Mpact

Tjalle Groen and Lotte Haerick joined a very local project that wants to establish a 'living network' between sharing initiatives in Ghent. Tjalle joined us for a quick interview on the ins and outs of this new endeavour 😎 The project has ‘LESLEC’ as a nickname… Gesundheit! What does it mean? We turned ‘leerecosysteem’ (learning ecosystem) into a weird letter word. The full name is: Leerecosysteem Gedeeld Gebruik en Herstel in Gent (learning ecosystem shared use and repair in Ghent). Everyone knows Ghent is ✨ awesome ✨ but we need to ask the question anyway: why Ghent? Well, in the first place because our office is here. Ghent is also a city in which many sharing and circular initiatives are already happening. What we miss is an overview, a connection between all of those projects. Having this could help boost the ecosystem a little so everyone can continue to grow and innovate. We are focusing mostly on who is present in the neighbourhoods of Brugse Poort and Dampoort. What’s the point of the project? We want to create a sort of living network that supports current and future initiatives. That way we can continue to learn and exchange. Personally, I also see possibilities to make these projects more resilient, so they are less dependent on which way the wind blows. We are currently in the exploratory phase of the project, so we’ll see where it goes in 2025. Why Mpact? Which of the Mpact initiatives can add something here? We definitely went into this with Cozywheels in mind. It is an obvious link of course, because Cozywheels is about sharing cars and bikes with neighbours. Apart from that, Mpact has resided in Ghent for the past 50 years. We serve the whole of Flanders from this office but we sometimes forget that the city of Ghent is our anchor point. If we can help other initiatives and become part of a local network, it is a win-win. Let’s say an organisation wants to join this learning ecosystem. What would be the first rule or tip you’d include for them to fit in? The first rule of fight club in this case is… talk about it 🙂 If we don’t talk about it, it will remain under the radar. So, spread the word that this thing is happening! If your learning ecosystem had a mascot, what would it be and how would it represent the spirit of shared usage and repair in Gent? °sighs° … an ant or something? Because they work together to build the wildest things. And they know how to use their hands (figuratively)! 🐜 👉 Thank you, Tjalle, for explaining this project! Find out which sharing initiative caught Tjalle's attention and read more about the project through the link in comments. De Transformisten, WijDelen, Mpact, Gents MilieuFront (GMF), and LABO vzw. With support from Europa WSE.

A mobility hub project in Brussels that Mpact was happy to be involved in! Read the 10 recommendations for hub development in the article (FR/NL) 👇 Brussel Mobiliteit - Bruxelles Mobilité FR: https://lnkd.in/evEBMuV5 NL: https://lnkd.in/e5SMXP23 📖 Want more reading material? Together with our partners we continue to make mobility hubs in Brussels more inclusive, read a study we worked on in the comments. #mobility #mobilityhubs #inclusivity #brussels

Slam! 🏓 Mpact colleagues Esen Köse and Isaura Lips are happy to announce that the Shared Mobility for All project has been chosen as a finalist in the Interreg Slam 2024-2025 😎 We look forward to the project video that will be made! Interreg North Sea Programme Read more through the link in the comments 👇 #interregslam #inclusivemobility #sharedmobility

Summer time! Mpact colleagues and public transport enthusiasts Jasmien and Caroline took a ride on the longest tram line in the world: the coast tram at the Belgian coast! 🚊 The tram ride De Panne - Knokke covers 67 km and takes 2h30min to complete. Though a pit stop in Oostende is warmly recommended ☕ 👩🦽 Accessibility: There is still a lot of work to be done for accessibility, but stops with accessible platforms are dotted along the whole coast. The old trams have been replaced with accessible, low-floor varieties 👏 There is an arrow with the direction present at every stop, so new users never board a tram in the wrong direction! 🚂 Mobility hubs: Several of the stops form a hub with the local train stations: De Panne, Oostende, Blankenberge, Knokke. There are a few other hubs in between, e.g. in Nieuwpoort, where you can switch from tram to bus, shared car, shared bike… 🚧 Technicalities: the tram is unidirectional (which creates a prime seating area with a view in the back) and needs to be turned on a loop or ‘triangle’. The tram line requires an extra high quality ‘sand sucker’ to keep the beach and the dunes out of the rails 😁 🎉 Fun facts: The current model tram is called “zeelijner” (“sea liner”, a nod to “ocean liner”). When the first part of the tram line was installed in 1885 it was still a steam tram! 😱 Next time you’re in Belgium and you're looking to fill half a day, you know what to do! 🏖️ #publictransport #mobility #belgium

A rapid Q&A with two mobility coordinators: - What is the biggest obstacle for the success of your carpooling policy? - What is your favourite way to promote carpooling in your company? - ... - How good is your singing voice? 😏 👉 Our Carpool BE platform had a great networking event with some of the French-speaking companies! #mobility #mobilitypolicy #carpool #sustainable #carsharing

In case you missed the interview with Mpact's Jelten Baguet and Eric van Dijk (Provincie Utrecht) on shared mobility hubs... You can find the link in the comments! There's some interesting stuff in there about reinventing wheels and dangling carrots in front of people 😉 🥕 Thanks to Intertraffic for the interview! Interreg North Sea Programme | ShareDiMobiHub | Mpact

