Objective 2035 in Belval : Creating such an attractive network of trains, trams, buses, bike lanes, and shared parking that it will hardly ever be necessary to drive a car in the neighborhood. To develop this mobility concept that will make this dream possible, AGORA has been overseeing a working group since 2022, bringing together all stakeholders.
Strength in unity. To take hold of the urban landscape of the South region and reinterpret it in light of current needs for sustainable mobility and public transportation, AGORA coordinates an exchange platform with representatives from Fonds Belval, the Department of Urban Planning, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, the Road and Bridge Administration, CFL, Luxtram, the city of Esch-Sur-Alzette, the Municipality of Sanem, and the engineering firms Schroeder & Associates and Arep.. Whether at the same table or in subcommittees, they are designing the overall project that will materialize the goals of more sustainable mobility and intermodality, which means the ability to travel using an easy and fast combination of transportation modes, from trains to trams, buses, bicycles, as well as walking. The space freed up by cars will be used to create attractive, green public spaces, synonymous with meeting and relaxation spots.
Is intermodality a significant shift in the way public transportation and sustainable mobility networks are conceived?
Alexandre Londot, Director of Operations, AGORA: “It’s a real paradigm shift for Belval. Cars played a significant role in the neighborhood’s development in its early days – it was normal at a time when the first roads were being laid out on an industrial wasteland that had never before been connected to the rest of the country by public transportation. Today, in a well-developed neighborhood, we can redefine the role of the car by identifying places where its circulation can be reduced. We take this opportunity to renew our approach to mobility through the concept of intermodality, which is now seen as the obvious solution to traffic congestion problems and as the path to reducing cities’ carbon footprint.”
Adrien Stolwijk, Consultant Engineer, Schroeder & Associates: “The notion of intermodality led us to think more about organizing public transportation as a true network, thinking about the entire space rather than just individual lines, including the areas around the neighborhoods and cities we want to connect. This prevents dead spots in the transportation network, between the main routes to connect. And yes, it’s a bit of a revolution.”
Marie-Josée Vidal, President of AGORA and First Government Counselor in the Department of Spatial Planning:
“We must now understand mobility as a structuring element of public space and urban development. Intermodality is one of the key concepts that help us think about this redesign of public space. It’s quite new, indeed, as a thought pattern. We drew a lot of inspiration from the findings of the international consultation ‘Luxembourg In Transition,’ which aimed to develop and rethink urban planning in the era of ecological transition.”
The concept of [modal split] has also been central to your discussions and has helped define the major objectives. has also been central to your discussions and has helped define the major objectives. How so?
Daniela di Santo, Director of Fonds Belval : “The modal split is the percentage of travelers using a particular type of transport, and our mobility concept is indeed aligned with the goal of reducing the modal share currently occupied by cars in favor of trams, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. We should note that our concept is based on the objectives of the National Mobility Plan PNM 2035, which is very ambitious in this regard. I would say that Belval is a key link, a driving force in achieving these goals at the national level.”
Adrien Stolwijk: “The most recent analyses show that the modal share of cars is 72% in the South region.The PNM 2035 aims to reduce it by nearly 20%. To achieve this, public transportation journeys must more than double by 2035, and a massive increase in cycling is necessary. This will be achieved with dedicated bus lanes, cycling lanes, rapid trams, but also by adding spaces for pedestrians and green areas that make the environment pleasant for those choosing sustainable mobility.”
Can you summarize the bicycle lane projects planned in the new mobility concept?
Roland Fox, Director of The National Roads Administration: “The final network involves the construction of several infrastructures, as it essentially combines a national cycling network and internal cycling networks to connect different neighborhoods of Belval and reach various tram stations. On a national level, the PC8 cycling lane (or Circle Line) passes through Belval and includes several sections, including the Vëlodukt, an elevated long bridge that is already open and is an impressive structure. On a more local scale, we tried to truly envision the cyclist’s journeys by connecting key points.”
Adrien Stolwijk: “There will be two east-west routes, the first coming from Vëlodukt and following the Waassertrap route on national cycling path PC8. The second runs along the Tram/CHNS corridor to the south of Um Belval Park and offers an additional inter-neighborhood cycling lane between Square Mile and the future Belval-Sud neighborhood. Other complementary routes passing near Terrasse des Hauts Fourneaux and Square Mile are also planned.”
Regarding public transportation, does the concept include a rapid tram and a High-Level Bus Services (CHNS) corridor?
