CASE STUDY: REVER (REseau Vert EuRopeen/European Green Network) Crossing Brussels-Capital Region

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SECTOR: Green Area COUNTRY: Belgium 

BACKGROUND
REVER is present in four countries in North Western Europe: the Irish Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Belgium and France. These countries belong to the North West Metropolitan Area of Europe (NWMA): a cooperation zone defined in the context of the Community initiative Interreg IIc programme. These countries share their desire to pool their experiences and contribute to better balance and coherence in their national and regional programmes as concerns travel paths for non-motorized users.
In this sense, REVER represents a spatial network since it is based on an important potential of independent routes, useable in the short-term by pedestrian, cyclists, horseback riders, people with reduced mobility, etc. Theses are the hundreds kilometres of out-of-use railways, as well as towpaths along the many canals and rivers that crisscross North Western Europe and itineraries with a historical and cultural connotation.

The network that the partners want to set up and they have called "green network" should give priority to alternative transport, promote the long distance connections while using and adding on regional and local itineraries, value and conserve architectural heritage and provide services to users (hiring bicycles, skates or horses; information kiosk; recreational, cultural and sports activities, etc.).

The structure of the Outline Plan correspond to the priority given to relations both between the various components of the network and between REVER and the network existing outside the cooperation area. More specifically, a grid was then defined on the basis of the following criteria. It should:

• Be based on the existing national or/and national green networks.
• Promote the discovery of tourist attractions, historical heritage, remarkable buildings or monuments, site of ecological or landscape interest
• Offer many connections with regions outside NWMA
• Enable the development of intermodal transport
• Have a density of grid corresponding to that of the population in the zones crossed
• Favour structure and function without taking into account of administrative limits.
• Connect with town and major cities, therefore can be combined for internal use (within towns) and long distance travel (between towns)
  

Figure 1:part of the global REVER network

To make the most of the experience of each country or region, REVER integrates the various initiatives of the partners. To do so, each network has been reassessed and the links, which meet the objectives of the future network, have been used as structuring lines.

In Belgium, the 3 regional authorities (Walloon Region, Flemish Region and Brussels-Capital Region) are completely independent as concerns their town and country planning policy.

The Brussels-Capital Region appears then as a constitutive partner and a special case in the construction of REVER. Since this is an urban Region, the size of Brussels and the density of traffic require a more precise scale of work than for the rest of the North Western Area of Europe. The advantage of integrating Brussels in the outline plan is to allow the major lines of REVER to cross the city-region and to form links going through the town. On the other part, it's also an opportunity for Brussels to develop an internal-use network dedicated to alternative mobility.

The outline plan takes account of the analysis done by the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (IBGE) in the existing urban development plans and the potential they represent.

To establish the REVER itineraries crossing the Brussels urban area (89km at all), the following important points have been taken into account.

• To overlay, as much as possible, the growing regional Green-and-Blue network.
• To meet the cyclist's desiderata, following the data collected by Provélo (Brussels-Capital Bicycles Observatory).
• To cross accommodation areas (youth hostelling, camping, hotel, etc.)
• To join different activities poles (commercial, offices, European districts, universities, etc.)
• To cross -or to go along- the Natura 2000 areas in Brussels
• To overlay, as much as possible the ICR (regional cyclists itineraries)
• To dispatch equitably the city's entrances as well as to respect the key-directions of the REVER outline plan.
• To conform to the development plans of the municipalities contained in the Brussels-capital Region and to take their own "green" initiatives into account.
• To have some rail-stations on the itineraries
• To cross or to go along the Brussels historical city centre.
• To take the topographical conditions into account
• To make possible connections with the Flemish cyclists Network. Even though the Flemish Region does not take part in the REVER Project, these connections are important as the Flemish Region surrounds Brussels-Capital.

