Basel-Stadt votes on greening the streetscape
Published: Wednesday, Nov 15th 2023, 09:50
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In Basel-Stadt, two far-reaching climate initiatives will be put to the vote on November 26. The urban climate initiatives of the Umverkehr association demand that 0.5 percent of street areas be converted into green spaces and traffic routes for bicycles, pedestrians, streetcars and buses over the next ten years.
The fact that the two initiatives, known as the "Good Air Initiative" and the "Future Initiative", were put to the vote without any counter-proposals is the result of an obstinate and stubborn debate in the Grand Council in June.
Three counter-proposals were up for debate at the time: two moderate proposals from the government, two equally moderate majority proposals and two more far-reaching minority proposals from the Grand Council's Environment, Transport and Energy Committee.
The debate ended with none of the counter-proposals gaining a majority in parliament. An alliance of left-wing green and middle-class councillors, for whom even the moderate counter-proposal would have gone too far, rejected the counter-proposal of the committee majority. The GLP, on the other hand, could not decide to tip the scales in favor of the more far-reaching counter-proposal.
Converting 480,000 square meters of roads
The "Good Air Initiative" calls for 240,000 square meters of road space in the canton of Basel-Stadt to be converted into green areas over ten years. The "Future Initiative" wants to convert an equally large area of road space dominated by car traffic into areas for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over the same period.
The SP, the Greens and the left-wing Basta party are in favor of the two initiatives. For them, the conversion of road space is an indispensable measure to counteract global warming, which is harmful to health.
The conservative parties see the proposals as a frontal attack on car traffic and parking spaces on the Allmend. They also warn of an avalanche of construction sites if so much road space has to be converted in ten years.
The GLP, on the other hand, is trying to position itself to tip the scales. It has announced that if the two bills are rejected in the Grand Council, as it hopes, it will put the rejected moderate counter-proposal from the majority of the committee back on the agenda.
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