the path of the past couple of months
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MaaS, Mobility as a Service, is a different of looking at mobility. Its focus lies on choosing the fastest and most efficient way to get from point A to B, without necessarily owning the means of transport. Together with private and private partners, the City of Leuven aims to significantly expand the available supply. Wherever possible, electric cars will be preferred over fossil fuelled.
Who are all the partners in the trajectory?
By looking at Wijgmaal through a broad, spatial lens, we see more opportunities for linking projects and steering the village towards climate neutrality in a holistic way. In doing so, we not only create efficient solutions, but also strengthen community cohesion and build a future-proof Wijgmaal. Projects planned in the near future include:
Along Wakkerzeelsebaan, AGSL (Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf Stadsontwikkeling Leuven), the city of Leuven and social housing company Dijledal are building new residential units. These will be heated fossil-free. Currently, it is being investigated whether the district heating for the new residential area could also make the nearby streets more sustainable. Other plans include a large park with a picking farm, a day nursery and a cultural meeting centre. The neighbourhood will also be car-free.
The sports fields will be redesigned in an open, park-like setting, giving the neighbourhood more green space. At the same time, one of the Dijle arms will be reopened, allowing more space for water too. A new bicycle bridge will be constructed across the river, making the site and the rest of the village even easier for cyclists to reach.
The characteristic railway station building will be renovated into an office and meeting place for local residents. Apart from the sports hall, there will also be a new parking building with bicycle storage. This will create more space for greenery on and around the station square. Tunnels will be built under the level crossings in Wijgmaal to make cycling and walking safer.
Work, school, hobby, shopping: the number of trips we make in a day adds up quickly. Often, we rely on private cars to get around, even for short distances. But most private cars are stationary 90% of the time. If we change our habit to using any means of transport only when we need them, instead of owning them, we will free up space, energy, time and resources. Plus, the fees and time investment connected to ownership and maintenance are outsourced to the service provider.
For this shift to become mainstream, enough shared modes of transport must be readily available, which requires expanding supply. We achieve the biggest impact when we make choosing sustainable means of transport, the easiest choice.