Taking all this into account, two main directions have been chosen. The first one is the way that continues the Charleroi-Brussels canal and the second one is the way along the abandoned railway lines 160 (Bruxelles-Tervuren). As these two main directions were not connected, a grid of itineraries joining them was drawn around the historical city centre.

Figure 2: the REVER itineraries in Brussels Capital Region

As the REVER outline plan has just been published in the very end of 2001, only some itineraries' sections has been studies and partially realised yet:

Along the Charleroi-Brussels canal:

• A Northern section (from the bridge Van Praat to the Vilvoorde regional boundaries) concerns an old industrial area where it has been decided to create an autonomous way restricted to non-motorized travel separated by a slope covered with vegetation. The investments there are important, there are three reasons for this. First, this section is a part of several networks and in particular the REVER and the ICR (Regional cyclists itineraries). Secondly, it's one of the first REVER sections, so this experience has to be positive and attractive. Thirdly, it is planned in an industrial area were a recovery planning is very waited.
• A Southern section (Biestelbroeck, Veeweyde and Demets quays) where the design studies are just coming to an end.

Figure 3: Walkers and cyclists new wooden bridges

Along the abandoned railway lines 160:

• a major project has been led there. In fact, 4 (the 5th is coming) walkers and cyclists wooden bridges have been constructed there to cross some important motorways of the capital that previously cut the recovered green way.

These bridges appear to be very successful regarding the number of new greenways users of this section.

INDICATORS
Until now, there are still any indicators established for this particular project in Brussels. Nevertheless, sporadic studies are occasionally done concerning the fauna and the flora reintroduced in the city thanks to this kind of initiatives. But, they are mainly practical observations, not really connected with benchmark data, and in addition these types of studies are not focussed on the REVER network but concern the overall green-and-blue spaces in Brussels.

More generally, the European group in charge of REVER studies collected some data about the social- economic impact of greenways.
They published a critical analysis and the outlines of the fundamental debate on the social-economic impact of greenways (see references below). We show here some examples of such indicators but their interpretations require discernment. In fact, the studies do not always correlate the activity of greenway and their current and previous demographic, tourist or economic environment. The indicators one could find here concern essentially economic justifications of green ways in rural environment. But, in an urban environment the economic justification is surely not the most relevant, it's rather the improvement of the urban environment, the incidence on health (cycling, walking, etc.) or the contribution to the mobility policy that has to be laid down.

Figure 4: Social economic impact of greenways

EVALUATION
Until now there is no numerical evaluation available yet, so we could just present some practical remarks and observations.

• Some plant and animal species have been reintegrated into the city via these green areas.
• The new-built footbridges (on the railways line 160) play an important role in the success of the greenways (visibility of the project)
• Opposition against green network is very rare in Brussels: municipalities, citizens but also industries (cf. belong the canal), etc.generally welcome warmly this kind of initiative.
• The network is initially used for leisure and progressively for utility travels. Leisure appear then as a good entrance-key.
• Guardians are in most cases needed, and especially were large green spaces are crossed. It could be seen as a (very modest) creating-jobs project but it also light negative aspects of non-civics attitudes.
• With the same concern, the IBGE has now to publish a green-network-users guideline because a friendly cohabitation between pedestrians (with or without dogs), cyclists, skaters, rollers, etc. is not always obvious.
• The IBGE regrets the project will take so much time to be realised completely. Actually, the offer of only short network's sections does not allow using it properly to cross the urban region and thus, many utility-users remain excluded. Of course, this slowness depends of a lot of external factors and actors.
• The demand for the green-network is very high in Brussels and an increasing number of users could already been observed.
• The existing network sections are not yet lighted, so the usability is restricted to daylight. Here we could also ask ourselves about the artificial lighting's undesirable effects on the nocturnal fauna.

BENCHMARK DATA
For the project in Brussels urban area, the data collected by Provelo have been taken into account. These data are essentially the number of cyclists that could be observed on different ways and directions. More generally, the European group in charge of the REVER studies tries to establish a critical analysis of the social-economic impact of such green network referring to experiences in France, Switzerland and in Canada (see above).

