Mobility decides how much room a neighbourhood keeps for living
Three linked tasks shape a neighbourhood’s mobility — safe walking and cycling infrastructure, shared mobility and the low-traffic neighbourhood. Together they free up street space, and at almost 17 times the investment the low-traffic neighbourhood is the strongest business case of all 21 linked tasks.
Freed-up street space ís where the other tasks land
Every parked car occupies around 20 m² that carries about €150 per m² in societal value as play, meeting or green space. Mobility interventions therefore link naturally with greening and cohesion: less metal on the street literally makes room for the green-blue package and for meeting.
To the three tasksCycling and walking infrastructure
Safe streets with good flow make a neighbourhood more liveable, and the investment pays back. Walking and cycling infrastructure delivers a model neighbourhood around €59,000 in societal value against €24,000 in costs — repaid over two and a half times. Gains lie in safety, accessibility for people with disabilities, cleaner air and lower infrastructure costs.
The evidence comes from Zuid-Limburg: €1.45 million in investments delivered €3.56 million in societal benefits — an investment of €2.42 per resident per year. A natural link with low-traffic neighbourhood measures.
The low-traffic neighbourhood with the highest business case
A low-traffic neighbourhood has little motor traffic: safer streets, cleaner air, better sleep and more life on the street. Of all linked tasks, the low-traffic neighbourhood has the highest benefit-cost ratio — around €320,000 in societal value against €19,000 in costs per model neighbourhood, almost seventeen times the investment.
The gain lies mainly in space: every parked car occupies around 20 m². With a reduction of about 75% in parking ground within the neighbourhood, street space is freed up with a societal value of around €150 per m². A parcel point is an accessible first step towards fewer car movements.
Value and cost per task
The three linked tasks of the mobility transition for a model neighbourhood of around 2,500 households, with the societal value and costs from the Societal Impact Analysis.
| Linked task | Societal value | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cycling and walking infrastructure | ±€59,000 | ±€24,000 |
| Shared mobility in the neighbourhood | ±€470,000 | ±€400,000 |
| Low-traffic neighbourhood | ±€320,000 | ±€19,000 |
Amounts per model neighbourhood. At almost 17× the low-traffic neighbourhood has the most favourable ratio of all 21 linked tasks. Source: Societal Impact Analysis, Transform Zuid-Holland.
Linking opportunities with other transitions
Mobility frees up the space where other tasks land. The 20 m² per car freed in a low-traffic neighbourhood becomes a play area, community garden or the green-blue package of climate adaptation. Less traffic means cleaner air and more meeting, which strengthens social cohesion. That way every intervention returns multiple value.
Method and source
The figures come from the Societal Impact Analysis of the Transform approach: a value and cost picture per linked task for a model neighbourhood, built up from cost-benefit analyses and comparable projects. The cycling figures are backed by field data from Zuid-Limburg. The full method is available at buurttransform.nl (in Dutch).
Frequently asked questions
What does a low-traffic neighbourhood deliver?
Around €320,000 in societal value against €19,000 in costs per model neighbourhood: safer streets, cleaner air, better sleep and freed-up space for greenery and meeting.
How does a municipality start with shared mobility in a neighbourhood?
With one shared bike per five residents as the rule of thumb (around €1,200 per bike, five-year lifespan) and a parcel point as an accessible first step towards fewer car movements.
What is the societal value of cycling infrastructure?
In Zuid-Limburg, €1.45 million in investments delivered €3.56 million in benefits — an investment of €2.42 per resident per year.
Why is the low-traffic neighbourhood the strongest business case?
At almost seventeen times the investment the low-traffic neighbourhood has the highest benefit-cost ratio of all 21 linked tasks, mainly through the freed-up street space of around €150 per m².
How much space is freed by fewer cars?
Every parked car occupies around 20 m²; that space becomes a play, meeting or green area where the other neighbourhood tasks land.
Frequently asked questions about mobility
Safe cycling and walking infrastructure, shared mobility in the neighbourhood and the low-traffic neighbourhood; together they free up street space for the other neighbourhood tasks.
Around €59,000 in societal value against €24,000 in costs per model neighbourhood, that is repaid over two and a half times.
Shared mobility delivers around €470,000 in societal value against around €400,000 in costs per model neighbourhood.
With a reduction of about 75% in parking ground within the neighbourhood, street space is freed up worth around €150 per m².
Each shared bike replaces more than one rush-hour trip a day; the rule of thumb is one shared bike per five residents.
The figures apply to a model neighbourhood of around 2,500 households, built up from the Societal Impact Analysis.
The around 20 m² per car becomes a play area, community garden or the green-blue package of climate adaptation, while less traffic strengthens social cohesion.
Beyond being repaid over two and a half times, the gains lie in safety, accessibility for people with disabilities, cleaner air and lower infrastructure costs.
Exploring an integrated neighbourhood approach for a municipality or province? contact@neweconomy.eco — or visit the platform at buurttransform.nl (in Dutch).