Roland Fox: “The rapid tram is a national project that will start in Luxembourg (Cloche d’Or), initially pass through the new Metzeschmelz site, then reach Esch, and finally Belval, with a terminus at Belvaux-Mairie. In Belval, there will be numerous stops to serve the entire site, first on the northern part of the site, then at Terrasse des Hauts Fourneaux/Square Mile, then at the sports center, and finally two stops at the western ends of Belval. Each tram station will also be a transport hub where passengers can transfer to a bus route or a cycling path. Tram journeys can be easily complemented by bus segments on dedicated corridors where no cars will be allowed, the famous CNHS. And through all of this, a true urban renewal is taking shape.”
One of the key ideas in the concept is the mutualization of parking through the establishment of Facility Hubs. Why and how is this a promising idea for Belval?
Marie-Josée Vidal: “If you look at a satellite image of Belval, you will see that many public spaces are occupied by parked cars all day long. The idea of ‘Facility Hubs’ is to group these cars into a building instead of taking up a lot of space in public areas. It also aims to ensure full-time occupancy of these buildings by accommodating users’ cars during the day, those who come to work in Belval, and in the evening, those of residents who return home and park their vehicles for the night. There’s this natural complementarity in timing that had never really been considered from the perspective of parking spaces.”
Alexandre Londot: “The implementation of these ‘Facility Hubs’ is not yet fully finalized; the discussion continues. But there is a principle agreement in place. The concept is innovative because these shared parking spaces will not be just parking lots; they will be places where other functions and uses can be combined. . One can imagine adding local commerce, storage units, a daycare center, a bicycle repair shop, or even recreational and sports facilities on the rooftop. This multifunctionality is crucial; multiple uses justify the construction of a building and its greenhouse gas emissions. If it works well in Belval, it goes without saying that the concept could be applied to the future Metzeschmelz neighborhood we are developing. In this regard, we see the Belval experience as a test for future neighborhoods where parking mutualization could become the norm and evolve over time.”
Is the new mobility concept also an opportunity to consider the place of greenery in the neighborhood, especially around the new mobility infrastructure?
Alexandre Londot: “Indeed, infrastructure works offer us a great opportunity to add green spaces. For example, a significant portion of the tram route will be on a dedicated track, which can have grassy surfacing, as is the case on the Kirchberg district stretch in Luxembourg City. By reducing parking spaces throughout the neighborhood, space will be freed up for planting trees and creating welcoming meeting places. There will be many suitable locations for this kind of urban revitalization.”
To accommodate the new infrastructure, do you need to rethink large parts of the neighborhood’s urban planning, or can you easily integrate the new mobility concept into what already exists?
Adrien Stolwijk: “We worked as much as possible on existing and available spaces, but there are still significant urban interventions, especially at the north entrance of the Belval site. However, the urban fabric will not be entirely redesigned at once, and the transition will be gradual and natural. We have developed a phased approach, taking into account the imperatives of the CHNS (High-Level Service Corridor) and the tram, progressively between 2023 and 2033, without disrupting the use of places by users too much.”
Alexandre Londot : Obviously, the goal is to preserve as many existing elements as possible, such as trees, and to build the new infrastructure largely on the current road layouts, limiting network diversions as much as possible, although some will be necessary. A new cyclist-pedestrian bridge will be built at Belval Park to ensure continuity of pathways when the mixed bus/tram corridor crosses the park. To reach Rue de la Poste in Belvaux from the Belval Sud neighborhood, the CHNS will also cross the existing railway tracks, which will entail significant work, but ultimately, very impressive architectural structures will emerge around this mobility concept.
How did you manage to design this plan in harmony despite the number of stakeholders involved?
Marie-Josée Vidal: “It was truly an equitable participatory conversation approach. Everyone could contribute from the beginning of the process, from the development of the specifications to the selection of study bureaus and the various work phases. This approach created an atmosphere of trust and ultimately led to a concept accepted and shared by all. This is essential to ensure the subsequent implementation of the concept.”
Daniela di Santo: “I think one of the keys to success is structuring our exchanges, some in bilateral meetings on specific topics, others in large working groups involving all stakeholders. Above all, everyone had to keep our common goal in mind, which was very clear from the start. We weren’t playing a game to win a match; instead, we were trying to make music together for the enjoyment of the users our grand symphony is intended for. We showed the best sportsmanship to make the whole team winners. We always worked with a global perspective.”
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