Figure 5: Provelo (Brussels-Capital Bicycles Observatory) data

LESSONS LEARNT
The visibility of the green network, and in particular of its entrances, seems to be a constitutive element for the promotion of such project. Actually, we could observe the busier sections are located near the new wooden bridges described above. Nevertheless, there is balance to reach : this infrastructure has to remain unobtrusive.
This kind of project can be a starter for the re-qualification of certain sites particularly forsaken. This kind of impact appears to be relevant in an urban area such as Brussels where it's difficult /impossible to realise a non-motorized network exclusively along kind green areas.
The co-existence between the different users of the network, but also between the users and the inhabitants, especially in some underprivileged districts is not always simple. The social and pedagogical aspects could not be neglected in such cases.

TRANSFERABILITY
As the REVER network will be extended to Mediterranean regions (REVER-med will add 33 new partners to the REVER), the Brussels' project leader has already been in contact with some future partners. Those in charge of urban areas crossed by the REVER are already interested in the Brussels experience that try to combine the connection with a big green network through Europe and an internal non-motorized network for the town.

IMPACT ON SUSTAINABLE AREAS

Are emissions to air, water and soil within the restrictions set locally and internationally? Are the emissions decreasing?		Is the cost/effectiveness and/or cost/benefits of the system reasonable compared to other systems? Compared to other needs in the city and to political goals?		Has the planning and decision-making for the infrasystem been done in a democratic and participative way?
Locally, provides an alternative to motorized displacements.		Low costs but low benefits.		Registered in an existing outline plan.
Is the use of natural resources reasonable compared to other comparable systems? Is the use decreasing? (e.g. fossil fuels, water, phosphorus, potassium)		Are the citizens willing to pay for the services offered? Are the services affordable to all citizens?		Is the function and the consequences of the system transparent to and accepted by the citizens? Is the system promoting a responsible behaviour by the Citizens
Very low use of natural resources (green network).		-Willing to pay ? -Free of direct charges (public services)		Promotion of an alternative to the motorized displacements.
Is the system allowing a reasonable bio-diversity with regard to the kind of area studied? Is the bio-diversity increasing?		Is the organisation(s) that finance, maintain and operates the system effective?		Is the system safe to use for the citizens? (hazards, health, well-being)
Re-integration of green areas in the city (fauna and flora).		Guarding and lighting not yet taken into account.		Generally yes. Problems at night.
Is the system more or less sustainable than a conventional system regarding ecology?		Is the system more or less sustainable than a conventional system regarding economy?		Is the system more or less sustainable than a conventional system regarding social aspects?

PROJECT CONTACT
Brussels-Capital Region
Mrs. Rachel Rubert (IBGE-Division espaces verts)
Gulledelle 100
1200 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 2 775 78 48
fax: +32 2 775 77 21
E-mail : rru@ibgebim.be
Website : www.ibgebim.be

European Greenways Association
Gare de Namur
boîte 27 B-5000 Namur
Tel: +32 81 22 42 56
Fax: +32 81 22 90 02
E-mail : info@aevv-egwa.org
Website : www. aevv-egwa.org

REFERENCES
"Outline plan o A network for Europe", Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001.

"Green corridors, outlines routes and exact lines routes o methodological aspects o technical guidance note 1 ",Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001.

"Recovery of abandoned railways lines o technical guidance note 2a ", Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001.

" Recovery of paths along waterways o technical guidance note 2b " Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001.

" Greenways and heritage o technical guidance note 3 " Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001. " The social-economic impact of greenways o technical guidance note 4" Greenways for Europe, éd. Resp. J. Jiménez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), décembre 2001.

"The social-economic impact of greenways - technical guidance note 4" Greenways for Europe, ed. Resp. J. Jimenez AEVV-EGWA Namur (B), Decembre 2001.