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This paper discusses three uses of modal split indicators, and illustrates how it evolved from a technical, intermediate step in transport analysis, over a measure of transport system efficiency to a symbolic urban sustainable mobility indicator. A framework which includes 11 factors is presented and applied to the different uses of the modal split indicator. Besides the comparison of the three main uses of modal split in research and practice, this contribution focuses on a citizen science project (Straatvinken) in the region of Flanders, Belgium. In this project thousands of citizens carry out traffic counts. While the project was initially set up to monitor modal split targets in the urban area of Antwerp, the emphasis shifted towards street liveability. This is visible in the fact that the citizen science project added a narrative-based liveability survey to capture experiences with and evaluations of the liveability at street level. The case illustrates that citizen science is, besides a tool to address data gaps, also an approach to increase the validity of indicators. The reason is that citizen science, which seems to be underexplored in transport studies, differs in what gets measured, how it is measured and why. This approach has proven to provide a fine-grained, integrated assessment of street-level changes in the composition and intensity of the traffic and their effects on the perceived liveability. We argue that it strengthens and complements traditional modal split measurements at the regional or urban level, which typically rely on the modelling of individual mobility behaviour based on household travel surveys. Traditional approaches allow observing broad trends in mobility choices at the regional level, but they do not provide insights in how those individual choices translate into effects at street level. Although often initiated out of certain sustainability concerns, existing modal split models do not reveal how an observed modal shift at the regional level affects the perceived liveability or sustainability at street level. • A framework is presented to compare different uses of modal split indicators. • Modal split is regularly used as an urban sustainability indicator. • Citizen science deserves more attention in transport research and policy. • The validity of modal split indicators is not clear. • The concept of liveable streets corresponds well with citizen concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on Smart Cities lacks of research on how actors understand and appropriate the Smart City. This paper questions in an innovative way their appropriations of the phenomenon. Smart City is considered as an instrument, following the theory of Lascoumes and Le Galès (2007). Is the Smart City a functional instrument: a kind of evidence and a pragmatic solution at disposal or a public policy instrument: not neutral, provoking debates and influencing policies? An empirical analysis is carried on based on a survey among 193 Belgian actors active in the domain. The results show that the Instrument theory is relevant to analyse the actors' appropriation, which do not follow a homogeneous trend. In fact, each actor follows his own logics which will be interesting to study. • The Instrument theory is relevant to study the Smart City appropriation by actors. • Statistical treatments based on a study of 193 Belgian actors confirm this approach. • Actor's appropriation follows a partition between functional and public policy instrument. • Actors do not fit into one or the other category of instrument in a monolithic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the potential impact of smart urban technologies used in smart city projects on three dimensions of urban sustainability (economic, environmental and social). Although the literature notes that smart urban technologies and their capabilities are potential saviours when it comes to urban and sustainability challenges in cities, there is a lack of studies exploring the impact of smart urban technologies on urban sustainability. Thus, we address this literature gap by conducting structural topic modelling on smart city projects retrieved from the Smart Territory call for projects. In these projects, city managers' report extensively on how smart urban technologies can support urban sustainability. Our results show nine groups of smart urban technologies that will support at least two urban sustainability dimensions. Smart mobility systems can support all three dimensions of urban sustainability. Technology benefits will be realised by smart urban technology capabilities and through the involvement of the city's community in the use of technology. • City managers may adopt smart urban technologies to achieve urban sustainability goals. • The results link different urban sustainability impacts to different smart urban technologies. • This paper provides a list of smart urban technologies that will support at least two urban sustainability dimensions. • Results provide a basis to measure smart urban technologies' impacts through different sustainability indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper illustrates the transformation of Brussels since the 1960s with a special focus on ‘Brusselization’, and evaluates its consequences for the capital of Belgium today. ‘Brusselization’, defined as a destruction of certain areas of Brussels’ urban tissue, became apparent during the 1960s and 1970s, mainly as a result of the Belgian Town and Country Planning Act approved in 1962. This article describes the significance of that document for the redevelopment of Brussels and introduces the reader to the typology of the main actors in the city’s urban changes. As a leading political city in Europe, Brussels is currently in dramatic need of a new urban vision that would overcome the negative aspects of its former alteration. Detailed explanation of the cases presented in this essay, especially those of the Northern Quarter and the Leopold Quarter, may facilitate a better understanding the process of Brussels’ transformation since the 1960s and inform appropriate urban government policy development in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Climate change, population growth and land-use change have increased the risk of urban floods. Urban floods cause severe damages to cities and their inhabitants, and they are expected to increase over time. Consequently, urban adaptation is required to shift from traditional infrastructure to Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI). Until recently, studies on BGI implementation have centred around large cities in developed countries. Meanwhile, medium and small size cities have received less attention. According to the Urban Water Management Transition Framework (UWMTF), cities can leapfrog towards more 'water sensitive' practices. Although leapfrogging is context-dependent, our understanding of how governance factors support leapfrogging remains embryonic. This paper contributes to the scholarly understanding of the governance factors that support and limit leapfrogging. By applying the Governance Assessment Tool (GAT) and considering three catalytic factors that underpin leapfrogging, this research assessed the process to implement the BGI project named Olympiadelaan in Herentals, Belgium. Overall, the governance context support was assessed as moderate. The regional and provincial governments play a key role in reaching this moderate level of support. This moderate support helps the city level to speed up its urban water management transition, but it is not enough to skip the states in the UWMTF. • Small size cities commonly lack expertise when dealing with climate challenges. • Subnational governments play a key role in the urban water management transition of small size cities. • The Flemish governance context has characteristics of a hierarchical governance style. • The governance system is moderately supportive of the urban water management transition process of the city of Herentals. • The case of Herentals shows that even when the governance context is favorable, leapfrogging still seems challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]