In order to address the rampant affordable housing crisis in this country of 18 million people, the outgoing Dutch national government has set aside 2.5 billion Euro into the accessibility of some 273,000 homes that are going to be built within the next few years. The funds will be channelled into road infrastructure projects, tramlines and cycling infrastructure.
Among the projects selected is the
VeluweWaalPad, a cycle highway connecting the cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen, which will receive a 65 million Euro contribution for building a cycle bridge over the river Rhine in Arnhem. Arnhem and Nijmegen jointly hosted the Velo-city conference in 2017, when participants could experience the other then still very new cycle highway connecting both cities, the RijnWaalPad.
Other Dutch cycle projects selected for funding
While the investment into the VeluweWaalPad is the single largest cycle project, it is by far not the only one. Other beneficiaries include:
- The cycle highway Regio Foodvalley: 43 million Euro
- A project in Tilburg Noord to give more space to pedestrians and cyclists: 27 million Euro
- A cycle bridge over railway lines in Haarlem Oostpoort: 7.5 million Euro.
- Building bicycle tunnels under provincial roads, as is the case in Epe.
Bridging the gap between housing and mobility: Transport affordability as part of housing affordability
While the exact total amount of investments into cycle projects of this Dutch programme is yet to be determined, it serves as a good practice example of how the gap between the housing and mobility sectors can and should be bridged.
Director of Dutch ECF member Fietsersbond, Esther van Garderen, says: “We see that municipalities and provinces are committed to creating healthy and liveable new residential areas, where proximity and healthy mobility are central.”
When addressing housing affordability through the construction of new residential neighbourhoods, thinking about mobility issues should be integrated from the very start in urban planning processes and not considered as an afterthought. Neighbourhoods that increase walkability and cyclability improve not only the quality of the public space. In new developments that prioritise accessibility through active mobility, overall household expenditures will be lower compared to those residing in neighbourhoods where car dependency is built in.
To give one concrete example: the cost of constructing one underground car parking space in apartment blocks is anywhere between 20,000 and 80,000 Euro, typically representing 10-20% of the unit construction cost. Costs that eventually are borne by potential buyers and tenants. Revising parking mandates and supplementing them by sustainable mobility accessibility requirements could reduce the overall bill for households in the tens of thousands of euros and should therefore be a no-brainer. Transport affordability should be considered part of housing affordability, the European Commission’s Housing Advisory Board recently rightly recommended.
Next stop: The EU Affordable Housing Action Plan
More than 13,000 individuals, businesses and organisations sent their input to the European Commission public consultation on affordable housing. So did ECF. A clear sign that the topic is top of the agenda. The Commission is working on an Affordable Housing Action Plan, with adoption foreseen for 16 December 2025. Will it look beyond the immediate housing silo and integrate the transport affordability dimension? The Dutch government has set a good example.
Further reading:
ECF policy brief on the EU Affordable Housing public consultation:
Cut Housing Costs by up to 20%: Reforming Parking Mandates for Affordable Housing - ECF
Housing Advisory Board recommendations:
Commissioner Jørgensen welcomes recommendations by the Housing Advisory Board on how to tackle the housing crisis - Housing
Fietsersbond blij met investeringen in fiets bij nieuwe woningbouwlocaties - Fietsersbond
2,5 miljard voor bereikbaarheid nieuwe woonwijken - Fietsberaad
