Earlier this month, The Hague won the national Share Award for the third time in the Large Municipalities category. The municipality received the award for its wide range and well-established use of shared transport in the city, and for actively supporting residents in its use.
Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition, Mobility, and Resources): “Shared mobility gives residents more freedom to choose how they travel. It contributes to a clean and accessible city, with more space for green spaces and housing. This award is a wonderful recognition of the efforts of our city and the many resident initiatives that contribute to this.”
The Deelawards have been presented annually since 2016 by Natuur & Milieu, in collaboration with the Natuurlijk!Deelmobiliteit program and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Municipalities, project developers, and area developers are eligible for the prize if they demonstrably commit to making shared cars, shared bicycles, shared scooters, and shared cargo bikes widely available. The Hague has won the Deelaward twice before, making it a leader in shared mobility with three awards.
Resident initiatives make the difference
The Hague received praise from the expert jury for how shared mobility has been integrated into broader mobility policy and area development. The establishment of a Residents’ Platform for Shared Transport was also positively reviewed. Through this platform, supported by Duurzaam Den Haag (Sustainable The Hague), residents can find information, share experiences, and jointly develop initiatives. Car-sharing groups can also request a reserved space from the municipality, including a charging station.
Benefits of shared mobility
Shared mobility contributes to freedom of choice and to the creation of space for housing, green spaces, and climate adaptation. In a city where space is scarce, shared mobility improves accessibility and creates a cleaner, more livable environment.
The winners were selected based on surveys, figures on the number of sharing options from knowledge center CROW – the national knowledge platform for infrastructure, traffic, transport and public space – and the extent to which municipalities actively encourage various forms of shared transport.
On Tuesday, November 4, Duurzaam Den Haag is organizing a free public city discussion about shared transport at The Social Hub, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. (in Dutch)
Register here: https://duurzaamdenhaag.nl/kalender/stadsgesprek-hoeveel-geld-laat-jij-liggen-met-je-auto
More information about the Share Awards can be found on the Natuur & Milieu website:
https://natuurenmilieu.nl/nieuws-artikel/winaars-van-de-landelijke-deelaward-den-haag-nijmegen-en-wageningen/
Text & Image: Gemeente Den Haag.
Photo: Alderman Kapteijns with the Share Award next to a shared car.