How we move matters - and hopefully this topic also matters this weekend during the elections in Flanders and elsewhere! #memorandum Fact: the way we move needs to become more sustainable 😬 👉 The mobility pyramid guides us towards smarter choices, integrating shared mobility with public transport, cycling, and walking. Sharing makes mobility a rational process, choosing the right mode for each type of trip. But *being able* to move is even more important! 📣 Mobility enables personal growth and positively impacts well-being. Access to mobility means full participation in society—shopping, visiting the doctor, social visits, and work 🛒🏢🌳🎠 Independent travel boosts self-confidence, reduces isolation, and enhances well-being 🧘♀️ By rethinking our approach to mobility, we can create a healthier, more connected society for everyone 💪 #mobility #transport #sustainable #accessible #publictransport #cycling #walking #sharedmobility #elections Pyramid 1: "being able to be yourself" "feeling well" "being well supported" Pyramid 2: "walking" "cycling and micro mobility" "public transport" "shared cars and rides" "private cars"

Sharing is caring! - an excerpt from Mpact's memorandum for the upcoming 2024 elections in Flanders Supporting peer-to-peer car and bike sharing is an elegant but often overlooked part of our sustainable future 🧍🚗🧍 This model allows individuals and organizations to share their vehicles. It fosters community cohesion, frees up space for greenery, and reduces emissions. It’s especially effective in rural areas where commercial fleet operators are less active 🏡 Mpact already supports this principle with its services (when not under attack from cyber criminals, that is 👽): Cozywheels (sharing vehicles between neighbours), Op Wielekes (bike library for kids) and Holidaysitting (house-sitting). Key actions for promoting peer-to-peer sharing: 1️⃣ Highlight peer-to-peer sharing: 📣 promote car and bike sharing through campaigns focusing on environmental benefits, financial savings, and low vehicle usage. Encourage local governments to lead by example by sharing their fleets. 2️⃣ Create incentives: local governments should provide incentives like membership reimbursements, parking permits, subsidies for shared electric vehicles, or mobility budgets for relinquished license plates 🥕 Adjust regulations to facilitate sharing of adapted vehicles and lower the VAT rate for car sharing to 6%. 3️⃣ Simplify for providers: develop a regional framework to streamline criteria for car-sharing organizations across cities, considering different needs for roundtrip, free-floating, and private car sharing. Support operators in data sharing according to existing standards 💾 💡 Investing equally in vehicle-sharing and electrification is vital. Vehicle and ride-sharing can be as impactful as electrification in transforming our mobility system. #mobility #sharing #carsharing #bikesharing #sharedmobility #transport #sharingiscaring #ridesharing #elections #peertopeer #neighbourhood

How about... measuring CO2 per passenger, not per vehicle 🧍🚘 - an excerpt from Mpact's memorandum for the upcoming 2024 elections in Flanders Though our own platform is still reeling from the cyber attack, at Mpact we will always continue to stimulate carpooling because it is crucial for a sustainable future 💪 Vehicles with low occupancy rates emit more CO2 per person. Through carpooling, we can significantly reduce those emissions 💨 On top of that, this mobility mode offers numerous other benefits: reduced traffic congestion, improved road safety, lower mobility costs, less need for parking spaces, and increased productivity 🏁 It’s also quick to implement, requiring minimal infrastructure 🚧 A new carpooling ambition could be to aim for 40,000 new carpoolers in Flanders by 2027, achieving 5% of the modal split. 👉 This can lead to: €55.3M extra purchasing power for passengers €19M extra purchasing power for drivers 211.2M fewer car kilometres on Flemish roads 25,450 tons of CO2 reduction annually 📢 To increase carpool visibility: 1️⃣ Launch carpool campaigns. 2️⃣ Complement campaigns with long-term incentives, carpool infrastructure, and integration into Mobility as a Service. 3️⃣ Ensure tax exemptions for carpooling, similar to bicycle allowances, and create a national carpool registry for monitoring rides. Carpool is cool, now more than ever! #carpool #carpooling #elections #future #sustainable #infrastructure #mobility #transport #emissions

Autonomous mobility or autonomy through mobility? - an excerpt from Mpact's memorandum for the upcoming 2024 elections in Flanders 👇 Over the past decade, self-driving vehicles have garnered significant attention 📣 However, as the technology still matures, we must focus on enhancing existing sustainable mobility options. Well-organized mobility increases access and autonomy for all—youth, seniors, newcomers, and job seekers. 🌱 Accessible and sustainable mobility is key to improving everyone’s quality of life and boosting the economy. Autonomous technology has potential but must serve societal needs and fit within a sustainable system. We, as Mpact, believe that three crucial steps are necessary to achieve this: 1️⃣ Develop accessible mobility hubs: ensure quality mobility hubs in every neighbourhood, accessible to all, including those with disabilities and language barriers. 2️⃣ Engage through co-creation: plan infrastructure and digital tools with diverse groups to address their unique mobility needs. 3️⃣ Support volunteer transport: enhance non-medical volunteer transport services for those with limited mobility, ensuring affordability and reducing isolation, especially among the elderly. Let's create a mobility system that empowers everyone! 💪 #mobility #inclusive #affordable #shared #volunteer #transport #cocreation #infrastructure #transport #mobilityhub