Aalborg as a regional city

- Overall planning and Traffic 2040

UPM 18.09.2015
Jeppe Astrup Andersen and Anne Juel Andersen
Project Managers, City of Aalborg

Municipal reform 2006/7

Aalborg Municipality + Nibe, Sejlflod and Hals

The area was doubled, population + 30.000

2015: 1137,3 km2 and 207.805 people
132.578 in the City of Aalborg

+2000-2500 people each year

Planning Strategy 2011

Competition between
university cities
Aalborg as the growth
dynamo for North Denmark
The growth axis was born
Focus om neccesary
connections and mobility

The attractive city

A good place to live all
your life

Clear focus on the possibilities to create more growth

Growth axis as a back bone for urban development

Necessary connections
Dependence on a strong infrastructure (global competition)
National and international connections

3. Limfjord connection
Light rail and connections to local railway

Aalborg as a bicycle city

Realistic balance between private cartraffic, public traffic and
cyclists/pedestrians

Focus on Aalborg as an attractive city

Goals for the attractive city

More dense city with respect to the green and blue structure
Lively city 24/7 urban spaces, mixed functions and
experiences
Culture as a parameter for development (also for
businesses)

Landscape and nature, health and recreation

Sustainable urban regeneration

Special focus on
Suburbs of the future Aalborg East and Storvorde/Klarup
Support and develop alternative ways of living

Multifunctionality in buildings, cities and neighbourhoods

Culture and leisure as a catalyst for urban life

Ensure possibilities for urban growth

Keeping workplaces in the hinterland

Aalborg
The Tough Little Big City
Attractive for knowledge workers and students

Climate strategy 2012-2015

Overall objective

A fossil free energy supply, also in the transport

sector in 2050
The transport sector

In 2007 33% of the total CO2 emissions of Aalborg

Municipality came from the transport sector
To achieve the overall objective, is the technological
development of both vehicles and fuels essential
Reduce the need for motorized transport
Objective for modal split in 2050

Highest 50% of passenger transport, measured in

kilometers per person per day, should take place in
the car,
At least 10% be done by bicycle
40% of public transport

Main Structural Plan - Physical Vision 2025

Cityregion Aalborg
Potentials for national and international competition
Aalborg is the Growth Dynamo for North Denmark
Growth the prerequisite for welfare

Holistic sustainable city-politics growth

AND welfare
Strong international university
Robust occupational structure to attract
capital and workplaces
Qualified labourforce to match the needs
for development
Necessary connections with other cities in
the region and the rest of the world
Regional culture-, commercial- and
experience possibilities
Attractive urban environments housing
and meeting places

Aalborg the attractive city

Focus on competences and wise
development
Adjustment to climate changes
City of businesses synergy
between public and private
investments

Focus on mixed functions and

urban quality

Axis of growth as the driver of the

city

Mobility is the backbone in the

growth axis

Urban development principles

Development on the hills, inside
existing borders of the city

Concentrated urban development

in the growth axis
Densification AND development
of green areas
Attention of the fjord, landscape
and green and blue connections.
Using increased amounts of
water for recreational purposes
City for everybody with full
accessibility

Mobility strategy 2013

Mobility in Aalborg

Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport in the inner

city are prioritised ABOVE accesibility for cars

New parking spaces should be restricted to larger

parking areas on the outskirts of the town centre.

Mobility in suburbs and villages of growth

An attractive public transport service between

suburbs and villages of growth and Aalborg must be
maintained.

The cycle lane network must be expanded to connect

surburbs or villages within cycling distance of each
other or Aalborg.

Mobility in villages and rural areas

Stimulate the use of intermodal transport by creating

better opportunities to switch transport mode.

Reduce car use by creating better facilities for carpooling

Mobility in North Denmark

Regional transit traffic shall

be directed away from the
Limfjord Bridge and the city
centre in Aalborg
The motorway network
should be extended with a
third crossing at the
Limfjord.
The development of Aalborg
Airport must be continued

Action plans, under the

mobility strategy

Bicycle Action Plans

Parking Action Plan
Traffic Safety Plan

The 3. Limfjord Crossing

During the construction of the Tunnel
in the early 1960s, investigations
into the layout of a 3. crossing
were initiated
Divert traffic away from Vesterbro,
Hobrovej and the Tunnel
In 2014 it the Parliament decided that
the layout of the 3. Limfjord
Crossing should be in Egholm line
Land reservations to Lindholm
line parallel tunnel was
abanded

Aalborg Light Rail 2013

Mobility oriented urban

development
Light rail as the backbone for
urban development
High priority to pedestrians,
bicyclist and collective traffic.
Lower priority to car traffic
Accessibility between central
functions
Densification around the
nerve centers
Shift between different
means of transportation,
shopping possibilities, service
and housing
Character, identity and
attractive urban environments

Densification of the nerve centers

11,7 km
24 stops
Travel time35 minutes
10 departments/hour in each direction
in rush hours

Preliminary analysis - Aalborg Light Rail project 2014

Process 2015-2021
EIA hearing june 17th to september 9th
Light rail secretariat august 2015
EIA approval october 19th

Construction Act march/april 2016

Light rail secretariat converts into Construction
Company
Sewers, pipes and cable works
Tenders, contracts, design & construction
Testing and approval
Operation - 2021

