“Going Dutch…” presentation Tues 1st May
Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign hosts a special presentation:
Going Dutch: New homes, New travel arrangements in the Netherlands
By Richard Armitage, CMILT, Chair of the Cycling Forum, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.
This event was originally scheduled for 16 April. Due to huge popular demand, we have changed to a larger room and rescheduled for Tuesday 1 May 2012.
Transport consultant Richard Armitage is a member of SUNN, the Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods Network. In autumn 2011 SUNN hosted a study tour of three Dutch cities to see how active travel opportunities can be designed into new developments.
Richard explains the background:
“Over two years SUNN arranged for a group of 60 professionals involved in new residential developments – designers, architects, urban planners, developers, housing association managers, and one transport specialist (me) – to tour new developments around England. This was a fascinating and instructive process, showing the good, the bad and the sadly indifferent in modern residential areas. And at the end, we went Dutch…
In the Netherlands we viewed three cities: Amersfoort, Houten and Almere. The new homes we saw have many different designs and sizes. The bicycle is frequently the best way to get around – the quickest and most direct route between A and B, the most pleasant way to travel (traffic-free). Proper cycle storage, hire and maintenance facilities abound. This leaves public transport – mainly rail – to take you longer distances (e.g. to work). Despite high quality building standards, low energy consumption homes, pleasant surroundings and significant transport infrastructure investment, the finances work. Public subsidy is minimal, yet these developments are financially successful.
The car is never allowed to dominate the streets or the view in these new urban extensions but there is still plenty of parking. It is not about ownership but use and management. Meanwhile, Dutch motorway queues are easily as good as ours, so the car has not been banished. The results are obvious to see and Dutch people are queuing up to live in these areas, especially Houten near Utrecht.”
Come and hear what we can learn from the Dutch.
Tuesday 1 May 2012 at 7.30pm. Light refreshments available from 7pm.
The Main Hall, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS.
To reserve a place (and assist catering), RSVP honsec@gmcc.org.uk
Going Dutch promotional materials: A4 b/w flyer (PDF, 56KB) – 13 page colour booklet (PDF, 623KB)
Full report on SUNN Project (opens in new window)
