Case study: Belgium

Ghent is a medium-sized city (250,000+ residents) with a multimodal mobility ecosystem, including trams, trains, buses, and an expanding cycling network. It attracts inward migration—particularly among the 18–24 age group—driven by amenities, jobs, and life quality, but rising transport demand and regional accessibility issues persist.

The Flemish Ardennes is a peri-urban, small-town region with a youth share close to the Flanders average. However, service access is limited, job opportunities are scarce, and commuting distances often exceed 25 km, fuelling car dependency. Belgium’s flexible school choice further increases travel complexity, as youth often commute across municipal lines for education.

T-PATH-UP15 will support the optimisation of regional transport strategies—particularly in demand-responsive services and cycling infrastructure—and inform the location planning of schools, healthcare, and other provisioning systems. Collaboration with Transport Regions, and youth organisations like Globelink will ensure that youth voices are meaningfully embedded. By mapping the local SoP dynamics and engaging municipal actors, the project will enable better integration of transport with land-use and social planning across urban and peri-urban zones.