Geography: Analysis of a spatial planning project

Objectives:
- Investigate assets and constraints of a site chosen for spatial planning projects
- Investigate potentialities and vulnerabilities of a project for the development of an
area and therefore its relevance.

Liège’s future tram route: Why there and not elsewhere?

Factors that should be considered when choosing the location of a new public
transportation route:
1. Accessibility: Is it accessible for a large number of people?
2. Geographic coverage: Does it provide short/direct access to:
- Densely populated areas
- Major services and commercial areas (schools, hospitals,shops, office
buildings, etc.)
3. Availability of land: Is there land for the construction of new public transportation
facilities?
4. Congestion/pollution reduction: Does it provide a suitable alternative for routes that
are currently most impacted by traffic or congestion/pollution.

Relevant spatial references:

- Necessary for people to know where things are (are not)
- Make it possible to identify geographical breaks/continuities

Suitable geographical concepts:

- Spatial planning, accessibility, geographic coverage, land use, physical/human
features, physical/human constraints, physical/human assets,...

Location of the planned tram route:

The future tram route crosses the city of Liège from southwest to northeast following the
course of the River Meuse between Sclessin and Coronmeuse. With a total of 21 stops, it
mostly runs along the left bank of the river except for a short extension at the northern end of
the line, which crosses the river towards Bressoux, on the right bank of the Meuse.

First major physical feature of the city of Liège: The Meuse River

Asset:
- Historical, social and economic development of Liège

Constraints:
- Cut Liège in 2
- Can be crossed in a limited number of location through the use of bridges which are
already frequently congested
 ⇒ If the Meuse is to be crossed by the tram, it requires costly investments in bridges
(or the extension of existing ones).
Potentiality:
- Only requires the crossing of one bridge
⇒ Limited bridging works + ↘ costs

Vulnerability:
- Tram route limited to the left bank
⇒ Transportation needed on the right bank = mostly overlooked
⇒ Accessibility + geographic coverage?

Second major physical feature of the city of Liège: Valley landform/relief

Physical feature: Relief:

- The route between Sclessin and Coronmeuse follows the course of the river Meuse
⇒ Fairly flat
Overall, the altitude doesn’t vary much (+/- 60 to 70 m).

- The route between Ans and the Sart-Tilman Campus does the opposite: It runs
through the Meuse Valley, with the river at the bottom
⇒ Valley (v-shape)
Changes in altitude (difference of about 175m between the lowest and highest
points), with steep slopes on both sides of the valley.

Liège is located at the bottom of the Meuse Valley, with steep slopes on both sides.
⇒ Any route going through the Meuse valley (ex: Ans - Sart-Tilman route) will face a major
physical constraint: High changes in latitude + steep slopes.

Constraint:
- Valley landform: The city of Liège is at the bottom of the Meuse Valley with steep
slopes on both sides.

Asset:
- Valley-floor route: By following the course of the River Meuse, the chosen tram route
remains on the floor of the valley ⇒ takes advantage of the valley floor flatness and
avoids any physical obstacles due to relief.

Potentialities:
- No need to deal with physical obstacles due to relief ⇒ ↘ costs
- Feasibility of the project = guaranteed

Vulnerabilities:
- Tram route = Limited to the valley floor
⇒ Accessibility + geographic coverage?
⇒ Possibilities for future development of the tram network?
Feature = SITE PROJECT
Water
Ways

Constraints: Vulnerabilities:
Presence of the River Meuse, which Geographic coverage: limited to the
cuts the city of Liège in 2 left bank; transportation

Assets: Potentialities:
Site chosen: mostly limited to left bank Costly investment in bridging: works
of the River Meuse = limited ⇒ ↘ costs

Feature = SITE PROJECT

Relief

Constraints: Vulnerabilities:
The city of Liège is at the bottom of the Geographic coverage: limited to the
Meuse Valley, with steep slopes on valley floor
both sides - ↘ Accessibilities/↘ Nb of
potential users
- Possibilities for future dev of
the tram network?

Assets: Potentialities:
The site chosen corresponds to the No need to deal with physical
valley floor ⇒ flat obstacles due to relief ⇒ ↘ costs
Feasibility of the project =
guaranteed

Why there?

Human features:

Major human feature of the city of Liège: Population density and Accessibility

The city center is where the population of Liège mostly concentrates with similar numbers on
both banks of the River Meuse. The population density is particularly high on the valley floor.

The population decreases with distance from the city center. The population is at its lowest
on the edge of the city, especially in the Sart-Tilman area in the South, and the areas of
Jupille and Rocourt in the North.

