BICYCLE PATHS AS AN ECOLOGICAL AND TRANSPORT TOOL FOR LINKING CITY AND PERIPHERY IN LISBON CITY-REGION. APPLYING TO SINTRA MUNICIPALITY

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1 BICYCLE PATHS AS AN ECOLOGICAL AND TRANSPORT TOOL FOR LINKING CITY AND PERIPHERY IN LISBON CITY-REGION. APPLYING TO SINTRA MUNICIPALITY MAGALHÃES, Manuela 1., MATA, Duarte. 2, NEVES, André 3, ARSÉNIO, Pedro 4 Landscape Architecture Research Center Agronomy High Institute of Lisbon Technical University - Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal / Tel: / Fax: Phd in Landscape Architecture, mmrm@ist.utl.pt 2,3,4 Landscape Architect, duartedamata@isa.utl.pt ; andre_rodrigues_n@yahoo.com ; arseniop@isa.utl.pt Abstract Car congestion and air pollution in Great Lisbon, with more than 2,5 million people, have been increasing dramatically for the last 30 years, related with raising dispersed building area, whose consequences affect directly and negatively the mobility and public health as well as interfere with Kyoto Protocol targets, related with Green House effect (REA, 2005). Recent Landscape Planning options give car priority in transport system, once they provide housing with no connection to public transport, as well as business and employees centers. Such decisions put individual car on the center of daily trips and conduce to even more road structures as well as widening road actions. Peripheries are nowadays the most negative side of these planning actions, facing dramatic urbanization and showing each year decreasing quality living standards and social tensions. In Lisbon City-Region, Sintra Municipality is a particularly severe example, with population growth of 39,4% in 10 years improving inhabitants between 1991 e 2001 (INE, 2003), with several negative consequences to the Sustainability of Landscape. Recent documents from several author and Institutions for Landscape Planning and Sustainable Transport refer to urban contention allied to conservation of most important ecological elements and efficient transport system, as fundamental goals for an effective development (Ravetz, 2000). In Sintra, Ecological Structure becomes a strong tool for qualifying Landscape and particularly a very important component for overlaying transport bicycles and pedestrians as well as cultural issues together as a complete and integrated solution. Sintra Green Plan (Magalhães et al, 2005) intends to be a very useful application of putting ecological structure together with bicycles, aiming towards a new planning paradigm. Keywords Landscape, Transport, Sustainability, Cycle, Network, Ecology. 1

2 Introduction Bicycle is an increasingly valid mean of transport, particularly when dealing with distances inferior to 3 km (Dekoster and Schollaert, 2000), and combined with the goal of reaching public transport interfaces. From Regional scale to Local scale, Cycle infrastructures are compatible with landscape ecological structures, which are the most sensitive components for ecological functioning (Expert Group on the Urban Environment, 1996). Increasing cycle infrastructures, organized as a Network system, may provide adjusted alternatives to the use of individual transportation, contributing to raise the number of public transport passengers, since bicycle parking facilities are safeguarded (Cozzi et al, 1999). Furthermore, Ecological Structure is composed by a range of elements whose function is to protect water, soil, flora and fauna, allowing air drainage to flow and, at the same time, the remediation of pollutants. As a systemic structure, greenways are a continuous complex and dynamic element of the Landscape, going through urban areas and adjusting itself to cultural and specific contexts, shaping the Landscape in rural and urban contexts. Local mobility in Sintra Municipality has dramatically decreased in the last decades, at the same time roads and other car infrastructures increased on the Landscape. Photo 1 - Daily traffic jams on the main road that crosses Sintra Municipality (Magalhães et al, 2005) Access to train stations had not been developed as well as Park & Ride schemes. Simultaneously, pedestrian and bicycle movements become less efficient as a result of lack of continuity in connections and due to progressive lower quality standards of public space and also because of housing dispersion to non-cycling suitability areas. Train BUS Private car By foot Other % 16.6% 25.1% 20.2% 0.7% % 9.8% 47.2% 14.5% 1.1% Table 1 Characterization of transportation modes in Sintra Municipality between 1991 and 2001 (adapted from INE, 2003 in Magalhães et al, 2005) 2

3 Actions must be taken in order to solve local mobility problems simultaneously to landscape planning needs, applying solutions to qualify rural landscape and also to improve urban ecological structure and public space. Current situation. A challenge for changing. To Lisbon Fig. 1 - Current urban situation in Sintra Municipality. Large housing areas, coloured in red are concentrated along the Lisbon Sintra urban axis, generating a wide range of problems (Magalhães et al, 2005) Several types of Landscape can be perceived in Sintra Municipality s territory. North of the mountain range and its World Heritage Cultural Landscape, a coastal plane runs along the shoreline and its surroundings, northbound, which contrasts with a more hilly Landscape where the majority of the population concentrates and which endured a quick urbanization process, over the last decades. The later area was firstly built along the railway line between Lisbon and Sintra and is crossed by several streams that flow from North-South direction, towards the Sea. These streams and their valleys constitute potential main corridors, linking several ecosystems located on different Municipalities, allowing biological movements as well as constitute vital structure for water cycle balance. 3

