The city of Groningen, located in the north of the Netherlands, is an international benchmark for urban mobility. With just over 200,000 inhabitants, Groningen is considered the country's cycling capital—roughly 61% of all trips in the city are made by bicycle.
This shift in mindset dates back to the 1970s, when Dutch cities began to be dominated by cars and local realities were altered. The trend at the time was to redevelop older neighborhoods to make room for vehicles traveling to the center.
In Groningen, the desired path was different. Max Van den Berg, a local politician, proposed a revolutionary idea that would shape the city's current layout: the Traffic Circulation Plan. At first, there was significant resistance to his ideas, especially from older generations, but the plan was ultimately approved and implemented.
The core concept was to divide the downtown area into four quadrants (as shown in the map below), prohibiting drivers from crossing between sections. This meant drivers had to leave the central area and use the outer ring road to reach a different quadrant.
The measure proved highly effective in making the city center a more pleasant and attractive environment for active modes of transportation (walking and cycling). Trips that took 12 minutes by car could be completed by bicycle in just two minutes.
Ultimately, in addition to reducing travel times, the plan relieved central areas of heavy traffic, offering safety and comfort to those choosing alternative ways of getting around the city.
Watch the video below to see some of the mobility dynamics in the city of Groningen.
Via TheCityFix Brasil.
This article was written by Lucas Augusto. The translation is powered by AI.