Parallel of population distribution found in most urban areas.

MEDCs: ↗ distance from the city center ⇒ ↘ population densities.
In conclusion:
From the observations carried, it appears that the planned tram route line is not mainly
intended for residents of the city, but for commuters and users coming from outside of the
city. Indeed, it seems that the main point of this tram route is to provide efficient access to
the city center from the edge of the city but not transportation around the city itself (which will
continue to be provided by busses)

Major human feature of the city of Liège: Land use

For built up areas: Residential, commercial, industrial, economic, recreational, public

services, etc.

For unbuilt areas: parks, farming, forests, etc.

“Plan de secteur”:
1. Not relevant for a precise analysis of land use along the tram route because it only
shows the MAIN land use in an area (not precise enough).
⇒ Areas mainly devoted to commercial, industrial, recreational or public use = the
only one shown.
⇒ But in most areas, land use is actually MIXED.
⇒ Most of the areas that the planned tram route runs through: Shown as being
devoted to residential use because it is their main use, but the map gives NO
indication on the other land use that may be found in these areas.

2. Relevant for residential use ⇒ densely built-up areas

⇒ Not a lot of land available
⇒ ↗ risk of nuisance due to proximity with residents

Map showing jobs in the Liège Province:

1. Not relevant for a precise analysis of land use along the tram route ⇒ doesn’t show
the precise location of jobs or businesses in Liège

2. But relevant because it shows the city of Liège as a major job market area.
⇒ Suggests that many people commute to the city of Liège for work
⇒ Confirms the existence of high mobility needs for people traveling to Liège from
surrounding areas.

Assets:
- Economic activities concentrated mainly on the left bank of the city
- Presence of schools and touristic areas on the left bank

Main objective: connect economic and historical areas to the edge of the city, for commuters

⇒ The site chosen has a high concentration of economic activities, services, facilities and
tourist attractions. It therefore affects the left bank because it provides easy and efficient
access from the edge of the city to the economic, cultural and historical center of Liège.
(Number of potential users: ↗, especially commuters and users from outside of the city).
Constraints:
There are economic, touristic and cultural areas in the right bank. As there is no connection
between the left and the right bank ⇒ right bank is isolated.

⇒ Economic activities, services, facilities and tourist attractions are not limited to the left
bank and are also found on the right bank and on the edges of the city.

Vulnerabilities:
On the right bank and on the edges of the city:
- Access to the economic activities, services, facilities and tourist attractions located on
the right bank and on the edges of the city is limited.
- ↘ of the number of potential users
- ↗ isolation of the right bank from the rest of the city (already considered poorer, less
beautiful and now less accessible)

Major human feature of the city of Liège: Sustainability and environment

Sustainable urban transport project:

⇒ A project that improves people’s safety and mobility
⇒ … without damaging the environment - both at a local and at a global scale.

Assets/constraints:
- Presence of nature protection areas/features;
- Natural habitats;
- …

Local potentialities/vulnerabilities:
- Effects on natural habitats and local ecosystems
- Biodiversity loss;
- …

Global potentialities/vulnerabilities:
- Effects on global greenhouse gas emissions;
- Use of non-renewable energies
- Human health
- …

Tram route ⇒ Limited effects on ecosystem:

- Use of existing roads;
- If it runs through green areas ⇒ artificial green areas (or old trees);
- Planning to plant more trees than the ones destroyed;
- Take into account trees with particular features and a particular heritage value
(veteran trees);
- Isolated from large green areas

Feature = SITE PROJECT

sustainability
Constraints:
Site chosen for the planned
tram route includes several
veteran trees.
Assets:
Site chosen for the planned
tram route:
- Mostly corresponds to
existing roads;
- only includes few
green areas, which
are mostly artificial
Vulnerabilities:
At a local scale:
- The project involves the
destruction of several veteran
trees;
⇒ Limited but long lasting effects on local
natural heritage
At a global scale:
- ???, but likely to be offset by the
positive effects of reduced car
traffic - if the objective is indeed
achieved…
(⇒ measures to discourage car traffic??)
Potentialities:
At a local scale:
- the project doesn’t require the
destruction of large natural areas
- The project involves planting new
trees, which will mostly make up
for those that need to be cut down.
⇒ Very limited effects on local
ecosystems and natural habitats with no
or very little biodiversity loss
At a global scale:
- By providing a sustainable
alternative to car transport, the
tram project is expected to reduce
the negative impacts of car traffic
on the global environment.
↘ air pollution; ↘greenhouse gas
emissions; ↘noise, ↘used oil, etc. (in the
long term)