Vision development for Eindhoven 2050

The R4E project has completed the “Vision development” stage, which consisted of designing the services and characteristics that our cities should offer in the year 2050, based on the opinions and contributions of municipal experts of each city, their stakeholders, politicians and municipal managers. To better illustrate the process, images have been created that reflect the way our cities could look in 2050, including the services and characteristics agreed upon in the workshops for each of the project’s focus areas.

MOBILITYSMART, SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN EINDHOVEN 2050

In 2050, people in the Eindhoven region enjoy a clean and safe city with energy-neutral mobility solutions. Their personal mobility needs are met by seamless services provided as and when they are needed, at that specific moment and in line with their personal lifestyles. A wide range of sustainable options ‘nudge’ them towards more sustainable lifestyles, but always with full freedom of choices. The spatial planning of the city and the region cherishes history and at the same time facilitates new dynamics. Solutions are chosen because of their flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and users’ needs. The region offers an attractive climate for business. It functions as a ‘living lab’ in which innovative solutions are developed and proven in practice. People can experience these innovations in their own living environment, and can adopt them if and when they wish to do so. The region is an economic hotspot for smart and sustainable mobility.

What characterises the city of Eindhoven in the focus areas of Smart Mobility and Smart Urban Spaces and the elements of the desired future scenario are:

1. An attractive and clean city

The city of Eindhoven and its surroundings are clean and attractive. Widespread greenery in public spaces creates a healthy living environment and encourages people to choose healthy transport options such as walking and biking. Extensive and attractive walking and cycling routes throughout the region connect areas for living, working and leisure. Quality of the living environment is high, with air quality, low emissions and road safety are better than average.

2. Sustainable transportation

Mobility in the region is energy-neutral, using of entirely renewable resources and sustainable materials. The city centre is free of private cars. The region is well connected with sustainable mobility solutions that enable convenient access to all destinations in different ways. Smart traffic management provides efficient guidance based on real-time analysis and predictions of traffic flows, demand and transport availability.

3. A range of options

People can choose from a range of mobility options. Individual choices are facilitated by (f)actual information and seamless mobility products and services that meet their personal needs at that moment. People experience autonomy and freedom in their choices, although they understand that service availability and prices can be influenced by scarcity of resources at specific times. Smart apps help them to choose the best solution at that moment.

4. Local facilities

Facilities for people’s daily living are within walking/cycling distance in all neighbourhoods. Shops and other facilities provide social meeting opportunities for citizens in their direct living environment. Local produce (food, but also innovative solutions like 3D printing) is available in the local convenience stores. Green squares, school yards, recreational grounds and public spaces facilitate healthy lifestyles and social activities.

5. Diversity in experience

People enjoy a variety of environments in the region. They can choose from different areas in the city or surrounding villages that provide different experiences, and offer a range of options for different needs and lifestyles. People are free to explore new things and try them for themselves (for example faster or more attractive routes, or innovative sustainable vehicles). This makes it easier to for them to choose and adopt sustainable solutions.

SAFE AND PLEASANT LIVING IN EINDHOVEN 2050

In 2050, the city’s ‘green and blue’ spaces provide a safe and pleasant living environment for the citizens of the Eindhoven region. A high quality of life is achieved by integrated physical planning to create a resilient region by strengthening the interdependencies between ‘blue’ (water), ‘green’ (flora), ‘grey’ (pavement) and ‘red’ (buildings). Citizens, public and private parties jointly take care of private and public spaces to create a safe, pleasant and healthy living environment. People are aware of the value of the interplay between the built environment and nature. They adopt healthy lifestyles and behaviour, through which they also contribute to their surroundings.The region enjoys clean and safe water and green spaces that can be used actively for recreation (e.g. swimming, fishing) as well as to supply food (urban farming).All meaningful resources are reused, thanks to circular systems on different scales. The region values:- a safe living environment that is resilient to the changing climate through the smart use of solutions on the appropriate scale;- a healthy living environment with extensive ‘green and blue’ areas that support social activities and healthy lifestyles;- a circular water system that provides sustainable re-use of water, materials and energy.

1. Active use of ‘green and blue’spaces

People use public spaces actively for social interaction, working and leisure activities. Spaces are attractive in all seasons, and are accessible for all. The diversity of the spaces in the city and surrounding villages, and the flexibility in their use cater for different and changing needs and wishes. Smart use of spaces serves many different goals,with plenty of room for flora and fauna. Synergy between urban and rural areas is strong.

2. Human-scale design to promote sustainable living

People find everything they need for their daily living in their direct surroundings. The region is designed to encourage social inter- actions and sustainable lifestyles. People value the effects on their health and well-being, and spread the adoption of good lifestyles through social activities. The city and region provide an ideal environment for companies and start-ups with sustainable and healthy core-businesses.

3. Connected, integrated ‘green and blue’

The region values well connected ‘green and blue’ spaces to strengthen climate resilience. The boundaries between public and private green areas are blurred, and people actively add green to roofs, gardens, squares and parks and make them accessible. Interconnected water systems reduce the risks of flooding and heat stress. Citizens’ initiatives are valued, and are facilitated and encouraged by regulations.

4. Circular solutions on the right scale

The region uses circular systems at different levels to maximise re-use of water, materials and energy. Intelligent systems at the levels of homes, neighbourhoods, city and region are interconnected to balance demand and supply. Citizens use applications and sensors to monitor the quality of their water, food and environment, and contribute to its improvement. New technologies are used to make the systems intelligent.

5. New business and investment models

Public spaces are always freely accessible, and new business models are explored to provide added-value services. Decisions are based on an integrated view of value (economic, social, cultural and other) in both the short and long term. This ‘Euro 2.0’ approach enables new business with services in the public domain that create value for society at large as well as for individual citizens and enables investments in infrastructure.

All these ideas and input have emerged from the participatory workshops that have taken place in the city of Eindhoven and whose images can be seen below: