 2010. In 2010, nearly 37% of Copenhageners used bikes, as compared to 27% who used cars, and 70% of those using bikes continued to use their bikes during the winter. In 2010, also, nearly 25% of parents used tricycles to take their children to school —according to Danish architect Jan Gehl, a world leading planning expert on sustainable mobility and cycling in urban settings. 

 

In 2011, 25% of all families with two kids in Copenhagen had a cargo bike they used to transport the kids to kindergarten and for grocery shopping, etc., according to The Official Website of Denmark

 

An important question frequently raised at conferences dealing with cycling is whether snow in the winter can influence the use of bicycles. What I learned in my study tour is that it does, but I also learned that snow should not be a big issue when policies to facilitate and encourage people to cycle in the winter are introduced. In Copenhagen, for example, cyclists do not seem to experience much of a difficulty when cycling in the winter because local planning policies ensure two important things: first, that bicycle lanes and paths are cleared from snow promptly after snow falls, and second, that snow clearance from bicycle lanes and paths has priority over snow clearance from car lanes and roads –except for car lanes on the four largest roads, which are cleared at the same time as the bicycle lanes and paths. 

 

Winter biking in Copenhagen at 8:51 in the morning of March 13, 2013 — Courtesy of Lars Gemzøe, Associate Partner, Gehl Architects Aps, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

So that I could see an example of how much housing in Copenhagen supports cycling, the same Danish woman I mentioned above referred me to "a house" in suburban Copenhagen where residents can bike within it. When I went to visit this house, I realized that it was the world famous 8 House (or 8 Tallet, in Danish), designed by the world-famous Bjarke Ingels Group. "The 8 House" is actually a multi-storey, mixed-use, townhouse and apartment building, with office and retail space and excellent on-site bicycle parking; it is located within a short walking distance from the Ørestad subway station, and features a unique promenade-and-cycling-path that travels through the building while going up all the way to the top floor, thus making it possible for residents "to bike within the house," just exactly as the Danish woman had told me.

 

One of the bicycle parking areas at "the 8 House" in suburban Ørestad, Copenhagen, Denmark

Karl Johans gate, downtown Oslo, Norway

The public transport in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Oslo and Stockholm is also highly popular, not only among residents but also among visitors. I used it a lot, almost every day, particularly in Copenhagen, Hamburg and Stockholm and found it to be an integrated and efficient system of networks of buses, trams, and Metro and regional trains which make it possible for people to go from point A to point B within, and in and out of the city, in a much faster, timely, and more convenient and affordable manner than driving a car.

Cyclists, city buses passengers and train passengers, all commute daily through the Central Station in Malmö, Sweden. About 42% of the city buses run on biogas, according to The City of Malmö

Perception vs. reality

At the end of my study tour, I was still amazed about the numbers of people I had seen biking, walking and taking the public transport in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Oslo and Stockholm. This prompted me to do find out what shares of the populations in these cities would use different modes of transport to go to the places they needed to go on a daily basis.

Most frequently, Copenhageners travel by bike (32%), Osloværings by foot and car (34% and 35% respectively), Stockholmers by public transport (34% ), and Hamburger by car (42%), according to Exhibit 1 below.

And of the populations in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Oslo and Stockholm, 93% of Stockholmers, 68% of Copenhageners, and 57% of each Hamburger and Osloværings either walk, bike or take public transport to go to work, according to Exhibit 2.  

Sources — Exhibit 1: Copenhagen 2011: Cityof Copenhagen, Denmark. Traffic counts 2007-2011. TU-municipal report data period 2011. Hamburg 2008: City of Hamburg, Germany. Ministry of Economy, Transport and Innovation. Office of Transport and Road Research. January 3, 2013. Oslo 2009: City of Oslo, Norway. 2009 Norwegian National Travel Survey. Institute of Transport Economics. TØI rapport 1130/2011. And Stockholm 2011: City of Stockholm, Sweden. Transport Administration & Environment and Health Administration. January 2, 2013.

Sources — Exhibit 2: The Green City Index. A research project conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Siemens, Munich. Copenhagen 2007: City of Copenhagen. Hamburg 2008: HVV. Oslo 2005: European Green City Award application. Stockholm 2007: Stockholm Statistics First European Green Capital.

Conclusion:

Around the world, more and more community policy makers, planners and residents want their communities to be more liveable, that is, more able to provide their residents with increasing opportunities to enjoy a high quality of life.

This article discussed a number of innovations in community planning, development and management, in Germany and Scandinavia; identified many of the underlying principles for the success of these innovations; and showed that communities can be planned, designed, developed and managed so that they can be made increasingly more liveable. 

Clearly, the opportunities for communities to explore and implement these types of innovations will increase over the coming years, as residents become increasingly aware of the range of options that are available to increase the quality of life in their communities and of their  potential benefits, and of the actions that are necessary to implement the most promising options.  

The next step, therefore, will be for community policy makers, planners and residents to find out —specifically at the local level— what kinds of innovations and actions are necessary to make their communities more liveable and implement them as necessary and possible.