4 To Lisbon North Atlantic Ocean Fig. 2 - Sintra Municipality Hydrograph model (Magalhães et al, 2005) Additionally, the referred streams go through urban areas and ensure the possibility of bringing nature inside urban areas and therefore to constitute greenways. Current scenario for these valleys often foresee its occupation by physical structures, roads, walls, close to stream profile, generating highly negative impacts. Photo 2 High density urban areas in Sintra Municipality In contrast to the Modernist concept of greenways, the Post-Modern approach suggests that these structures present multifunctional capacity, mixing different land uses and integrating both urban design and road network strategic planning. Articulating bicycle and pedestrian paths with these natural structures, adds cultural reference and enables quality improvement. Since main transport interfaces and daily equipments are granted, trips in bicycle may develop with predictable success. Several uses are potentially expected in these urban greenways. Vegetation protection with emphasis on natural woodlands may be at the same level with urban farming, balanced with specific and located urban parks when necessary. Cultural and Transport issues are the newest advantage for these greenways. 4

5 To Lisbon Fig. 3 Sintra Municipality Ecological Structure Proposal (Magalhães et al, 2005) Prospective Success in bicycle investment must obey to quality, comfort and total security criteria for all range of users (Cozzi et al, 1999). Declivity is the first requirement but useful connections as well as attractiveness of the paths are also main elements towards success. Ecological Structure might allow joining safeguarding Landscape elements along with Cultural features and Transport equipments, promoting the integration of bicycles and pedestrians as participants of a wider mobility scheme. Fig. 4 - Ecological Structure general model (Magalhães, 2001) Fig. 5 Intervention concept (Magalhães et al, 2005) The general idea applied to Sintra Municipality for its bicycle network is based directly on three main concepts together: 5

6 Fig. 6 General Concept for Integrated Cycle Network Fundamental Ecological Structure, firstly is achieved by the conjunction of areas, which support fundamental ecological systems and must be protected or adopt strict regulation norms for human activities. Secondly, the Secondary Ecological Structure, which is formed by linear elements and areas which support ecological functioning inside rural and urban landscapes. Finally, Local Cultural Structure that is composed by roads, existent urban areas and also areas for urban expansion according to ecological suitability, as well as equipments and cultural heritage elements (Magalhães, 2001). Atlantic Ocean Sintra Municipality Lisbon Tagus River Fig. 7 Lisbon City-Region (North): Layout intentions for ecological and Cycle structure. Greenways keep continuity for ecological functioning as well as to non-pollutant means of transport, pedestrians and bicycles (Adapted from Magalhães et al, 2005) Towards Cycle Network A primary aim of this project is to overlap, preferentially, cycle and pedestrian network to the existing road structure, characterized by Roads, Streets, and Rural Paths. This main criterion allows reduction cycle structure installation costs as well as stimulates qualification and functional miscegenation. 6

7 To Lisbon Fig. 8 - Sintra Municipality Hierarchised Cycle Network (Magalhães et al, 2005) The 1st phase to cycle network achievement is called Cycle Suitability and starts calculating declivity of existing Road and Paths chunks, synthesizing from data bases those that present potentiality for cycling, with total comfort (declivity adjusted for all ages) and quality (specifically environmental quality). Thus, Cycle Suitability is based on a slope criteria of 0-3% (excellent cycling conditions) and 3%-5% (medium conditions). With GIS technology, it is possible to achieve directly the declivity of all paths, using specific algorithm, with considerable detail. 2nd step - Potential Cycle Network following Cycle Suitability comprehends balancing declivity with accessibility to main collective equipments, particularly main transport interfaces, important public services, schools and universities, police stations, local institutions, sport equipments, financial and commercial centres, constituting a global plan of the (physical) potentiality for cycling. In this phase, it is synthesised a new proposal of cycle paths beyond existing road, street and path network (Cozzi et al, 1999). The 3rd phase of Cycle Network evaluation consists on balancing aspects proceeding from cycle characteristics with others from ecological structure achievements, in order to define an Integrated Master Plan, called Hierarchised Cycle Network, conceding different categories for cycle paths according to its importance. This allows going forward detailing typology for cycle paths and then Project definition. 7

8 Fig. 9 - Towards Cycle Network scheme (Magalhães et al, 2004) References: Cozzi, M.; Ghiacci, S.; Passigato, M. (1999); Piste Ciclabili ; Ed. II Sole 24 Ore S.p.A., Milano; Dekoster, J.; Schollaert, V. (2000): Cycling: The way ahead for towns and cities, ed. European Commission; Magalhães, M.R. (2001) A Arquitectura Paisagista, Morfologia e Complexidade, Editorial Estampa, Lisboa; Magalhães, M.R, Mata, D., Cunha, N., Campo, S. et al (2004), Plano da Rede Ciclável do Concelho de Almada ; CEAP Centro de Estudos de Arquitectura Paisagista do Instituto Superior de Agronomia; AGENEAL Agência Municipal de Energia de Almada; CMA - Câmara Municipal de Almada (2004); Magalhães, M. R.; Abreu, M. M.; Arsenio,P. Lousã, M.; Cortez, N.; Cunha, N. S.; Campo, S. L; Mata, D.;Pena, S.;Costa, J.C.; Mesquita, S.; (2005) - Plano Verde do Concelho de Sintra 1.ª Fase. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Centro de Estudos de Arquitectura Paisagista, Lisboa, Portugal. Ravetz, J. (2000); City Region Integrated Planning for a Sustainable Environment, ed. Earthscan Publications Ltd, London; REA - Relatório Estado Ambiente relativo ao ano de 2003 (2005); ed. Instituto do ambiente; Ministério do Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Lisboa 8