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Transport policy in Belgium: Translating sustainability discourses into unsustainable outcomes

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  • Boussauw, Kobe
  • Vanoutrive, Thomas

Abstract

In this paper, we challenge the so-called orthodox sustainable transport vision, by confronting it with two possibly troublesome issues; (1) the urge for growth, and (2) the question of social justice. On the basis of seven cases from Belgium, a country with a strong commuting culture and a traditional tendency towards multimodality, we show that the conversion of a sustainability discourse into policy actions often leads to realisations which are essentially to be labelled as non-sustainable. On the one hand we discuss a number of cases where additional travel is unintentionally stimulated, with an unforeseen contribution to global warming as a result. On the other hand, we refer to cases where subsidies for sustainable transport modes seem to be geared towards wealthier groups, while poorer groups are exposed to additional expenses. The cases cover different steps of the policy process: (1) problem definition and selection of indicators, (2) the choice of a particular solution, and (3) the design of the chosen plan or programme, and illustrate the mechanisms underlying goal-displacements.

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  • Boussauw, Kobe & Vanoutrive, Thomas, 2017. "Transport policy in Belgium: Translating sustainability discourses into unsustainable outcomes," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 11-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:53:y:2017:i:c:p:11-19
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.08.009
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    5. Daniela A. Lessa & Carlos Lobo, 2021. "Mobility and Urban Centralities: An Analysis Based on the Motorized Flows Attraction in Belo Horizonte/State of Minas Gerais/Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Daniels, Margaret J. & Harmon, Laurlyn K. & Vese, Rodney & Park, Minkyung & Brayley, Russell E., 2018. "Spatial dynamics of tour bus transport within urban destinations," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 129-141.
    7. Kobe Boussauw & Thomas Vanoutrive, 2019. "Flying Green from a Carbon Neutral Airport: The Case of Brussels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, April.
    8. Reigner, Hélène & Brenac, Thierry, 2019. "Safe, sustainable… but depoliticized and uneven – A critical view of urban transport policies in France," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 218-234.
    9. Vanoutrive, Thomas & Cooper, Erin, 2019. "How just is transportation justice theory? The issues of paternalism and production," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 112-119.
    10. Vigar, Geoff, 2017. "The four knowledges of transport planning: Enacting a more communicative, trans-disciplinary policy and decision-making," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 39-45.
    11. Robert TOMANEK, 2017. "Free-Fare Public Transport In The Concept Of Sustainable Urban Mobility," Transport Problems, Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Transport, vol. 12(SE), pages 95-105, December.
    12. Chai-Lee Goi, 2017. "The impact of technological innovation on building a sustainable city," International Journal of Quality Innovation, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Wojciech Keblowski & Frédéric Dobruszkes & Kobe Boussauw, 2022. "Moving past sustainable transport studies: Towards a critical perspective on urban transport," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/341191, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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