Investments in urban development

Prioritation of the areas

Possibilities for new synergies,

new sustainable integrated
solutions

Planning process
Urban development and urban
spaces
Focus on investments along the trac

Synergy and dialogue with the

investors
Local plans for sections of the trac

New urban spaces and stops along the

trac
Coordination with all the partners

Planning Strategy 2015:

Economic and Human Growth
on a sustainable basis

The Traffic in Aalborg 2040

A long-term mobility plan

Backgrund
New preconditions for planning
The state decided to ensure a third Limfjord Crossing in
Egholm line
Aalborg Light rail has included on the Finance Act 2015
Both the Port of Aalborg and Aalborg Airport are
growing strong and the city areas are continues
enlarged and densified
It's time to put together and revised the sectoral plans and
have them re-imagined as a comprehensive follow up on
the Mobility Strategy.

Purpose of the plan

The purpose of "Traffic in Aalborg in 2040" is to follow up on the
long-term prospects for urban development in Aalborg by taking
a long-term perspectives on the traffic development and the
challenges, regulatory initiatives and investments that are
linked to it
Need for a long-term perspective
What mobilitets challenges are Aalborg facing when the light
rail og possibly the 3. Limfjord Crossing are realized?
The planning of large infrastructure projects take a long time
It is not possible to reach the climate targets for the
transport sector alone with technological improvements, if
current trends in the transport sector continues.

Demarcation of the plan

The project area is delimited to Aalborg Municipality, with the
main focus on the city of Aalborg. Also the focus is on
regional connectivity and Aalborg as a hub in a regional
mobility network.
The analysis of the future mobility challenges is divided into
two parts:

Developments until 2025

Developments until 2040
All means of transport are included

Analysis for 2025

The traffic development in Aalborg Municipality will be based ton the traffic forecast for 2025,
prepared in connection with Aalborg Light rail
A differentiated growth in traffic is assumed between urban, suburban towns and rural areas.

This will be implemented in different basic scenarios for the mobility needs
Allow for describing the various actions that can be realized, adapted the current traffic
development
The two major infrastructure projects are essential for the traffic development and the
opportunities that are present to cover the need for mobility; 3. Limfjord Crossing and Aalborg
Light Rail
A decision on the third Limfjord Crossing is taken, so it is open by 2025
Taken no decision o the third Limfjord Crossing. Construction is not ready before 2025
Mobility workshop with relevant stakholders

Review of assumptions
Devlopment of projetc ideas

How to handel the fjord crossing

traffic is central to the plan
How to handel the fjord
crossing traffic is central to
the plan
What is the potential to divert
traffic from the bridge to the
tunnel?
What is the consequences for
the capacity of the tunnel if
traffic is diverted from the
bridge?

Analysis for 2040 (1)

Where the analysis for 2025 can be anchored in the objectives of Physics Vision 2025,
assumptions, visions and goals more vague for 2040

In order to clarify the political vision for mobility and infrastructure in 2040, a vision
workshop is held with Urban and Landscape Committee.
Due to uncertainty the development until 2040 is modeled generically based on general growth
factors and trends.
The forecast for 2040 to reflect an "all other things being equal" situation where the decided
projects are realized and where the general trend in vehicle traffic and public transport have
followed the expected growth.
It is discussed how technological development and societal organization can involve that the
development diverts from the "all other things being equal scenario

Alternative fuels
Automatic cars
Shared economy
Pricing
The use of big and open data within the transport sector

Analysis for 2040 (2)

Two scenarios:
A decision on the third Limfjord Crossing is taken, so it is open by 2040
Taken no decision o the third Limfjord Crossing. Construction is not ready
before 2040
In both scenarios urban development will be distributed within the municipal boundary
in accordance with the principles of Physics Vision 2025
That is, an emphasis on densification over sprawl.
Backcasting
Because the objective of becoming CO2 neutral by 2050, involve a need to
deviate from the "all things being equal" situation, thus breaking several
current trends, the possible solutions for infrastructure and mobility challenges
that arise in the scenarios for 2040, will be prepared on a backcasting
approach.

The pyramid of mobility intiatives

4.
New infrastructure
projects
3. Enlargements of
existing infrastructure

2. More efficient use of existing

infrastructure

1. Reduce the need for transport and changes modal

split

Output
The project is reported in a comprehensive mobility plan. The content of
the plan is expected to be:

Status description
Scenarios for 2025
Example cases
Initiative catalog broken down by geography as the Mobility
Strategy until 2025
Construction Program and initiatives to influence the mobility
needs until 2025
Possible scenarios, initiatives and projects towards the 2040
The Traffic 2040 will serve as input for the next revision of the municipal
plan

Possible topics for the Urban Design

Studio
Elaborations on how technological development og societal organization can effect future mobility, e.g.:

Alternative fuels
Automatic cars
Shared economy
Pricing
The use of big and open data within the transport sector

Where is the potential for a new axis of mobility led urban development, what are the main challenges for development and how can they be met?
Describtion and discussion of innovative mobility intiatives from other countries which could be implemented in Aalborg
How can the fjord crossing traffic be handeled?

How can urban land use planning be used to reduce the need for transport?
How can socity be organized in a transport reducing manner?
How can the transition towards fossil free fuels be facilitated by the municipality?
How is challeges of rural mobility faced?